Get Brighter, Softer Fabrics With Soft Water
Get Brighter, Softer Fabrics With Soft Water
Having to treat grass or juice stains when doing your family’s laundry is rarely a surprise, but finding mysterious new stains when you pull the clothes out of the washer can be bewildering! The washing machine is supposed to make doing laundry easier, not make more work for you.
Most of the country has hard water which is caused by calcium and magnesium minerals being carried with the water. These particles can cause all kinds of headaches for your home. They can have an impact on your laundry, skin, plumbing, washing machine and more!
Cleaning Agents Aren’t As Effective
The dissolved minerals in hard water reduce the effectiveness of many household cleaning products. Calcium and magnesium will bind to the detergent which prevents water from mixing with it to form a cleaning solution. This new mixture of hardness and detergent is very sticky and is what is left behind in tubs and showers that we all know as “soap scum.” Just like the nasty soap scum in your shower, the same gunky substance will be left on your laundry. This sticky substance will act as a magnet to attract and hold even more dirt as you wear your clothes.
With hard water, you’ll need to use more soap, and hotter water to get your clothes clean. But unfortunately, using more soap and water means more money and more residue left behind. Plus, your energy bill will increase if you are using more hot water. This slight inflation in your monthly budget may seem relatively small, but it adds up over time.
Your Favorite Shirt Is Fading Away
Your new shirt may appear old much faster than it should! The soap scum and residue stuck in your fabrics will quickly age the appearance of your clothing. This buildup of soap and reside will make your brightly colored clothes fade faster, your white will turn a dingy gray, and leave all of your fabrics feeling stiff, crusty, and less flexible. The stiffness causes unnecessary wear-and-tear on your clothes, causing tears and holes so you have to replace them faster than clothes washed in soft water.
Mysterious Stains Appear After Washing
Do you find unexplainable stains on your clothes after they come out of the washer? Yellow, red, or brown staining can come from iron in your water just like the stains you may find inside porcelain sinks and toilets. It’s even more likely to stain your clothes if you use chlorine bleach to wash your whites. Bleach acts as an oxidizer, which means it will take something that is dissolved and turn it into a solid. When iron in your water combines with bleach, it creates iron-oxide (a.k.a. rust). These rust particles get deposited on your clothes as the water drains from inside the washer, leaving your clothes dirtier than when they went it.
Linens and Towels Feel Like Sandpaper
Hard water will not only deteriorate the way your clothes look, it also changes how the fabric feels against your skin. Mineral buildup may cause your bath towels to be stiff and scratchy. In addition, the residue that collects on your towels will also make them less absorbent over time.
Everyone loves fluffy, soft towels, and comfortable linens, but you may need to soften the water in your home to keep that soft fabric you fell in love with at the store. Thanks to your home's hard water, your favorite winter fleece may not feel as soft as it used to and will not keep you as warm either.
Your Skin Issues May Be Caused By Soap Residue
When you wash clothes in hard water, detergent residue is left behind in the fibers and can cause you to have itchy irritated skin. If you already have sensitive skin, it can easily become even more inflamed or irritated and leave your skin feeling itchy and dry. Plus, if you live in an area that experiences seasonal climate changes, the dry cold weather will also cause your skin to dry out making it even more touchy when it comes to detergents and minerals being embedded in your clothing.
Hard water also hinders the function of your skin’s ability to protect and moisturize itself. That layer of soap scum left on your shower wall can also be left behind on your skin. If you and your family members have sensitive skin or a dermatological condition like eczema, you may want to consider having your water tested to see if soft water may benefit your family.
Shortened Life Span of Your Washing Machine
Most of us don’t pay much attention to appliance manuals, but if you did, you’d see many of them recommend using treated water for the best performance. In fact, the warranties for some high-efficiency models will become void if you use them with hard water.
The scale-buildup that hard water leaves behind as it travels through your plumbing and appliances, means that your washing machine will have to work harder to do its job. The build-up creates a layer of rock around your heating element that makes it difficult to get the inner temperatures as hot as the manufacturer’s intended. This may also lead to more calls to a repair technician when the heating coil becomes damaged trying output enough energy. Hard water damage may take years off the life of washing machines. Investing in a water softener for your home helps protect these costly appliances. With soft water, appliances like washing machines are much more likely to retain the original factory efficiency rating for the life of the product.
Why Soft Water is the Answer
Soft water cleans better in all types of situations. Soap will perform more effectively and will clean your clothes, linens, towels and even your carpet fibers better than hard water. Your skin will thank you too!
Removing the minerals in your water will save you all kinds of household headaches. From scale buildup in pipes, and wear and tear on your using appliances to saving your wallet by buying less laundry detergent, reducing energy bills, and keeping your fabrics cleaner, brighter, and looking newer longer. Now that’s something to cheer about!
Interested in finding out more? Your local WaterCare dealer offers a variety of water solutions for homeowners like you. Your local dealer will test your water and choose a water softener or conditioner tailored to your specific water conditions!