Natural Homemade Cleaning - Discover Why We Don't Need Toxic Chemical Products Anymore

We all like to use the best products to help us complete our cleaning jobs, like removing hard water stains and limescale around the home.

However, can we use natural homemade formulas that contain non-toxic chemicals? Are they as effective? Are they cheap to make? The answer to all these is yes, and potentially poisonous chemical products are often not necessary.

Lots of chemical cleaning products on the market produce volatile organic compounds (VOC's), which escape into the atmosphere. If used correctly they are usually perfectly safe, but when small amounts are left on surfaces (which we all know can happen), or left to float around the room that was just cleaned they can be harmful, particularly to children and pets.

Although rinsing the chemical off surfaces or wiping down with a clean cloth afterwards is a good idea, it doesn't get rid of all of the chemical from the room. As they often use solvents in these products, it causes gassing off, which is the reason why when we get a whiff of some of them, we get the rush of lightheadedness and nausea that comes when we get too close! Young children, the elderly, and those who are sensitive to chemicals are particularly susceptible to the effects of these noxious chemicals.

Chemical residue on wooden, tiled or vinyl floors are particularly significant. This is because although the floor is probably free from germs and dirt after using the chemical products, children can end up playing on the surface soon after picking up the residue on their skin.

We all know children love putting objects in their mouth, but cleaning everything that they pick up before they do is not a great idea either. While attempts at intense cleaning are admirable and surely with the best intentions, this may simply be filling childrens mouths with harmful chemicals.

We hear a lot about "green products" these days and why we should all use them, but are they really effective? Well, before we had all the manufactured chemical products, we still had the same cleaning issues that we do today. There was no way we could go to the cupboard and pull out the latest product we'd seen on TV to solve the problem. We had to used the natural goods around us to get the job done, and they were used because of just that, they got the job done!



We can still use them today if we wanted to, and more and more people are realizing the benefits of using natural homemade formulas using white vinegar to tackle household cleaning, particularly in removing hard water stains and limescale in a much cheaper, safe and non-toxic way. Discover how my step-by-step ebook guide can help you remove hard water stains and limescale in a completely natural way, without using harmful chemicals.

Discover the step-by-step guide to remove
hard water stains and limescale - without using toxic chemicals!

The New Online Store!

The brand new HardWaterStainsTips service has now arrived! Click here to go to straight to the brand new online store now!

We've listened to what our community thought would really help them most to remove hard water stains and limescale. We've received hundreds of emails from people who have had to suffer the annoying effects of hard water in their home.

...and so, we decided to take action...to help our community get their own back on hard water!

We are proud to announce that we have teamed up with Amazon (...yes Amazon!) to bring you our new dedicated shopping area for all things hard water related.

It has all of the most helpful and powerful products that will eliminate the effects of hard water and have your hard water stains and limescale begging for mercy!!

Drum roll please....introducing the amazing HardWaterStainsTips Online Store!

Check it out at www.hardwaterstainsips.com/store.html Make sure you bookmark this right now as the site is exclusive to our community and cannot be found anywhere else online.

Here are some of the amazing benefits of our new service will bring you:

• Recommended, proven products to remove hard water stains & limescale!

• Selected Amazon best buys with robust product details and editor reviews!

• Saves you time and money buying products that don't work.

• The security of the most trusted online store powered by Amazon!

• Easily find specific proven-to-work products that help you out the most.

• Improve the quality and taste of your water supply for you and your family!

• Quick and easy navigation so you can order your product in a snap!

• Informative product descriptions and helpful images!

• The knowledge that you can contact me if you need advice or guidance!

The online store is still being tweaked and optimized, so there may be extra products that are added or the layout altered slightly over the coming weeks as I receive feedback from the community.

I really hope it helps you decide which products can eliminate the hard water in your area - please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any advice - I'd be happy to help.

And of course if you have any suggestions please don't hesitate to e-mail support@hardwaterstainstips.com. I'd be happy to hear your comments!

Top Tips on How to Clean-Up Your Home Water Supply

While the quality of water supplied to our homes today has improved dramatically over the last few decades, there are still big advantages to installing a water filter to our domestic supplies. They are able to remove most types of chemical or mineral in the water which may be potentially dangerous or harmful. In some cases they have been able to save the user money in medical bills. Drinking unfiltered water is mainly associated with certain diseases, but with the use of water filtration systems, people are assured of constant high quality water supply.

Heavy metals

In order to remove the particles from the raw water to be treated, certain chemicals are added to the water. These include aluminium or iron compounds that help to clean up the water and remove suspended matter. While nearly all of this is removed from the process before leaving the treatment works there will always be a small amount remaining that reaches customers taps.

