Top Shaving Tips - 10 Razor Sharp Tips For the Perfect Shave - Even in Hard Water Areas!

Achieving a close shave is a fine art, but can be difficult to pull off, especially in hard water areas, which contain high levels of calcium and magnesium. Water containing these minerals can cause a morning shave to result in unsightly cuts, nicks and skin burn.

The perfect shave is what all men strive for every morning when they bring their razor up their chin, an effortless shave that's baby smooth, and without any of the usual skin irritation, redness, and that burning sensation most guys seem to feel is par for the course when it comes to shaving.

However, living in a hard water area can make this perfect shave tricky and can cause irritating razor drag leading to an uncomfortable shave and even nicks and cuts. This is because the minerals in hard water actually prevent soaps and shaving products forming a good lather. Many people around the world have the same problem, especially in the US where 80% of the water is classed as hard.

Here are 10 proven tips for a great shave, even in hard water areas:

1. Allow at least ten minutes from getting out of bed in the morning to beginning to shave.
2. Use a facial scrub to remove any dead skin and dampen your face with warm water, before starting to shave. A face cloth is ideal.
3. Use a good quality pre-shave oil which will lubricate your face, providing the perfect base for a close comfortable shave, reducing razor burns, rashes and blotchy skin.
4. Always use a shaving brush - work the brush into your shaving soap.
5. Lather the face in a circular motion to lubricate the skin and get under the beard stubble.
6. Ensure that you use a sharp blade.
7. Shave with the grain of the hair on your face, shaving against the grain can cause redness, razor burn and rashes.
8. Rinse the head of your razor in warm water after every stroke.
9. After you have finished your shave, rinse your face in warm water
10. Apply an after shave balm or moisturizer, to sooth and protect the face.

As mentioned above, if you live in a hard water area, the above techniques are extremely difficult to put into practice. Many people instead resort to using bottled or distilled water when shaving to get a good lather making the above tips much easier. However, this can start to be expensive if shaving every day! There are some great shaving products that can prevent nicks and cuts that hard water causes. Click here to learn more...

Another top tip is to install a water softener or filter that removes all of the troublesome hard water minerals (the calcium and magnesium) from the water. Once removed from the water a thick lather can be formed increasing the chances of a flawless shave every time.

Water Testing - Top Tips on How to Easily Discover What's Actually in Your Water Supply

The fact is that your water supply may contain many potentially harmful contaminants and they can be easily tested for - so why not literally test the water? It may help you and your family to discover what is really in there...!

I know many people who have wondered what is actually in their home water supply. We tend to assume the water is clean or pure unless there is an obvious odor or discoloration present.

However as many people know, nearly all water contains contaminants (dissolved minerals or organic compounds). Whether a contaminant is a problem depends on how much is contained within the water and whether it poses a health risk to you and your family.

1. Some contaminants, such as iron and manganese, are an annoyance but not a health threat. Excessive amounts of iron in water can cause orange stains to form on bath tubs and sinks and also laundry or dishes that are frequently exposed to the water.
2. Manganese can result in an ugly brownish-black stain and can cause water to turn cloudy - again it's not a health hazard though.
3. Other nuisance compounds such as hydrogen sulphide and sulphate-reducing bacteria can give a distinctive rotten egg odor. Hydrogen sulphide is especially noticeable when running water from the tap, however after exposure to the air it evaporates quickly. However, the problem with high hydrogen sulphide levels is that it can cause corrosion to pipes due its acidic nature.
4. Hard water, with high levels of calcium and magnesium compounds, can be a particular pain. Soap not lathering well is one indication of hard water. Other clues include greasy, grimy rings in tubs and sinks or dingy laundry with a harsh feel. The excessive calcium and magnesium cause scale that can build up in water heaters and clog pipes causing major problems that require several hundred dollars of repair work.
5. High levels of chlorine can also be a problem and can give water a distinctive "chemical" taste. While chlorine is an effective disinfectant and kills most bacteria, high residual amounts have been associated with cancer causing compounds and other potential health hazards.

However, the frightening concern arises from the possibility that harmful contaminants can be present without any clear sign that there's a problem. Low pH causes corrosion of copper pipes, resulting in high copper levels. Excessive sodium in water can result in significant problems for residents battling hypertension. Many people worry about what is contained in their water because:

• They are concerned about the sodium content it may contain and how it may affect their blood pressure.
• Their water supply has a strange smell.
• They have ugly hard water stains and limescale build up due to hard water minerals.
• It has a faint taste of bleach.
• They just want the best quality water possible for themselves and their family.
• They have discoloured water or cloudy water.

The Easy Solution:

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to ensure that water supplies are safe - performing periodic laboratory analysis is a simple way to ensure your water quality meets the highest standards. For public water systems, testing is done on a regular basis.

