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Water quality and content is a topic that’s been coming up for a long time now, as contaminants and like become more of a concern when it comes to home health and safety. While it might not necessarily be dangerous, hard water is much more common, however. It can also be a real pain for those who see its results in their drinking water, their hot water appliances, their showers. Here’s what to do about hard water.
What Is Hard Water?
Simply put, water is made hard by the presence of certain minerals in the water; it’s caused by higher levels of calcium and magnesium. As mentioned, there are no major health impacts from having these minerals in there, usually as a result of limestone or chalk deposits in the area. But, it can affect the taste and feel of the water, not to mention how it affects things in the kitchen and bathroom.
What to Do About Hard Water
Clean the Deposits
Hard water can leave deposits over time, also known as hard water stains, that can affect glass, sinks, as well as some plumbing fixtures, such as drains and faucets. When it comes to bathroom replacements, it’s best to leave these to professionals. However, chrome faucets can be wiped clean with vinegar so that you don’t need to replace them, and white wine can be sprayed on shower doors to keep them clean, too.
For showerheads, we put lemon juice in a small ziplock bag, fit it around the showerhead and secure it with a ponytail holder (or rubberband, whatever you’ve got). Leave it for a few hours, and then wipe clean. It’s like magic.
What About Washing Your Hair?
Washing your hair in hard water can be more of a hassle than the dirt that you are trying to wash out. Your hair might be limp, duller than usual, and you might even feel some mineral deposits making it stiff and crunchy. You can use specialist shampoos that are specifically designed for hard water, such as clarifying shampoo, which you don’t use as regularly as others, but can help clear any additional minerals out of your hair.
Making the Water Soft
When it comes to drinking water, cooking water, and preventing the buildup of scale in things like a kettle or teapot, you might want to remove hard water from the equation rather than have to deal with the aftermath. There are systems like water softeners that can do just that. Installing these water treatment solutions can help you remove calcium, magnesium, and other minerals directly from the water.
Add a Shower Filter
You can eliminate hard water from the bathroom just as easily from the kitchen, to some degree. Installing a shower filter might cost more money than the other solutions mentioned above, and they need to be cleaned or replaced to keep them effective. However, if your shower water is free of mineral deposits, you don’t need to worry about minerals in your hair, soap scum, or hard water stains on your shower door.
Bottom Line: what to do about hard water
Hard water need not be some great inconvenience in your life. There are ways to work around it. It just takes a little time or investment.
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