4 Quick and Easy Tips for Hard Water Areas

For some quick and easy tips to combat hard water problems around the home, see below for some tried and tested methods that could save you hundreds of dollars!

Use a synthetic body wash to shower:

Some confusion may arise after a first experience with soft water. Hard water does not lather well with soap and leaves a "less than clean" feeling. Soft water lathers better than hard water but leaves a "slippery feeling" on the skin after use with soap. For example, a certain water softener manufacturer contests that the "slippery feeling" after showering in soft water is due to "cleaner skin" and the absence of "friction-causing" soap scum.

However, the chemical explanation is that soft water, due to its sodium content, has a much reduced ability to combine with the soap film on your body and therefore, it is much more difficult to rinse off. Solutions are to use less soap or a synthetic liquid body wash.

Choose a correct laundry detergent:

Some laundry detergents do not produce as many suds in hard water, these are likely to be soap-based products and do not work as well in hard-water as detergent based products. Nowadays, there are washing powders and liquids available for a wide range of water hardness. Make sure you choose the correct detergent for your area; you may also need to use slightly more detergent than the manufacturers recommended amount to compensate for the hard water. In many cases the manufacturer will give specific instructions on how to use the product in hard water areas, look out for these labels on your product.

Reduce the temperature of your boiler:

As the water temperature increases, the more mineral deposits will appear in your dishwasher, water tank and pipes. By reducing the heat of your boiler to about 55ºC, you will have enough hot water for your shower and you will reduce the amount of mineral build-up in your pipes and tanks.

Use rinse agents to remove mineral deposits:

There are many rinse agents available to remove mineral deposits from crockery and dishwasher. Alternatively, you can use white vinegar by using the dishwasher dispenser or placing a cup of vinegar on the dishwasher rack. Boil some white vinegar in your kettle as a useful way of removing hard water deposits

Hard Water Health Benefits - Discover the Secrets to Why it May Improve Life Expectancy

Hard water has some fantastic health benefits that seem to encourage longer life expectancy and improved health. In this article we'll discover why this is so and what areas of the world have some of the longest life expectancy.

An episode of Oprah recently looked at some of the so-called blue-zones around the world. These are places in the world where people live the longest and are the healthiest anywhere on earth. If we can take some of what they do and make those healthy moves a consistent part of our own lives, perhaps we could live a little longer (and be healthier in our old age) as well.

The first stop was the Nicoya Peninsula in the rain forest of Costa Rica. There are lots of very healthy centenarians there, possibly because of the excellent hard water, which is full of calcium and magnesium, keeping their bones and muscles strong throughout their lives.

A lot of physical labor still goes into food production there, from clearing fields to raise crops to picking fruit and grinding corn for tortillas, which is a great upper-body workout. In fact, people who live in this region have some of the best physical stamina in the world because they are always on the move. People eat lots of corn, beans and squash, and there is fresh fruit almost year-round.

Another important piece of the longevity puzzle in Costa Rica and elsewhere is a sense of community and family ties. Older people live with their younger relatives, and those connections help keep people feeling young and in touch with their surroundings.

The World Health Organization says, "There does not appear to be any convincing evidence that water hardness causes adverse health effects in humans."

Some studies have shown a weak inverse relationship between water hardness and cardiovascular disease in men, up to a level of 170 mg calcium carbonate per liter of water. So again a small amount of these calcium and magnesium minerals can actually be helpful for improved life expectancy. Other studies have shown weak correlations between cardiovascular health and water hardness. The World Health Organization has reviewed the evidence and concluded the data were inadequate to allow for a recommendation for a level of hardness.

In a review by Frantisek Kozisek, M.D., Ph.D. National Institute of Public Health, Czech Republic he gives a good overview of the topic, and unlike the WHO, sets some recommendations for the maximum and minimum levels of calcium (40-80 mg/L) and magnesium (20-30 mg/L) in drinking water, and a total hardness expressed as the sum of the calcium and magnesium concentrations of 2-4 mmol/L.

Hard water is not a health hazard. In fact, the National Research Council states that hard drinking water generally contributes a small amount toward total calcium and magnesium human dietary needs. They further state that in some instances, where dissolved calcium and magnesium are very high, water could be a major contributor of calcium and magnesium to the diet.

So although hard water can cause those annoying hard water stains around the home we all know about, the minerals contained in it may also be helpful to build strong bones and may improve cardiovascular disease.

What do you think of this post, let me know what you think by posting your own comment!

Water Filters - Discover How They Can Dramatically Improve Your Water Supply

Why are there more and more manufactures introducing water conditioners and filters onto the market these days? Is there something that they are recommending homeowners to do to improve the quality of the water, and the big question I suppose is - why?

