Advantages of soft water
It’s no secret that hard water in your taps can be a terrible nuisance; we bet you’ve heard friends or neighbours blame the hard water in the local area for metallic-tasting water or limescale on taps… And who wants to be limited to special hard water tea bags?
Hard water problems are widespread, and cause much chagrin amongst British households. More importantly, there are plenty of benefits of soft water that you may not be aware of. We reached out to the Water Quality Association to find out the difference between hard water and soft water, and they summarised the following as soft water benefits (treated with a water softener) compared to hard water problems:
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Cleaner, shinier silverware and glassware
Hard water contains minerals like calcium and magnesium, which dry onto your glasses and cutlery and leave ugly white streaks. If you do your washing up with soft water, on the other hand, you will get a shiny, streak-free finish. Read more. -
Soft, shiny hair and skin
Ever gone on holiday and realised that your hair was unusually soft and shiny after washing? You may have thought it was the shampoo, but the difference was most likely caused by a change to soft water. Without the build-up of minerals from hard water, your hair and skin feel softer, cleaner, and smoother, as opposed to brittle and dry. Read more. -
Goodbye soap scum
Showering and cleaning with soft water will create far less build-up of stubborn soap scum on your shower and bath tub. This will help preserve your shower by reducing its exposure to corrosive minerals, and reduce the amount of housework needed to clean kitchens and bathrooms. - Save £££ on soap and shampoo
Hard water contains calcium and magnesium, which create soap scum but inhibit lather and foam. This means that you need lots more soap to get a decent lather going. Soft water readily lathers up when mixed with soap, reducing the usage and cost of these products by 75%.
- Clean your home with natural products
Chemical-free soaps, laundering agents and other natural household cleaners are more effective when mixed with soft water, as hard water can inhibit their components’ effects.
- Hello fluffy towels! (…goodbye weirdly rigid t-shirts)
Fabrics are softer without the minerals present in hard water becoming trapped in them, last longer, and avoid dingy discoloration caused by hard water problems. Softening with a Hague Quality Water product will provide softer, brighter clothes and will extend their wearable life! Read more. -
Scum-less tea & longer-lasting appliances
The minerals in hard water, namely calcium and magnesium, form tough limescale on your appliances (you’ve probably got some in your kettle, causing a layer of scum to form on your tea). In hard-to-clean spots, like wall pipes or dishwashers, this limescale erodes your appliances, causing cracks, leaks and rust. Soft water preserves the life of your water-using appliance, saving you hassle and money. Read more. -
Cheaper heating during cold winters
A water heater protected by a whole-house water softening system will also reduce the yearly energy cost of that appliance by 22-29%!
To read the WQA’s full study on the soft water benefits over hard water in your home, go to www.wqa.org for more information.