Have you ever heard that you have hard water? Hard water is a very common problem. In fact, about 85% of water supply throughout America is considered “hard”. Hard water means the water contains high levels of minerals which lead to mineral deposit building up around faucets, sinks, in bathtubs and on shower walls. Hard water affects everything it comes in contact with. So, what is hard water doing to your laundry? Your home’s linens and your clothing are affected by hard water as well and not in a good way. AAA Water Team will share what happens when you have hard water, how it affects your laundry and how you can prevent hard water damage.
How Does Hard Water Affect Laundry Detergent?
When your washing machine just finishes cleaning a load of laundry and the clothing or linens don’t look very clean, often we assume it is due to poor quality laundry detergent or the washing machine sucks. When your clothing or the linens look dirty, it may not be the detergent or the washing machine, but the water. Many times the homeowner will add extra laundry detergents in hopes that the load gets clean during the next cycle. However, this is a major mistake, especially if you have hard water. When adding detergent, or laundry soap to hard water, it interacts with the detergent and even prevents the soap from lathering which is what helps clean and remove stains from your laundry.
Signs of Had Water on Laundry
The next question is how do you know if it is the washing machine, poor quality laundry detergent, or if you have hard water? When hard water is present it will leave behind a few signs. One sign of hard water is that it prevents the detergent from lathering. You might see small clusters of detergent stuck together on the cloth. Another common sign is when the cloth doesn’t look completely washed or rinsed. The cloth may even look discolored. Black cloth will often fade quicker when cleaned in hard water. If black cloth looks more of a dark reddish brown after a few washes, then you have very hard water. Hard water often contains iron which causes black to discolor and fade. If you believe you have hard water and want know for sure, you can always have your home’s water supply tested.
Benefits of Washing Clothes in Soft Water
There are many benefits of washing your linens and clothing in soft water. First, it feels very different. Soft water makes a more fluffy cloth. You can easily feel the difference between soft water and hard water when it comes to laundry. Additionally, the minerals do not get stuck inside the cloth which causes the cloth to feel stiff and even chafe the skin and leads to skin irritations. Soft water will also prevent color discoloration and ensure that there are no additional minerals breaking down the linen or cloth.
How to Make Hard Water Soft
After having your home’s water tested and if the test reveals you have high levels of minerals which cause hard water, you can install a water softener. Water softeners help filter out the larger mineral particle in the water and solutions and helps break down the small mineral particles to reduce the number of minerals in the water.
Water Filtration System Installation & More in Golden Gate Estates, Naples, Cape Coral, Fort Myers & Lehigh Acres, Florida
Soft water doesn’t just benefit your laundry. It also benefits your hair, skin and plumbing. If you want to know more about water softener systems or wish to have a water softener installed in your home, contact AAA Water Team today.