Hard water, high in minerals like calcium and magnesium, can wreak havoc on your plumbing, appliances, and cleaning routines. Here are 10 of the biggest problems that hard water could cause in your home that you were unaware of.

1. Limescale Buildup

Hard water often leads to limescale deposits on fixtures and appliances. Over time, these deposits can impair functionality and create an unpleasant look.

2. Soap Scum

Hard water reacts with soap to form soap scum, leaving behind unsightly residue on your showers, tubs, and sinks. It can also cause tough-to-clean mineral stains.

3. Cloudy Glassware and Silverware

Hard water spots can tarnish your silverware, making them look spotty and unclean, even after washing. This can also affect glassware and dishes, leaving a cloudy coating which look and feel unpleasant to drink out of.

4. Stiff and Dull Laundry

Clothes washed in hard water often feel scratchy and stiff, as the minerals can get trapped in the fabric. It may also cause whites to yellow and colors to fade faster.

5. Dry Skin and Hair

Hard water can leave your skin feeling dry and itchy and your hair looking dull and lifeless. It may also exacerbate skin conditions like eczema. Softening water through proper filtration will leave a big impact on your health and hygiene. 

6. Reduced Lather

Hard water reduces the lathering ability of soap, making it less effective. You might find yourself using more soap, shampoo, and detergent than necessary. It can also make cleaning more difficult for these same reasons, increasing the time and effort you need to put into household chores. This will also end up using more cleaning supplies, reducing efficiency and increasing costs.

7. Clogged Pipes

Hard water leads to scale buildup, a hardened layer of minerals, inside your pipes. This not only reduces water pressure, but it can also shorten the lifespan of your pipes.

8. Damaged Appliances

Hard water can cause scale deposits to form inside appliances like dishwashers and water heaters, impairing their efficiency and reducing their lifespan. Changing expensive household appliances more frequently will end up being significantly more expensive than preventing these problems at their source. Additionally, these deposits also increase your month to month energy costs. 

9. Increased Energy Bills

With hard water, appliances run less efficiently, which can increase your water bill. Plus, you might find yourself running the dishwasher or washing machine more frequently due to scale buildup.

10. Unpleasant Taste

Hard water can have a distinct, unpleasant taste due to the high mineral content. This can affect everything from your drinking water to the taste of your cooked food.

Conclusion

As you can see, hard water can lead to a multitude of problems around your home. But don't worry, there are solutions available. Water softening systems can help combat these issues and improve the quality of your water.

Ready to combat hard water in your home? Explore our top-rated water softeners here.