Determining Hard Water Problems 

Being a homeowner is never without its problems. But you do your best to keep your home and appliances maintained and fully functional. But what happens if something about your home is causing problems?

Hard water buildup, for example, can be a big issue for some homes. What is hard water? And what do you do if you have a hard water problem?

Hard water is high in certain minerals, such as calcium. The high mineral content in the water causes all sorts of problems for homeowners. The good news is that there are solutions though.

Read on to learn all about hard water problems and their solutions.

Hard Water Problems

Before you can find solutions, you need to understand the nature of your hard water problems. What issues is hard water creating for you? What issues might it cause in the future?

Water Stains

The first thing that you might start to notice is water stains or soap scum. You will see these markings around your faucets and in your sinks and bathtubs.

They’ll usually look like cloudy silhouettes of water droplets. They might even smear a little when you go to scrub them with a cloth. And no matter how well you clean, they always seem to appear again the very next day. 

You’ll know if the problem is hard water when regular cleaners won’t work. This is the residue left behind by hard water. Since you’re most likely cleaning using the water from the sink or tub, normal cleanings aren’t going to take care of the problem.

This problem is hard to avoid since it’s your water that’s causing it. This makes cleaning a little more difficult when it’s time to scrub your sinks and showers. But not cleaning it makes it look even dirtier over time!

And like any stains, the longer it stays there, the harder it’ll be to get clean. So it’s important to handle cleaning water stains as part of your regular cleaning. But to do that you’re going to need some special material first.

Dishes, Laundry, and Soap

The other hard water problem you might notice is that your dishes and laundry just aren’t looking as clean. 

For dishes, you’ll probably notice water stains. Glassware will look cloudy and blotchy. After a while, this gets ugly to look at and can trick people into thinking your dishes are unsanitary.

This can be a problem for people who like to host a lot of people at their house. Just like in your sinks and bathtubs, these stains are caused by residue left behind by hard water. In other words, your dishwasher is responsible for this issue if you have hard water issues.

For laundry, the colors of your clothes might start to fade. They might not necessarily feel or smell as clean as they would if you washed them in soft water. This can be a problem if you need to wear professional wear to work every day.

And it can be hard to resolve this issue since it comes from your washing machine.

In the same vein as these issues, you’ll probably notice that your soap doesn’t lather up as well. This keeps you from feeling as clean after you bathe or shower every day.

Damaged Appliances

Finally, you may also notice other issues besides simple hard water stains. Your dishwasher and washing machine may genuinely not be working as well after a while your house has a problem with hard water. 

The problem is that as water goes through your house’s filter, calcium and other minerals in the hard water are going to filter out. They’re also going to cause buildup on the sides of your pipes throughout your home. Over time, this is going to cause various problems in your home.

First of all, this is going to start damaging your appliances, such as your dishwasher and washing machine. The pipes into these machines are generally smaller than the pipes going through your walls. This means that the buildup of calcium is going to occur much faster in these pipes.

Unfortunately, it also means that the longer this goes on, the less water is going to be able to get into your dishwasher or washing machine. That means that your clothes and dishes simply won’t be getting as clean. In fact, they might just be getting covered in soap that doesn’t really rinse out in the wash. 

These problems will just start to get worse until the appliances stop working completely.

Hard Water Solutions

But what can be done about these issues if your home’s water source provides hard water? The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to be stuck with water stains and clothes that don’t feel clean. There are things you can do to counteract this.

Boiling Water

There really isn’t much that can be done once hard water is coming out of your tap. It’s simply going to have a strong mineral content that causes all sorts of problems. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things you can do to alleviate these issues.

For example, you can try boiling hard water.

There are two types of hard water with different chemical makeups. The first is permanent hard water, which can only be dealt with using physical or chemical treatments. The other is temporary hard water.

Temporary hard water is mostly made of water and calcium bicarbonate. The latter is removed when water is boiled. This results in much softer water that is better for cleaning with. 

There are only two caveats to trying this. First, this will only work on temporary hard water. It won’t necessarily work on all hard water.

The other caveat is that it can take a while. Boiling water takes time. It’s not always practical to boil water every time you want to use it.

Regardless, this method is effective against certain types of hard water. And the boiled water can be used for certain purposes, like washing dishes.

White Vinegar

But what about those ugly stains in your sinks and bathtubs? Is there anything that can be done about them? The good news is that you don’t need to sit there and accept that hard water stains are a part of your house’s appearance from now on.

There are several hard water stain cleaners on the market right now. But you have a much simpler option available to you in your own kitchen. All you need is some white vinegar.

Vinegar is actually a great cleaning agent because it’s acidic. Mixing it into some hard water softens it because hard water is generally alkaline. This mixture is a faster way to create softer water suitable for cleaning your dishes, as well as your sinks and bathtubs. 

Even washing your hands in this water will make them feel cleaner since you won’t have the residue left behind by hard water anymore. It’s also faster and more effective than boiling water for the same purpose.

However, the only caveat is that this doesn’t mix well with drinking water. It won’t be very good for you and won’t taste very good at all. So only use this water for cleaning purposes.

Water Softeners

But what about the water coming out of the tap? Is there anything that can be done to prevent that from being hard water?

The last thing you can do is take care of the problem at its source: the water coming through your pipes. You can get a water softener like one from C and J Water for your home to remove a lot of the minerals from the water before it even reaches your faucet. 

These involve large tanks that can hold enough water for a family to use for an entire average day. They remove the calcium and other chemicals from the water so that all you’re left with is wonderful soft water.

You won’t need to worry about water stains on your sink or bathtub anymore. Your clothes will get cleaner and soap will lather up better. 

You also don’t need to worry about using different tricks, like white vinegar or boiling your water just to get soft water. All you’ll need to do is run your tap.

And the good news is that most families find that only one tank is enough to get them through the day. But if you find that this isn’t enough, there are options to get two tanks as well.

Get Rid of Hard Water Buildup Today

The only real way to get rid of hard water buildup for good is with a hard water softener. This ensures that all of the water going in and out of your pipes will be soft water rather than hard water. 

This protects your home and appliances from the mineral deposits left behind by the hard water. You’ll never have to worry about your dishwasher or washing machine breaking down because of it ever again. And C and J Water provide the best water softeners on the market right now.

Request a quote today and see what we can do for you.