Hard water is a nuisance for many homes. It stains clothes and leaves ugly mineral deposits on your faucets and dishes.
You may try your best to ignore this problem, but over time it gets pretty annoying. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to soften hard water. Aside from a water softener, there are a few other great ways of softening hard water.
Read on to find out the most effective methods on how to soften hard water. It is, however, first important to know how to tell if you have hard water.
How to Tell If You Have Hard Water
Hard water isn’t something you can see with your eyes. Water with a relatively high mineral content is hard water. Hard water is rich in calcium and magnesium salts.
Soft water may also have these salts but in lesser amounts. You can’t visibly tell if your water is hard, but here are some telltale signs that you may have hard water.
The Clear Bottle Test
Fill a clear bottle with your water. Add a few drops of liquid soap then shake vigorously. Let it stand for three minutes.
Check the bottle for suds. The presence of suds indicates water hardness.
Difficulty When Lathering
When you find yourself breaking a sweat when lathering, then you have hard water. Hard water reacts with soap to form a scum-like substance that makes lathering difficult.
White Scale
White scale is mineral deposits on your sink or bathtub. A whitish, powdery substance on your sink or bathtub indicates water hardness.
Unpleasant Taste
When your drinking water tastes bad, then it’s because of excess minerals. Hard water usually has a chemical or chalky taste.
Now that you know how to tell if your water is hard. Here are a couple of foolproof methods to help you soften your water.
The Best Tips and Methods on How to Soften Hard Water
Softening hard water is a piece of cake with the right methods utilized. What’s more, all you need are basic household items. Here are some of the most effective methods for softening hard water
Boil the Water
The simplest method of softening hard water is by boiling it. When you boil water, the salts precipitate leaving clean, soft water.
Put some water in a pot and leave it boiling for at least five minutes for the best results. After the water has boiled sufficiently, turn the heat off.
Let the water cool. Allow sufficient time, so the mineral deposits sink to the bottom. Next, pour the soft water from the pot and leave the mineral deposits in the pot.
Get an Ion Exchange Filter
The ion exchange filter works like a charm. It is also very easy to use and inexpensive. Ion exchange filters remove the magnesium and calcium ions, replacing them with soluble ions. This method guarantees soft water.
An ion exchange filter is not a huge contraption. It’s a convenient pocket size filter that you attach to your faucet.
The filter softens water as it flows from the faucet. You can also get the ion exchange filter for pitchers. You can never go wrong with an ion exchange filter.
Non-Precipitating Conditioner for Clothes
Please note that not every conditioner will soften your hard water. The magic words, in this case, is a “non-precipitating conditioner.”
These conditioners break down the minerals in water to soften it.
In doing so, they make lathering clothes very easy. They also prevent staining of your teeth because of the minerals in hard water.
Washing Soda
Alternatively, you can always use a handful of washing soda in your cleaning water. Washing soda is not your usual washing powder and also isn’t baking soda.
Washing soda is readily available in outlets countrywide. You can also make washing soda from baking soda if you want to.
Alternatively, you can also use vinegar instead of washing soda. Vinegar is a great stain remover and also works well as a water softener. Pour some vinegar into your cleaning water and proceed with your cleaning.
How to Soften Hard Water for Commercial Set-Ups
The demand for soft water is greater in commercial establishments. As such, there is more technicality in commercial hard water softening. Consider the following options for softening hard water for commercial set-ups.
Ion Exchange System
This system applies the same principle as an ion exchange filter but on a larger scale. Technicians will integrate this system with your plumbing. The method is very effective but somewhat costly.
Template Assisted Crystallization
TAC systems use specialized technology that cluster magnesium and calcium ion. After clustering, the minerals break away from the water.
The clusters are relatively stable and won’t react with scum or scale. In case of any scale, the scale will be easily removable.
The Chelation Process
The chelation process is a relative newcomer in the water softening game. The method inactivates the calcium and magnesium ions and prevents any reaction from taking place, instantly making hard water soft.
Water Softening Should Be Easy
Hopefully, you know now how to soften hard water without a lot of technicalities. Save yourself the trouble of hard water with these amazing tips.
Ion exchange filters are your best bet, for an easy and convenient solution. That said, commercial properties could always settle for the larger-scale water softeners.
Hard water is not a health hazard. But excess minerals in water is dangerous for people with dietary restrictions.
Hard water is still pretty annoying. Stains on clothes from hard water and scale can be very embarrassing. These tips will save you the embarrassment, so give them a try.
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