From silkier hair to cleaner dishes, homeowners notice the benefits of soft water almost immediately. But what many people don't realize is that water softening doesn't just feel nicer, it also helps all of your products work smarter.
Why Hard Water Makes Cleaning Difficult
With hard water, detergents and soaps are forced to fight against calcium and magnesium minerals instead of the dirt and oil you're trying to clean. The result? Dumping in more product to handle both the hardness and the dirt in order to achieve the level of cleanliness you would expect.
In fact, the majority of the US experience some level of hard water. Without realizing it, homeowners often compensate by:
Using more laundry detergent than recommended
Increasing water temperature to improve results
Rewashing clothes and dishes due to residue or stubborn stains
Applying extra shampoo and body wash in order to build up a lather
Source: WQRF Laundry Study Executive Summary
An independent study conducted by the Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF) had compared the results of cleaning fabrics across three different levels of hard water.
- Case 1 was the hardest water tested that had about 30 grains per gallon (513 parts per million). This sounds extreme, but areas in the Western US can easily see that much naturally occurring hardness.
- Case 2 was water with a hardness of 15 grains per gallon (256.5 parts per million), which is common is the Midwest and Southwest.
- Case 3 had no hardness present.
As you can see from the chart above, the soft water in Case 3 used 50% less detergent than the extremely hard water case and still achieved better results.
The Hidden Cost of Hard Water on Appliances
Beyond detergent and energy usage, hard water can quietly shorten the lifespan of the appliances you're using to wash your clothes. Hard water minerals in your water will stick to the inside of your washing machine and water heater. It creates a crusty layer called "scale" that is harden calcium and magnesium the water picked up from the bedrock in the ground.
Over time, this can lead to:
- Reduce efficiency to heat through the scale buildup
- Increased maintenance needs
- Premature appliance failure and replacement
Installing a water softener helps protect your big ticket investments by keeping the internal components clear to perform as they were designed.
Save Big with Soft Water
Stop throwing away the clothes, towels, and blankets you love before their time. Soft water allows households to use less while getting more—more cleaning power, more efficiency, and more value from every day products.
Fabrics get cleaner, stay soft and flexible, and last longer with less detergent and lower temperatures!
Not to mention when your clothes don't have that caked-in dinge from hard water, it's less irritating to your skin.
If you're looking at ways to upgrade your home and every day life, addressing hard water is a smart place to start. The right water softener doesn't just improve water, it also helps everything that depends on water.
To find a water treatment professional near you, reach out to our teach for a recommendation.