Why Hard Water Is a Cleaning Nightmare and What to Do About It

by Pamtec Enviro Systems Road Sweeping Machines

If you're anything like me, you probably don't think about the water that comes out of your faucet very often. But as it turns out, this seemingly benign substance has a pretty major effect on how clean your house is—especially when it comes to laundry detergent and dishes. A recent study found that homes with hard water tend to have residue on their surfaces and in their appliances due to mineral buildup caused by high mineral content in the water supply. This means that soap doesn't foam and clothes aren't getting clean because they can't penetrate deep into layers of mineral salts, which leads to more soap build-up and dulls colors over time. So what exactly is hard water? And what can we do about it? We'll get into all those questions below!

What even is hard water?

There are a few ways to define “hard water.” The simplest is that it's water with a high mineral content, but there are two main types of minerals: calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Hard water can also have a high pH level, which means it has an alkaline-like structure that makes it more difficult for soap to lather. If your tap water has one or both of these features, you have hard tap water.

Hard tap water can be difficult to clean because the minerals in the water make soap less effective—soap requires some degree of hardness in order to work properly. When you use hard tap water on dishes (or any piece of equipment), they'll likely get left with an unpleasant residue that won't come off easily and might even build up over time if the buildup isn't removed regularly.

Soap scum and mineral deposits are likely behind your lack of suds.

Soap scum, or a buildup of soap and minerals on surfaces like your shower walls and tile, can be difficult to remove. Soap scum is a combination of soap and dissolved minerals in your water. Because it’s not water soluble, it’s not easily removed with just soap and water—which is why you may notice that adding more detergent doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

If you've soaked the surface in vinegar for several minutes and still aren't seeing results, try using an enzyme cleaner, which breaks down proteins into amino acids that help break down the oils in soap scum so they can be washed away with warm water.

Hard water makes it harder to clean your clothes, too.

The same minerals that cause hard water to be difficult to clean also make it harder to clean your clothes. Hard water can leave soap scum on your laundry, which will make it harder for the soap to rinse off and wash away any dirt or stains in your clothing. It's also possible that the mineral content of hard water can react with some of the ingredients in laundry detergents, causing yellowing of clothes as well as rashes or skin irritation if you're wearing them while they're wet.

In most cases, you can solve this problem by using a detergent specially formulated for use with hard water (which is available at most grocery stores). This type of detergent is designed to remove the mineral deposits in your washing machine and machine byproducts from getting onto your clothing during washing cycles so that they don't end up staining or discoloring them over time.

Your dishes aren't sparkling, either.

If you're frustrated by how long it takes to clean your dishes, you may be surprised to learn that hard water is partly to blame.

Hard water can leave a film on dishes and make it hard to get rid of food stains. To make matters worse, when you do manage to get them clean, the residue left behind will eventually create more stains and spots.

The best way to deal with this problem is by using a dishwasher or water softener (if you don't have a dishwasher). This way, the food gets washed off completely so there's nothing left behind—no grease or grime—that could cause further damage if you were doing everything by hand.

Hard water can make your hair look dirty.

Hard water can make your hair look dirty, feel dry and brittle, dull and lifeless, greasy and flat. If you're struggling with this kind of problem on a regular basis then it's time to get your hands on a water softener system.

There are ways to combat its effect on you and your home.

There are a few ways to combat hard water and its effect on you, your house, and your clothes. You can install a water softener or filter in your home. A water softener uses salt to soften the water, but it does require periodic maintenance—you’ll need to replace the salt regularly. A water filter will remove many minerals from the water as it passes through before reaching you or your appliances.

If you want to try more natural methods of removing scum build-up in the shower and tub, try mixing vinegar with baking soda (equal parts), then rubbing onto areas where scum collects most often (including around faucets). This method can cause some staining if not done correctly; if this happens, use white vinegar mixed with baking soda until all stains are removed

Solve the mystery behind why hard water is a cleaning nightmare.

. It can leave soap scum, mineral deposits, and other stains behind on your dishes; it makes it harder to get your hair clean; and it’s nearly impossible to remove hard water stains from your sinks and tubs.

Luckily, you can solve the mystery behind why hard water is such a pain to clean with just two simple steps: installing a whole-house water softener and using liquid dish soap instead of detergent.

Conclusion

Water hardness is a common problem, but it's not the end of your dreams for cleanliness. You can fight back with the right products and strategies to keep your home looking its best. The key is to start with a thorough water analysis from a lab like ours at Labcorp. We'll test for calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate levels, which will help determine whether you have hard or soft water. Then we'll give you recommendations based on our findings so that you can keep your home as clean as possible!