Zinc and Lead

These can sometimes be found in water supplies through contact with the pipes but they are certainly not wanted in drinking water. Older water pipes used to be made from galvanised zinc, which is iron coated with zinc. These pipes can break down over many years, releasing rust or zinc into the water supply. Water authorities may say that the levels are so low they are not a problem, and are only really a problem in soft water areas because they can dissolve into the water. However, a filtration system would effectively remove these chemicals and ensure the water is purified to a higher level and reduces these chemicals to acceptable amounts.

Chlorine

Chlorine is often added to the water to disinfect it and kill the bacteria and harmful organisms. It is very effective at this and has been used for decades to ensure that our water is fit for consumption. However, there is always a small amount of chlorine that remains and some people are especially sensitive to the taste of chlorine and can be easily detected when levels are too high.

Trihalomethanes

When the chlorine is added to water and combines with natural organic matter it forms trihalomethanes (THM's). These have directly associated with cancers and certain allergies.

Peat

When a water supply is taken from an upland source that contains peat it gives a orange/brown colour to the water. This is not a health issue in itself and not a hazard but does not make the water particularly appealing to drink!

Hard Water Minerals

Calcium and magnesium present in water are the minerals responsible for the stubborn hard water stains and limescale build-up found on faucets, sinks, shower doors, glass. As anyone who has hard water in their area knows, these stains can be a pain to remove, however, these are also easily removed by water filters.

Other contaminants

In some water sources, in particular river supplies, there can be organic solvents, pesticides and fertilizers from run-off from farmland. There have even been traces of hormones and the contraceptive pill present in some cases! These are often removed during the water treatment process but there are always residual amounts that can reach the customers taps causing potential health problems.

What Can You Do To Remove These Chemicals?

One of the easiest ways to increase the quality of your water supply is to consider installing a water filter. These days they are simple to install, are relatively cheap and have been proven to eliminate harmful organisms that could cause health problems. A top tip before deciding on what water filtration system to purchase for your home is to have your water tested for impurities in order to determine which type of filtration system to purchase. This will give you a good idea of the type of water filter required to improve the quality of the supply.

Depending on the impurities contained in the water, consumers have the option of buying an in-line reverse-osmosis system or a carbon filter. Carbon based filters are mainly used to filter water that contains organic chemicals, chlorine, pesticides and trihalomethanes. Reverse-osmosis filters on the other hand are best to filter water that has organic compounds such as sodium, nitrates, ferrous iron, lead.

So if you want to be certain that your water supply is free from potential contaminants that could cause potential health problems to you or your family it can be a good idea to consider the benefits of a water filter. This not only ensures you have access to a constant supply of wholesome water to your home, but also gives you the piece of mind that your water has a consistently high quality.

Soft Water Health Advice

Softening water is often very helpful as it has a number of benefits, in particular reducing scale build-up and sometimes improving the taste. However, softening it also has a certain effects on human health and also on the environment which are important to consider.

The hard water to be treated passes through a bed of the resin which contains sodium and potassium ions. As the water passes through the resin, the hardness ions are trapped in the resin and replaced by the sodium or potassium ions which are released into the water - effectively softening it. The harder the water is, the more sodium or potassium ions are released from the resin and into the water.

Effect on Humans

For people on a low-sodium diet, the increase in sodium levels (for systems releasing sodium) in the water can be significant, especially when treating very hard water. A paper by Kansas State University gives an example: "A person who drinks two liters (2L) of softened, extremely hard water (assume 30 gpg) will consume about 480 mg more sodium (2L x 30 gpg x 8 mg/L/gpg = 480 mg), than if unsoftened water is consumed." This is a significant amount, as they state: "The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that the 3 percent of the population who must follow a severe, salt-restricted diet should not consume more than 500 mg of sodium a day. AHA suggests that no more than 10 percent of this sodium intake should come from water. The draft guideline of 20 mg/L for water protects people who are most susceptible."

Effect on Environment

Over time the resins gradually lose their effectiveness and must be regenerated by passing a concentrated brine solution through them. Most of the salt used for regeneration gets flushed out of the system and may be released into the soil or sewer. This process can be damaging to the environment, especially in arid regions. Some jurisdictions prohibit such release and require users to dispose of the spent brine at an approved site or to use a commercial service company.

Most water softener manufacturers provide metered control valves to minimize the frequency of regeneration. It is also possible on most units to adjust the amount of salt used for each regeneration. Both of these steps are recommended to minimize the impact of water softeners on the environment.

In industrial scale water softening plants, the effluent flow from re-generation process can be very significant. Under certain conditions, such as when the effluent is discharged in admixture with domestic sewage, the calcium and magnesium salts may precipitate out as hardness scale on the inside of the discharge pipe. This can build up to such an extent so as to block the pipe as happened on a major industrial plant in Australia in the 1980s. I certainly would not want to be the person who had to clean that pipe!

To Sum Up...

