The Benefits of Softening Your Hard Water
Having hard water can be a hassle! Anyone with hard water knows it’s not very nice. From the smells caused by minerals to the residue left in sinks and tubs, hard water is inconvenient. Is it really worth it to invest in a water softening filter though? Here are some great reasons to take the leap!
Hard water is bad for your health
Some effects of hard water are immediately noticeable, like the buildup it can leave behind in tubs and sinks. Some of the effects, however, are harder to spot. That doesn’t mean they aren’t just as important, if not more. Hard water can have a whole host of negative effects on your health!
The first set of problems is irritation of the skin. Hard water can dry out your skin and cause eczema, leaving the skin with itchy, dry patches. Soaps and shampoos don’t dissolve well in hard water, which leads to buildup on the skin and irritation from the soaps not rinsing away properly.
If that’s not enough to concern you, ingesting hard water causes even more concerning problems. If you drink your tap water or even cook with it without filtering it, it can lead to internal issues ranging from stifled growth in children to heart disease in otherwise healthy adults. It can also damage reproductive abilities and lead to cancer in a number of areas. The high levels of calcium and magnesium are part of the cause for this.
Hard water damages your appliances
Appliances taking in unsoftened water, such as refrigerators with water filters, dishwashers, or washing machines, will take damage as well. It’s been estimated that hard water could leave an appliance effective for only half as long as it should have been. This can be costly. Replacing your washer is expensive and that alone would justify the price of buying a water softening filter.
Not only are appliances affected by hard water, but those things being washed with it are as well. Dishes can take on a coating and trying to scrub them clean with hard water can be abrasive and damage them. Clothing or other fabric washed in hard water takes a significant amount of damage. It will strip the fabric of its softness and leave your clothes threadbare and useless. Hard water containing iron will stain your white fabrics orange and leave everything washed in it looking dirty.
Hard water destroys your plumbing
Hard water is also a menace to your plumbing. Minerals, such as iron, will coat anything frequently contacting your water. Dishes, sinks, and tubs will start to, in the case of iron, take on an orange hue. Other minerals may leave different colors behind, but the effect is all the same: the minerals get on everything.
Pipes will become lined with minerals like iron, leaving them narrower and less effective. Water doesn’t travel as well and your plumbing’s integrity drops. You’re more likely to end up with leaks as your pipes are damaged. That leads to water damage and mold problems, both costly to fix.