Federal law requires water utilities to regularly monitor and test the water to ensure a safe supply to customers. The testing results are public information and freely available. If you'd like to find out the state of the water in the area you live in, you can find out just how hard or soft the water is by contacting the water company in your particular area, they should be able to let you know. This doesn't ensure that problems are eliminated within your household system, but it does ensure monitoring by the supplier.

Private Wells:

Residents with private wells should definitely test their water to monitor its quality. Private well owners are solely responsible for the safety of their wells and any recommended testing. A laboratory analysis of your water supply will provide you with the information needed to take immediate and long-term corrective measures, if necessary, to provide a suitable and safe water supply.

If you have a private water supply, you can easily have the water tested for hardness and check whether your water contains the minerals that cause hard water stains and limescale. Most water testing laboratories offer hardness tests for a fee, including the Environmental Quality Center. Also many companies that sell water treatment equipment offer hardness tests. When using these water tests, be certain you understand the nature of the test, the water condition being measured, and the significance of the test results. An approximate estimate of water hardness can be obtained without the aid of outside testing facilities.

If you prefer to do it yourself there are a number of water hardness testing kits that are available for purchase through water testing supply companies.

However, if more accurate measurements are required, it is advisable to contact an authorized testing laboratory.

To learn more click here...

Even Martians Need Hard Water Stain Removal Help!

If hard water and limescale did not cause enough problems on Earth, it has now been proven that it also exits on the planet Mars as well!

Nasa's Phoenix lander which touched down on Mars recently has shown the presence of several salts and minerals in Martian soil - one of them being calcium carbonate which as we all know is responsible for the dreaded hard water stains and limescale. While Mars is much colder than Earth and water usually exists as ice, under certain conditions liquid water can exist on the surface in specific places.

"It's probable that in a warmer, wetter climate, as when the obliquity (the extent to which Mars is tilted on its axis) changes, this could be a place where liquid water is found. That doesn't mean it's a lake. It just means that the soil is wet," Professor Smith, from the University of Arizona, explained.

Further more, the discovery of calcium carbonate in the soil is also suggestive of the past action of liquid water. The substance is found in rocks all over Earth and is the main component in limescale.

Peter Smith said it occurred at levels of 3-5% at the Phoenix landing site, probably forming as carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere dissolved into liquid water, forming a weak acid which leached calcium out of the soil.

I have helped many people remove stubborn hard water stains and limescale here on Earth since 2007. However, maybe in the not to distant future I might be helping those people living on the planet Mars do the same thing...I think I'll just stick to Earth for now though!

To read the full article go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7958471.stm

The Ultimate List of Ways to Remove Them

There are some weird and wonderful ways to remove hard water stains and limescale. The methods range from using fizzy drinks to get rid of the stains to vegetables that grow in your back garden!

All of them work to some extent, but they are not all easy and safe to use around the home, and some are downright dangerous. In this article I'd like to outline the entire range of chemicals and ingredients that I personally know of that are used to remove the stubborn white stains that anybody living in a hard water area will know about all too well!

Firstly are the Acids:

- white vinegar
- citric acid
- hydrochloric acid
- oxalic acid
- muriatic acid

The Chemicals:

- bleach
- hydrogen peroxide
- CLR
- Mr Clean "Magic Eraser"
- Lime-Away
- Windex

The Abrasives:

- baking soda
- steel wool
- pumice stone
- clay bars
- scrubbing brush/pads

Food and Drinks:

- coca cola
- lemon juice
- rhubarb (it's the acid in rhubarb that's is the active ingredient that removes stains!)
- salt

It is clear that there a range of methods that can be used to tackle hard water stains and limescale. 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!

If one picks any of the items above it becomes perfectly clear that they work in only one of two ways. They are designed to either remove the stains by dissolving them by the action of the acid, or by an abrasive action and a bit of elbow grease!

And I suppose the next question has to be, "Which is the best and safest method to use?". Well, if one wishes to use a proven technique that has been tried and tested time and again, the one that pops out on top has to good old white vinegar and baking soda. If you would like to order both of these amazing products, you can an our Amazon powered Online Store.

Both of these items have the dissolving and abrasive actions required to remove hard water stains and limescale in no time. The white vinegar is very effective at dissolving away stains while its partner, the baking soda, gently scrubs away the rest of it leaving fixtures and fittings sparkling like new. When used together in specific combinations, they are highly effective at cleaning even the most stubborn hard water stains and limescale.

Revitalize Your Jewelry - Top Tips to Restore the Sparkle and Make Them Shine Like New in 2 Minutes

If you have ever found that the jewelry you own has become discoloured or dull over time, it may be due to the build up of minerals from your tap water that are the cause. These are the same ones that cause the ugly water stains and limescale build up on bath tubs and sinks around the home.

