7 Steps to Determine if You have Hard Water

There are some simple ways to establish if your water is hard or soft and whether your water has an overabundance of minerals.


Step #1: The Soap Test
If your water is hard, soap will tend not to lather up easily


Step #2: The Toothpaste Test
Toothpaste does not froth very well in hard water


Step # 3: Crusty White Sediments
You will notice white crusty sediments around fixtures and fittings, especially taps/faucets and showerheads


Step #4: Bathtub Ring
Hard water leaves a recurring ring around your bath tub which is difficult to remove


Step #5: Dish Test
Your dishes will have hard water spots on them


Step #6: Clothes Test
Your white clothes will look dingy and may have yellow stains


Step #7: Appliances
The other hidden effects of hard water are that it can cause serious wear and tear to water dependent appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers etc.

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Types of Hard Water

A common distinction is made between 'temporary' and 'permanent' hardness. There are also common types of hard water depending on the ion (eg. Mg or Ca) found in the water.

Temporary hardness
Temporary hardness is hardness that can be removed by boiling or by the addition of lime (calcium hydroxide). It is caused by a combination of calcium ions and bicarbonate ions in the water. Boiling, which promotes the formation of carbonate from the bicarbonate, will precipitate calcium carbonate out of solution, leaving water that is less hard on cooling.

Upon heating, less CO2 is able to dissolve into the water. Since there is not enough CO2 around, the reaction cannot proceed from left to right, and therefore the CaCO3 will not "dissolve" as readily. Instead, the reaction is forced to go from right to left (i.e. products to reactants) to reestablish equilibrium, and solid CaCO3 is formed. Heating water will remove hardness as long as the solid CaCO3 that precipitates out is removed. After cooling, if enough time passes the water will pick up CO2 from the air and the reaction will again proceed from left to right, allowing the CaCO3 to "redissolve" in the water.


Permanent hardness
Permanent hardness is hardness (mineral content) that cannot be removed by boiling. It is usually caused by the presence of calcium and magnesium sulfates and/or chlorides in the water, which become more soluble as the temperature rises. Despite the name this can be removed using a water softener, or ion exchange column.

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Ceramic Tile

Natural Formula to Use:
A mixture of baking soda & white vinegar to make a paste

Method to Use:

1. Make up the mixture of water and baking soda

2. Apply to stain and let dry on the tile

3. Scrub stains with a brush or sponge

4. Rinse thoroughly with water to remove all residue, reapply if necessary to remove stubborn hard water stains

For more top tips on how to clean floor tiles, watch the video below:

Carpet

Natural Formula to Use:
Equal parts white vinegar and water

Method to Use:
1.Moisten a clean white towel with the vinegar-water solution

2.Rub the towel softly over the hard water stain being careful not to soak the carpet itself

3.Let the carpet dry and if necessary repeat the procedure

Tips:

1.Make sure that the carpet fibres are allowed to dry between each treatment.

2.When you are removing any types of stains from your carpet, always first test in an inconspicuous area first

3.Try to react quickly to any hard water spills on carpet and use a cloth to absorb any excess first