Over the last 30 years, scientists have become more aware of the effect of chlorine that is added as disinfection by- product to the water, and how it affects those people who consume it. Also, as public awareness increases more and more people are

While the addition of chlorine has reduced cholera rates by 90 percent, typhoid by 80 percent and amoebic dysentery by 50 percent, there are certain by- products formed by chlorine that are some cause for concern. One of the main issues is when chlorine reacts with organic matter and forms trihalomethanes (THM's), which scientists are still investigating but which some studies have linked to cancer.

Is it a Risk to You?

There are many disinfection by-products that are formed and worryingly only a few have been studied to evaluate the risk to humans. There are some that do not even have to be ingested but are able to make their way into the body through the skin or by inhalation.

In some investigates, it has been found that epidemiologic studies have shown that a lifetime exposure to chlorinated water through showering and bathing and also swimming is associated with an increased risk for cancer, especially of the bladder and colorectum. In addition, recent studies have raised the issue of potential adverse reproductive and developmental effects.

What Can I Do About it?

As discussed above, manufactures are introducing several different varieties of filters and conditioning devices these days. The devices are indeed a very effective way to reduce the potentially harmful effect of chemicals found in your drinking water, which reduces the risk significantly to humans.

Today's filters have experts on their side. Clifford P. Weisel, an Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute professor at the RWJMS/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and co-author of a study that measured inhalation and dermal exposures to DBPs, said, "If an individual lives in an area where there are high DBP levels in the water and there are other risk factors for cancer, installing a filter will reduce the risk."

As well as the health problems it may cause, chlorine also dehydrates the skin, making it more susceptible to irritation and disorders such as eczema. According to Leslie Baumann, MD, professor of dermatology at the University of Miami and director of the University of Miami's Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute, "Filters are a must for anyone with dry or sensitive skin, especially if they live in a city with hard water or high amounts of chlorine in the water."

To learn more about how water filters can help you achieve the highest quality water supply, click here.

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Laundry Advice - Top Tips For Super Soft Clothes - Even in Hard Water Areas!

If you live in a hard water area and have tried to your wash clothes in hard water, you will know what a terrible state they come out of the washing machine in. Do you get dingy or graying clothes? Do you get stiff or harsh feel to fabrics, or how about yellow or gray streaks on white shirts?

The quality of the water used when washing clothes is an important factor, and one that is frequently overlooked. A high level of minerals in a water supply can cause several laundry problems. Hard water contains high amounts of calcium and magnesium minerals. It's these that wreak havoc when washing clothes, and cause the unsightly stains and streaks on precious items of clothes. Continuous laundering in hard water has been shown to damage fibers and shorten the life of clothes by up to 40 percent.

It is a fact that hard water does not clean as effectively as soft water (which has low amounts of dissolved minerals) and most of the detergent added to the washing machine actually goes to soften the water instead of cleaning the clothes. As a consequence more detergent must be used with hard water compared to soft water. Using more detergent is not only expensive, it is also a major pollution hazard. As detergents contain phosphates they can cause water pollution when they pass into the water course.

If you have any of the above symptoms on your clothes you may live in a hard water area yourself. But do not worry; there are some easy solutions to combat these symptoms. Take a look at the areas in the US that suffer from hard water!

According to the United States Geological Survey, 89.3% of US homes have hard water. The softest waters occur in parts of the New England, South Atlantic-Gulf, Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii regions. Moderately hard waters are common in many of the rivers of the Tennessee, Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska regions. Hard and very hard waters are found in some of the streams in most of the regions throughout the country. Hardest waters (greater than 1,000 mg/L) are in streams in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Arizona, and southern California. There are many areas where the water is completely unsuitable for washing clothes, and it is a common problem that most people will have to cope with and some time in teir lives.

The Solution for Clean Clothes!

• A water softener or conditioner is the best long term solution to resolving the issue as it will soften the water and remove the hard water minerals that are the main cause of the problem.
• If this is not possible try using water that is as hot as the fabric label recommends. Water that is at a higher temperature will work clean much better than at a lower temperature.
• Add the correct amount of low-foaming phosphate detergent or heavy duty liquid detergent.
• Another top tip is to use a powder or liquid softener that will help the water form a lather and increase the efficiency of cleaning while also causing less damage to the clothes themselves. This ensures clothes coming out of the washer are brighter and cleaner.

Do you have other issues that your hard water is causing you, such as hard water stains on fixtures and fittings, or water that tastes unpleasant? Would you like to know how to test your water, or learn easy-to-follow solutions to eliminating hard water problems completely?

If so, then go to our popular website at Hard Water Stains Tips and find out about my popular ebook that has helped hundreds of people with the hard water in their area.

Leave a comment about this post or email me at support@hardwaterstainstips.com.

Water Softeners - 3 Critical Things to Consider Before Buying a Water Softener

When considering which water softener to purchase there are some important factors to consider including some significant health issues. This is because water softeners actually use sodium to alter the water. As we all know, sodium is a major cause of increased blood pressure and other serious health problems.