About 80% of the US has hard water, and as a result many people see their precious jewelry and gemstones dramatically lose their magnificent sparkle that they possessed when they first bought them. The reason for this is due to the build up of calcium and magnesium minerals in the water that they come into contact with, leading to a gradual fading over time and loss of sparkle.

There are some easy ways to ensure that these items stay in good condition. One way is to use ultra pure water that has very little mineral content, it is known as de-ionized or distilled water. This prevents the harmful minerals being transferred onto the items. Using a light mineral oil rub with a very soft cloth is a particularly good idea. Baking soda or a small amount of mild, natural soap has also been proven to work well when mixed with water. This technique also removes the body oils that accumulate over time and that cause a visible reduction in the shine.

Using these cleaning methods about once a month will ensure that your jewelry and gemstones remain in tip top condition. If you have a lot of items that come into contact with hard water, and do not want to clean them regularly, it may be a good idea to invest in a water softener. These devices do a great job at removing the harmful minerals which are often the main cause of sparkle reduction, whilst also help to prevent build up of these minerals around the home on fixtures and fittings.

Water Filters - Discover the Revealing Reasons Why They Can Improve Your Water

Water filters a have come a long way in recent years and if you have an old device installed in your home already, then now could be the perfect time to consider upgrading to protect yourself and family.

A water filter can dramatically improve the taste of your water, reduce the formation of hard water stains as well as helping the performance of household appliances such as your dishwasher and washing machine. Certain water filters can also purify your water to remove potentially harmful bacteria or sediment that has built up in the network of pipes that distributes the water to your home.

Many people who have fitted a filter have noticed an improved taste in their water. This is because it removes the unwanted minerals such as calcium and magnesium (which also cause hard water stains), as well as others that impart a particular taste. It essentially provides a further, final treatment of the water before it comes out of the faucet and often provides people with the peace of mind that it as safe as it possibly can be.

As previously mentioned, it's the calcium and magnesium that cause the formation of limescale and hard water stains on fixtures and fittings around the home. The installation of a filter reduces the incidence of these stubborn stains forming on faucets, sinks, shower doors and glass. The cleaning time required to clean the home can be reduced. According to a study from The Ohio State University, the average person cleaning a home spends more than six hours a month cleaning tap water spots, streaks and scum alone.

As water containing dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals heats up, it causes scale to be deposited on elements and other surfaces of household appliances. This is why kettles develop a "fur" or scale on the surface of the heating elements and why the efficiency of boilers, dishwashers and washing machines is dramatically reduced over time.

It is also important to bear in mind that water treatment processes have improved over the last few decades and the water supplied is usually wholesome enough. However, there are several occasions when accidents have happened.

The addition of chlorine is typically the disinfection chemical of choice, and this eliminates nearly all harmful bacteria and viruses from the water. But as we all know, accidents can happen, and faults in the process can cause unchlorinated water to pass into the network of pipes that feed peoples homes. While the quality of water is probably still perfectly drinkable and is not a health hazard, there are many people who have decided to reduce the risk to themselves and family by installing a water filter.

Other advantages of water filters include the improved water for bathing. Washing hair in hard water is particularly susceptible to a build up of hard water minerals, and causes hair to feel dull, limp and lifeless. As soap does not form a good lather, skin can also feel dry and flaky due to the minerals not being washed off causing blocked pores and an unhealthy feeling.

To learn more about top quality water filters click here...

Dishwasher Tips - Top Ideas to Prevent Hard Water Build-Up And Increase Efficiency

Hard water supplied to your home can have a serious effect on household appliances - especially dishwashers which can accumulate a hard water scum or limescale film on the elements. This can increase household bills dramatically, as well as effecting the life of the dishwasher itself.

Fortunately there are some techniques that have been proven to work which will save you time and money maintaining your dishwasher. If you follow these steps you'll be guaranteed the great performance from your dishwasher and reduced energy bills!

One easy way is to add a solution of white vinegar to a complete cycle periodically. This should keep your dishwasher fresh and ensure food soils are broken down and washed away during the washing cycle. Combined with the very hot water and the mechanical action of the dishwasher, white vinegar ensures a high standard of cleanliness than could be achieved by hand washing. As a result, harmful bacteria that might otherwise remain unseen on dishes are destroyed.

Other top dishwasher tips:

• Use the 50°C to 55°C or lower temperature programs instead of high temperature programs when running your dishwasher. It could save you 84kWh in power and save you hundreds of dollars on electricity bills.

• Load dishes according to the dishwasher manufacturers instructions to allow for proper water circulation.

• Check and clean drains and filters regularly to ensure efficient operation.

• Take a few minutes to check in the machine users guide for the most efficient program according to the size or type of load in your dishwasher.

By performing these regular tasks, you will ensure that your dishwasher remains free of hard water build-up that can cause serious problems with your appliance. It will reduce the need for hard water stain removal from your dishes and cutlery and save you time and a lot money in the long run.