Day in and day out, we wash our dishes, clothes, hands, hair and bodies with water that runs from our taps. It’s a modern day amenity that most of us take for granted, however, most of us don’t know what’s really in our water that we use and consume daily. Have you ever noticed particularly spotty dishes, buildup in your shower or that your laundry feels like sandpaper at times? Then you may have hard water in your home.
Well, what is hard water? As rainwater passes through the earth and into other means of water, it picks up certain “hardness” materials that will precipitate and clog pipes, and may also damage your appliances.
There are so many reasons you should soften your water that you wouldn’t even realize! Think less soap required to clean your clothes, no more harsh water stains in your tubs, less buildup in your appliances – need we say more? Soft water will save you time, money, and have you feeling at your best.
Additionally, your skin and hair are taking a hit when it comes to hard water. You see, calcium and magnesium are two minerals that can build up in our hair and mix into shampoo residue, leaving your hair quite goopy. Some of the effects this combination include film, straw-like texture as well as dull, limp hair.
This build-up or “hardening” of minerals in hard water makes it very difficult for other substances to dissolve in that water, including soaps and detergents. The various undissolved substances can leave a surface residue on the washing machine, your clothing, your plumbing, tub, or shower—and your hair and skin. With that, bathing and washing our clothes in hard water can lead to increased skin irritation.
Whenever we bathe, we often lather ourselves up with soaps, shampoos, conditioners and other cosmetics and cleaning products. If your water is hard, you may notice these products aren’t lathering up sufficiently. This could prompt you to use more of the product. Next we start the process of rinsing, which is where the combination of hard water and increased amounts of cleansing products can really work against us, and a more problematic residue of the hard water and cleaning products may be left on the skin.
The soap residue left behind on your skin clogs the pores and irritates the skin, making it itchy, flaky, and dry. The minerals in the hard water itself can also clog skin pores, which can be especially harmful to more sensitive areas like the face. Facial skin or other areas that are thin, reddened, or irritated from associated dry skin conditions may worsen, with flushing from damage to the blood vessels.
In addition to your skin carrying a residue of soap and hard water, our clothing, sheets, and linens are also susceptible. The water in our washing machines is typically no different from that in our showers; it too can leave detergent residue in our clothing and linens. Therefore, our skin can be in constant contact with this residue, causing chafing, rubbing and further skin irritation.
So, what’s the solution? Getting a water softener!
Interested in getting soft water in your home? A water softener is the way to go and is based on simple chemistry to make it happen. One of the best and most readily available brands on the market is one you may already know. Morton Water Softening Salt, yep the little girl with the umbrella salt who you’ve seen in kitchens for decades, is the best in the biz.
Check out this informative video by Morton Salt to learn more about how water softeners work!
Want to find out if you indeed do have hard water in your home? Just by visiting Morton Salt and filling out a form, they will send you a free water test strip to determine if you have any hard water issues. To learn more about your water and get a free test strip, CLICK HERE
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
6 comments
Hi, I’ve been reading articles about how important water softener and this article is very interesting because it tackles how hard water can affect your skin and hair. Hard water affects dissolving substances like shampoo and soap, but we have to be careful in choosing our water softeners because other water softeners are expensive but not effective, just like salt-free softeners! I’ve found this article about both salt-based and salt-free softeners (uses potassium as substitute to the sodium).
awesome post thanks for the information
I really liked what you said about how hard water affects your skin and hair. My friend is having issues with it making her hair stiff and full of gunk, which makes her very upset. Thank you for the information about how a good water softener will remove the build-up of minerals in hard water and help substances like soap and shampoo dissolve properly so her hair will be clean again.
It’s interesting how you said that hard water makes it harder to dissolve things in it. Having a water softening service would be really great because it would allow you to dissolve things that you need. That way you can be sure to have healthy water to drink and good water to shower in.
Hi Carolyn, I found it interesting when you said that in hard water, our cleaning products are not that effective. Maybe that is the reason why sometimes we have some flakes in our head. I am not that sure, but nonetheless, I will check it with my husband. Thanks a lot.
My wife and I recently moved into an older home. We noticed that every shower head in the home was blocked by mineral buildup, and we want to make sure that we reduce that problem in our appliances. I didn’t realize that a water softener not only reduces mineral buildup in the home, but also can help skin and hair be healthier through helping shampoo and soap dissolve in water easier. That’s an added benefit I’ll discuss with my wife.