Sodium is an essential mineral because it's necessary for fluid and electrolyte balance in your body. However, consuming too much salt (also known as sodium chloride) may lead to high blood pressure, a condition called hypertension.

How Do Water Softeners Work:
Water softeners or whole house water treatment systems use a process called ion exchange to remove minerals from a water supply before it enters the home. This involves passing the water through a tank filled with resin beads that are coated with ions of either sodium or potassium chloride.
In simple terms, the sodium or potassium ions in the water softener swap places with the calcium or magnesium ions (which are the hard minerals that cause hard water stains and limescale) in a domestic water supply.

What To Consider Before Purchase:
• Firstly, sodium chloride is usually less expensive than potassium chloride although the latter is better for the environment. This is because the system has to have the brine solution discharged to recharge the ions on the resin beads.
• If the potassium solution is discharged it has less impact on the environment and can actually be put on lawns as potassium is a key plant nutrient!
• Contrary to a common misconception, using sodium salt in your water softener will not adversely affect your plumbing. Most modern plumbing is made of PVC plastic and is not affected by increased levels of either sodium or potassium chloride. Sodium salt can, however, reduce the amount of maintenance required for your brine tank.
• For those concerned about the health issues of how much sodium is put into the water by a water softener, the answer is, it all depends. The harder your water supply the more sodium ions are needed to soften it. That said, studies indicate that even water softened with sodium chloride has a low concentration of sodium.
• The costs of water softeners are usually far outweighed by the benefits and cost savings obtained, through using softened water.
Your local health department can tell you the sodium and other mineral content of your community's water supply.

Options if Your Tap Water is High in Sodium:
• Consider switching to another type of water-purification system.
• Buy demineralized water for drinking and cooking.
• Softening only the hot water and using unsoftened cold water for drinking and cooking.
Ultimately the choice between sodium or potassium salts in your water softener is a personal one, depending on the presence of potential health issues with your water supply, cost, and environmental priorities.

Whichever one you decide on, the advantages of a water softener far outweigh the disadvantages. As well as all the above they can also be helpful in reducing cleaning time by preventing hard water stains and limescale forming around the home.

One of the best water softeners on the market is the 5 stage under water filter system from Crystal Clear Supply. To learn more about the recommended water softener click here or on the image below:

Hard Water Stains - The Top 7 Worst Things to Remove Hard Water Stains and Limescale

There are some things that should definitely not be used to remove hard waters stains and limescale. They can seriously damage your fixtures and fittings and cause them to look worse than when you first started cleaning!

I have seen many people try to remove hard water stains with just elbow grease. While this is certainly one way to remove them it's not the easiest and can make you feel like you've had a good workout! Using something to scrape the stains off is also a common method or even bleach or other toxic chemicals that can harm your children or pets.

Below are just some of the worst ways to remove hard water stains and limescale from your fixtures and fittings:

Scour pads: these can cause significant damage as the scour pad can scratch the finish of metal faucets, sinks, tubs and toilet bowls.

Pumice stone: while these are slightly less damaging than scour pads, they can still cause a lot of damage to toilet bowls and cause ugly scuff marks on the surface.

Sand paper: this is possibly the worst way to remove hard water stains and limescale and I have seen terrible damage caused to porcelain sinks and tubs by the coarse, abrasive action of sand paper.

Razor Blade: these need no explanation as to why they are completely unsuitable for removing hard water stains. Not only will they destroy any finish that a surface may of have had, they are totally unacceptable to have lying around the house for children to pick up and play with.

Bleach: while this is good to kill bacteria, it just doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to removing stubborn hard water stains and limescale. Some people say it works, but there are easier ways than using a potentially harmful chemical such as bleach.

Hydrochloric Acid: some people have tried strong acids to try and melt off the stains hoping they will just disappear. They sometimes do, but in the process you have just inhaled hydrochloric acid into your lungs...not good.

Chemical Cleaners: there are many on the market these days which we all know about. They do have some success at removing hard water stains. The only thing with these is that again they are potentially harmful if used too much; I know I have ran out of the room gasping for breath more than once in the past! Plus they can be rather expensive for what they actually are.

There are some much easier ways to remove stubborn hard water stains and limescale than this.

There are some tried and tested methods for removing even the most stubborn of hard water stains that have been proven to work that will leave your fixtures and fittings sparkling like new.

To discover the secrets to removing those annoying hard water stains try our popular ebook that has helped hundreds of people on a no risk 30 day trial ...

Another Award For Hard WaterStainsTips.com - Submission to BestEzines

Good News! We are very proud to have been recently submitted to Best Ezines.com - "The Email Newsletter Review & Ezine Award Site." This allows people and subscribers to vote, rate and comment on the quality of ezines they receive.

We've helped hundreds of people over the last few years remove the stubborn hard water stains and limescale that build-up all around the home. We have received lots of positive feedback and emails - which we are always happy to receive.

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