Water hardness is a common phenomenon in Canadian households. According to the Government of Canada, 50% of the municipal water supplies in Canada have hard water levels below 80 mg/l.
Meanwhile, 20% of Canada municipalities have water hardness levels greater than 180 mg/l, while Ontario and Prairie provinces are the only regions with hard water levels exceeding 180 mg/l.
Although hard water doesn’t pose any health risks when consumed, some people find the taste unpleasant and experience minor skin irritation after bathing.
Naturally, it’s difficult to get laundry and dishes clean when using hard water, as it leaves hazy white spots on utensils and makes clothes feel stiff to the touch. Not to mention, hard water causes corrosion in plumbing pipes, increasing the risk of chemicals and metal leaching in water.
Fortunately, there are effective ways to treat hard water, such as boiling hard water and softening your home’s water system. Keep reading to learn how you can manage hard water problems.
What Causes Water Hardness and Hardness Levels?
If you’re like many homeowners, chances are that at some point, you’ve wondered what determines the softness and hardness of water.
While water is crystal clear, it contains chemicals and minerals. High concentration of minerals, especially calcium and magnesium, is what makes water hard.
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These minerals lead to limescale buildup in plumbing pipes, thus reducing water pressure and flow. When cleaning, calcium and magnesium make soap less effective, leaving white spots on utensil surfaces.
It’s worth noting that the hardness levels of water will depend on the amount of minerals present in water. For example, less than one grain of calcium carbonate or magnesium per gallon (0-1 gpg) indicates that the water is soft, while 7 to 10.5 gpg translates to hard water.
If it’s over 10.5 gpg, that means that the water is very hard. Understanding the causes of water hardness and hardness levels is key to finding the perfect solution to hard water problems in your home.
Boil Your Water
Boiling is an old technique for getting rid of impurities and making drinking water safe.
This method is also ideal for reducing hardness levels in water considered temporarily hard. Boiling hard water helps remove dissolved calcium bicarbonate and magnesium bicarbonate out of the water. The result is softer water, which you can drink or use for washing.
Note that boiling water is a quick and affordable way to fix temporary water hardness, but it won’t resolve permanent hardness. Typically, moderate to very hard water contains calcium sulfate, and boiling cannot remove the minerals.
Choose Detergents Designed for Hard Water
The most annoying quality of hard water is the build-up of soap scum on hard surfaces and plumbing fixtures. Soap scum or lime scum forms when minerals in hard water react with chemical contents in soap.
This reaction results in a white, solid build-up that’s visible on water fixtures, drains, tiles, sinks, bathroom walls and doors, as well as tubs. One of the best ways to remove soap scum on surfaces is by using powerful cleaning agents designed for hard water.
Citric acid-based cleaners are the go-to options when using hard water, as they make cleaning more effective. Typically, citric acid softens hard water so you can rinse soap from clothes and dishes easily without worrying about soap scum. Citric acid-based cleaning agents contain natural ingredients, which make cleaning easy without exposing your loved ones to toxins.
Other cleaning solutions to consider when using hard water are vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and borax.
Applying a cleaning paste made of vinegar and baking soda on sinks and bathtub corners can help eliminate hard water stains. Soaking a cloth in white vinegar and wrapping it around a shower head or tap can remove limescale. Alternatively, you can fill a small plastic bag with vinegar and tie it around a shower head or tap for a deeper clean.
Switching powder laundry detergent to liquid detergent can help prevent hard water stains from sticking on clothes. Adding borax to the washing mixture is another effective tactic for reducing the reaction between minerals and liquid detergent.
When cleaning flat surfaces like tile floors, spray a mixture of vinegar and water on the stained surface. Let it sit there for about an hour before wiping the surface to get better results.
Invest in a Water Softener
Installing a water softener in your home is the most convenient way to deal with hard water problems. These systems filter calcium and magnesium in the water through a chemical ion exchange process that occurs when water passes through a bed of plastic resin beads.
Each bead holds sodium ions and when water flows through them, sodium ions replace calcium, thus softening the water for household consumption.
However, for water softeners to function effectively, you need to add salt. How often you add salt to your water softener depends on several factors, including the size of the brine tank (separate storage tank for salt). The amount of water your household uses and the level of water hardness also dictate when you should add more salt in the water softening system.
Plumbing experts recommend checking salt levels twice every month. Equally important, homeowners need to invest in the right salt for their water softener. Many plumbers suggest using salt pellets to ensure the salt dissolves completely and won’t clog the system.
Install a Magnetic Water Conditioning System
Magnetic water conditioning systems are an alternative for water systems and a perfect option for treating mild hard water issues.
Unlike water softening systems, magnetic water conditioners don’t require salt or chemicals to soften hard water. Instead, they use a magnetic reaction to alter the properties of magnesium and calcium present in the water.
A slight change of mineral ions causes them to detach from each other. While the minerals will still be in the water, they won’t stick together to form limescale on surfaces. Since magnetic water conditioners connect to the main water line, they protect plumbing pipes and fixtures from corrosion caused by limescale.
Hard water isn’t a health concern, as many people assume, but it can make maintaining clean surfaces, clothes, utensils and appliances difficult.
Water hardness also causes long-term damage to plumbing fixtures. For these reasons, it’s a good idea to consider effective ways to soften water. These methods include boiling slightly hard water, using cleaning agents for hard water, installing water softening systems and connecting magnetic water conditioners to the main water lines.
Feature image: Imani; Image 1: Anna Shvets
