Is your tap water “hard” or “soft” water? If you don’t have any idea what that means, here’s a quick rundown:
There are two types of tap water. One is hard water. It’s tap water that contains a high amount of calcium along with magnesium. This is the common result when water and rocks or soil mix together. In the U.S., about 85 percent of water is hard, says the Chicago Tribune, quoting the figure from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The other type is soft water. This is the type of tap water that don’t contain very little—if at all—chemicals. This can come from a natural water source. However, it could also be artificially generated by using water conditioners that take the calcium and magnesium out of the water.
Benefits of Soft Water
-
Cleaning. When used for cleaning purposes, soft water works better than hard water. Using soft water cuts down on the need for detergent by as much as 50 percent. Since the water doesn’t contain any minerals, you only need a small amount to make the solution effective. In addition, when cold soft water is used to wash clothes, the results show that the water improves stain removal efforts.
-
Showering. Since soft water lathers and mixes well with the soap and allows for more soap suds, it works better as a showering aid. Because it lathers quickly, you can use less soap, saving you more in bath product purchases. That might not amount to much but when you calculate your yearly expenses on bath products alone, every single cent you save adds up.
-
Cooking. Soft water is ideal for washing dirty and used dishes, utensils and other kitchen tools since the detergent you use can be less than usual. This time, you don’t only save on costs, you also save on time since the quicker you wash the dishes, the more time you can spend on other more important things.
-
Energy Consumption. Since soft water works more effectively with soaps and detergents, you get to spend less time and use less electricity for normal everyday chores. That also cuts down on your overall energy consumption. So you get to save on your electricity bills as well.
These are just 4 benefits to using soft water. So if you’ve got hard water at home, you might want to make the switch. Research on what water conditioners in Jacksonville would be effective for you and go from there.