Although there are benefits to softening water, there are also consequences that must be taken into account, both human and environmental as discussed above. In my opinion, the benefits of softening probably outweigh the disadvantages as long as one is aware that it does directly effect the quality of the water and consequently the minerals it contains. People who must have strict control over their diet (particularly their sodium intake) need to be aware of this.

Also, domestic water softening devices are very useful in preventing the hardness minerals (those that cause hard water stains and limescale problems). They also do not have a significant impact on the environment compared to the much larger sized devices that are employed in industry.

Eczema Study into Hard Water Link

More than 300 families are being recruited to take part in a study into whether or not childhood eczema is caused by hard water.

Water softeners will be installed in homes in Nottingham, Leicester, London, Cambridge and the Isle of Wight. The £1m government-funded survey is thought to be the first of its kind in the world.

The independent trial is being run by Nottingham University which wants to recruit 310 young volunteers.

In a previous study, researchers at the university discovered the condition was 50% more common in primary school pupils living in hard water areas compared with those in soft water areas.

One theory is that hard water contains higher levels of calcium and magnesium, which leads to increased use of soaps which can aggravate eczema.

Divided opinion

The homes of the children in the survey will be adapted so all taps will provide soft water apart from one in the kitchen which will supply mains water for drinking.

Professor Hywel Williams, who is running the trial, said: "Patients keep telling me that water softeners help their skin, but other people aren't so sure.

"Carrying out a proper randomised controlled trial will help us find the answer. If ion-exchange water softeners are found to improve the symptoms of eczema, this will be an extremely important finding for both patients and doctors.

"Many patients worry about the possible side effects of the usual treatments for eczema, so this would be a welcome addition to their treatment options."

People with eczema usually experience itchy, dry and flaky skin, which is often red and painful and sometimes weeps or bleeds.

The British Association of Dermatologists said the condition has increased over the past 20 years and currently affects between 15% and 20% of school children.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7115304.stm

Product Questionnaire Results

This post is to thank everyone once again for their time and effort in filling out the product questionnaire we sent out towards the end of last year!

We were overwelmed by the number of responses we received and have just finished sorting through and analysing the data. I really appreciate your help and look forward in the future to providing people in our community with more great products that are truly effective at combating hard water stains and limescale. See below for the results of the survey...

Most Helpful Products Wanted To Control Hard Water:

• Test Kit 21%
• Downloadable Ebook 26%
• Electronic / Magnetic Conditioner 26%
• Softening Balls for Laundry 9%
• Shower Filters 4%
• Toilet Descaler 13%

Most Important Features The Products Must Have:

• Natural 17%
• Low cost 19%
• Effective 28%
• Easy to Use 19%
• Environmentally Friendly 17%

From the results, the most useful products people think would most help them learn about and eliminate their hard water are test kits, a downloadable ebook (we already provide this - get the ebook guide here) and an electronic/magnetic conditioning device - which actually softens the water to prevent hard water stains from forming in the first place! The products also have to be effective, low cost and easy-to use.

I can definetly understand why people would like all of these products and I am excited about providing an amazing, easy-to-use solution that takes all the hassle out of trying to find and decide on the best product to eliminate hard water for you and your family.

I carn't say much more for now as it's still being developed and tweaked - but I will keep everybody in our community posted on the latest developments on our blog! Speak to you all soon!

Dry Skin - Is Your Water Causing The Problem?

If you have dry flaky skin which does not seem to retain moisture, it may be a good idea to check whether the water being supplied to your home is hard water. This is because hard water can cause symptoms like dry skin due to the specific nature of the hard water itself and the minerals it contains.

When we take a shower or wash our face we do not usually consider the quality of the water we are applying to ourselves. Even with plenty of moisturizer, skin washed in hard water can still feel rough and dry. The problem is that when used with soap, it does not lather as well as soap used with soft water. As a result, when we come to rinse off we may not be washing all of the soap from the skin! Soap that remains on the skin aids in drying it out, leaving you with flaky, itchy skin as well as aiding in the clogging of pores, causing dry skin and possibly other skin irritations.

Because both hard water deposits and cleansing products are left on the skin, it can also cause it to become more irritated and susceptible to damage, especially when it comes to facial skin and the fragile blood vessels beneath. Hard water can even cause your skin to become thinner and aggravate skin conditions, such as rosacea or eczema.

If you have the symptoms such as water stains build up around faucets, sinks and bathtubs it is quite possible that you have a water source that supplies hard water in your area. However, there are solutions to removing the hardness of the water. For a hard water stain removal guide try our ebook for 30 days with proven step-by-step techniques. Another, perhaps easier way, is by installing a water softening device to your supply that will remove the calcium and magnesium minerals from the water.

This should provide you with much softer water allowing you to gain better lathering power and making it much easier to wash off, removing your skin of excess soap and ensuring your skin is softer and more moisturized.