Hard Water Stains on Granite - How To Remove Them...

Many people these days have new kitchens with lovely granite countertops only to see them develop those ugly hard water stains we all know about.

I receive some really frustrated emails from people who have just installed a new granite countertop only to see it be ruined by the hard water stains. don't let this happen to you - there are some tried and tested methods for removing them.

It is advisable not to use acid cleaners on granite. Granite is acid resistant but not acid proof – the top layer can be gradually dissolved and expose the surface underneath and cause a lot of damage. A proven, step by step method is using baking soda and water - see the method below...

Natural Formula to Use:
A mixture of baking soda and warm water

Method to Use:
1.Make up the mixture of water and baking soda

2.Scrub stains with a soft brush or sponge

3.Rinse thoroughly with water to remove all residue

Tip:
When scrubbing the stains be careful to rub gently as once the granite has been scratched it easily picks up any grease, dirt or soap residue. Then harsh abrasives really are necessary to remove debris that has become ingrained within the surface!

For more tips and advice on hard water stain removal, go to http://www.hardwaterstainstips.com/ for a step by step guide.

Do you have a granite countertop? What methods have you used to remove hard water stains? Leave a post and let me hear your thoughts...

Hard Water Stains - What Does The Terminator Have To Do With Them?

I never though I would do a blog post and mention Arnold Schwarzenegger, but here goes... California has recently passed laws giving local officials more power to remove water softeners from peoples homes.

These devices can help to remove minerals that cause the ugly hard water stains that form around the home.

SACRAMENTO, CA — In what one newspaper called “a jab at the Culligan Man,” the California Assembly this week passed a bill, known as AB 1366, that will give local government agencies more power to ban residential water softeners and remove existing ones, The Los Angeles Times reported September 10.

AB 1366, sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Feuer, D-Los Angeles, was among “a flurry of measures” that state lawmakers were trying to push through before the end of the legislative session at midnight on September 11, the newspaper said. It could not be determined immediately how the state Senate was acting on the bill. Passage in the Senate would mean it would go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his signature.

The measure has been opposed vigorously by the water treatment industry, represented by the national Water Quality Association, the regional Pacific Water Quality Association, and dealers, suppliers and manufacturers of softeners.

It has been supported by California’s municipal water and wastewater agencies, which insist that the chlorides discharged by water softeners in their regeneration cycle make wastewater more difficult and expensive to treat and pollute downstream water sources.

Opponents said the bill unfairly singled out residential water softeners as sources of salinity in wastewater. They also tried to persuade lawmakers that a more reasonable solution was to work with the industry in changing consumers’ softener equipment to more salt-efficient designs, and to identify large institutional salinity sources.

The industry sought to persuade the public that AB 1366 was an unwarranted intrusion of state regulation that would only result in hard water for the estimated one-quarter of Californians who now have residential softeners. The Times article said executives of Culligan International, the Rosemont, IL-based manufacturer of water softeners that also maintains a large dealer network, criticized the bill, according to the newspaper, as being “a Big Government grab at private property.”

A similar measure passed both the state Senate and Assembly last fall, but it was vetoed by the governor and never became law.

A few local governments and water agencies in California and across the nation have instituted softener bans or restrictions that apply only to softener owners in those areas.

Source: http://www.watertechonline.com/news.asp?N_ID=72562


If you are affected by these recent laws, do not worry. There are plently of other devices available these days that are just as effective at removing hard water minerals as well as eliminating other potentially harmful toxins.

For more information, see my blog post link below on the different types of water filters and softeners currently on the market, and how they can improve your water supply.

http://hardwaterstainstips.blogspot.com/2008/12/hard-water-stains-water-filters.html

If the recent ban affects you tell me what you think about it? Leave a blog post below, I love to hear your thoughts!

California Considers Water Softener Legislation

If you live in California the law may be changing soon regarding water softeners. This is because lawmakers will be discussing future legislation that could affect how homeowners use traditional water softeners.

Traditional water softeners use salt to replace the calcium and magnesium in the water with sodium. This effectively prevents the calcium and magnesium causing hard water stains around the home, however when the softeners are recharged, the salt is flushed out and can cause significant damage to the environment.

A recent report on California's 10News.com website says that the legislation would encourage homeowners to replace their traditional water softeners with models that do not use salt and would also compensate those who do replace their old systems.

One of the largest manufacturers of the traditional water softeners is said to be waging a heavy lobbying effort against the bill, and it remains to be seen if Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would be willing to sign it if it passes.

Some oppose the bill because they are concerned about untreated hard water, which can also be wasteful because it makes it more difficult for soap and shampoo to work properly.

The controversy is particularly relevant in California because the state is grappling with chronic water supply issues and has faced rising treatment costs in part because of the salt that is released by many traditional water softeners.

Do you live in California, or know someone who lives there? What do you think about the new leglislation - do you think it will help the environment by using softeners that don't use salt? I'd love to hear what you think, why not leave a blog post and tell me your thoughts.