Most people don’t realize this but the water that you use might not be good for you or your home. This is because most houses have what is called hard water. The minerals that make water hard are called calcium and magnesium. This is what causes lime scale to form in your house. Lime scale eventually clogs the inside your pipes and slowly destroys your water-based appliances. Don’t worry though; you can get rid of those hard minerals by using a water softener. When you use a water softener you’re trading the hard minerals ions with sodium ions. The end result is that your water turns into soft water. Some people would rather get a water conditioner in their home to avoid using salt but conditioners don’t actually soften water. You can read water conditioner reviews to see what each one actually does.

What Hard Minerals Can Do To Your Home

Hard minerals in your water can actually cause lots of damage to your household. If you have ever took a shower or bath in someone’s house that has soft water, you probably felt much cleaner than you would at your own home. Now hard water doesn’t only affect your home, but also affects you in many ways. The hard minerals cause your soap and detergents not to lather to their full potential. This can cause you to use two times as much, which over time ends up being a lot of money. Then every time you shower your skin and hair becomes dried out. If your hair seems to be working against you a lot this could be because of the hard water. Don’t forget about the soap scum that appears on your shower or tub. The soap scum makes your house look rather dirty as well as feeling sticky. Anyone who likes a clean house should definitely look into getting a water softener.

Another negative effect of hard water is that the minerals calcium and magnesium sneak their way into the fabric of your clothes, towels, and sheets making them feel rough. Not only do your fabrics come out rough but your whites are less vivid. Both these problems can become very annoying, especially for people who are into fashion. If you are then I hope you like taking trips to the cleaners. You also have to worry about the water stains that show up on your dishes and many more surfaces.

How Does a Water Softener Operate?

You probably know the basics of how a softener works but let me go into detail. To start with, when water enters your home the first thing it does is go into your water softener. More specifically the water enters into your mineral tank by going through the control valve. Inside the mineral tank are countless amounts of resin beads that are covered with sodium. As the water flows through the beads of resin, the mineral ions which are negatively charged switch places with sodium ions that are positively charged. The salt is a stronger ion so it completely takes over the hard minerals. Not only does a softener remove hard minerals, but also removes other particles such as dirt, silt, and iron. Once it enters your home your water is much cleaner and is now known as soft water.

If you have decided to purchase a water softener or conditioner I recommend looking at different brands and their particular water softener reviews. With so many different options there is no need to be in a rush. Take time to find the one you like best as it can save you money and time in the long run.