Dry Skin and Hair – Is Hard Water to Blame?
Are you starting to notice that you have itchy, dry skin? Do you have dry hair that never feels completely clean? Do you see stains in your sinks and on the faucets? If you have these problems, then you may have hard water in your home. Luckily, this is a problem that can easily be solved with the installment of a home water softener system. A water softener system has many benefits, from improving the quality of your skin and hair to increasing the lifespan of your plumbing, appliances, and clothes, as well as helping with your overall budget!
A water softener works to take out the extra calcium and magnesium ions by exchanging them with sodium or potassium ions. The water softener will flush the system of these excess ions to make your water “softer.” Before you install a water softener, you’ll want to determine your water’s hardness. Below, Advanced Water Solutions will take a look at a few signs that indicate that you should get your water tested for that very thing. If you do decide that you have a problem (or just want to make sure), call for a free water test today at 805-263-1542!
There’s Scale Buildup on Your Appliances
If you’re seeing any mineral deposits forming on things like your tea kettle or coffee pot, then it’s likely that it’s also forming within your pipes. This scale buildup due to hard water can clog your plumbing up so much that your home becomes less effective at passing the water through the pipes. Such defective plumbing is a direct consequence of hard water in your home.
Scale, also known as limescale, is a hard substance made up of calcium and magnesium ions. These salts will form that chalky substance in your home and cause all sorts of hard water issues. A water softener can help reduce these problems!
Stains in your Sinks and Bathtubs
Any type of stain that’s left behind from mineral residue in your plumbing is a sign of hard water. These stains appear when the tap water evaporates and leaves minerals behind. There are some homemade cleaners using vinegar that can help reduce these stains, but to get rid of them completely, you’ll want to have your water tested and possibly have a water softener installed.
Dry Skin
If you’ve noticed the two things mentioned above, have you also noticed that you’re suffering from dry skin that seems to be itchier than normal? Hard water can cause your skin to be more easily irritated and itchy due to the extra calcium and magnesium salts in the water. Specialized soaps can only help with this issue to a certain degree before you need to have your water tested and fixed for its hardness.
So what in the hard water causes your skin to be itchy? The salts in the water do not help nourish your skin, but only attach to it and dry it out. The minerals settle onto your skin and don’t dissolve well with soap. Because the soap can’t remove the minerals, they leave a residue on your skin that over time will leave it dry and rough.
Dry Hair
If your skin is dry, then you’ve probably noticed that your hair feels dried out as well. It may also still feel gross after taking a shower. This is also due to the salty minerals floating around in that water. As your hard water evaporates, it leaves the calcium and magnesium buildup in your hair. Regular shampoos won’t fix this problem, only a water softener will!
Not only can hard water affect your skin, your hair, and your plumbing, it can also make your dishes brittle and easier to break, as well as leaving your clothes looking gray and feeling grimy. If you start to notice any of these problems more frequently in your home, it’s time to test your water hardness and start getting it fixed before it costs you more money in the long term!
To learn more about hard vs soft water, check out Advanced Water Solutions' blog here!