At the end of the day, water is a transparent liquid, so how can it be categorized as soft or hard? In fact, the hardness of water is actually measured in terms of the minerals it contains.
Here, we are going to discuss in detail what the differences are between these two types of water, how they are beneficial to humans, and how they can also cause common problems for your skin, clothing, and dishes.
Hard Water
Hard water is considered to be “hard” due to being rich in minerals. This is the type of water that runs throughout your house. This water contains calcium and magnesium, but luckily this water is safe for consumption since the human body requires both calcium and magnesium. While hard water is safe to drink, you might also consider boiling and purifying your water with a water purifier if you don’t want to taste these minerals.
All types of water look the same. The calcium and magnesium particles are too tiny to be seen with the naked eye. So how do you actually understand whether the water you are using is hard? There are simple signs about it’s usage:
Cloudy Kitchen Utensils
Have you ever noticed your kitchen utensils looking a bit cloudy? The white patches do not want to go away despite washing them thoroughly under running water. The clouding of utensils is the result of washing them with hard water. The calcium in the water reacts with your dishwashing soap, creating a residue of calcium carbonate.
Dry or Itchy Skin
The same happens with your skin when your soap and shampoo reacts with the minerals of this water. You are not left with white patches like your utensils, but you do experience dry and itchy skin. The chemical reaction that occurs between your soap and the minerals may make your skin more delicate and weaker. On its own this isn’t bad, but having weakened skin might cause issues if you are fighting any sort of bacterial infection.
Other Effects
Moreover, this kind of water is also harsh on your clothes. Hard water quickly turns these clothes fragile and prone to tearing off. It also reacts with the contaminants of your pipe and may create rusting inside them, constricting the passage of water and reducing overall water pressure in your house.
Soft Water
The name says it all. This type of water is soft, treats your delicate skin well, does not tamper with the fine finishing of your utensils, and washes your clothes with great care. Unfortunately, soft water is not readily available at homes. You must install a water softener to gain access to it. The softening machine removes the minerals from the water, making it milder.
The only downside to a water purifier is an increased amount of sodium, since sodium works to cleanse hard water. Make sure to check with a health professional before drinking water from a purifier.
– The Winner
Overall, soft water is the winner! Compared to hard water, soft water is more beneficial for kitchen utensils, skin, clothing, and pipes. Hard water is beneficial for gardening and other outdoor cleaning purposes.
Contact Clean Water Solutions Houston today for more information about installing a water purifier!
