Signs of hard water in your home

There are many different symptoms that you could have hard water in your home. Having hard water in your house can affect many things ranging from the mineral levels in your body, the cleanliness of your fixtures, and even how well your appliances run. Understanding how hard water affects different things in your home and body helps you determine if hard water is a problem.

There are several ways hard water can affect your appliances. In dishwashers, spots will be visible on your glasses and dishes. Washing machines that use hard water tend to make your clothes feel stiffer, scratchy, wear out faster and leave clothes looking less vibrant because of damages to the fibers in the clothing. The water heater in your house builds up lime scale from the hard water which not only damages the heater but also causes a high energy bill and slows the efficiency of the other water-based appliances in your home. What you cannot see is that hard water also leaves deposits in the pipes which can slowly cause blockage.

Hard water affects our bodies in a more noticeable manner. Hard water leaves a sticky soap film on your skin which can trap bacteria or dirt, preventing you from truly getting clean and may even cause breakouts and irritation. Hard water on your hair can cause it to feel sticky, look greasy or dull and hard to manage and style.

Hard water also leaves noticeable shower scum on glass doors, bathroom tiles and a ring around your bathtub.

The use of water in your home with anything showing an odd outcome is usually a sign of hard water.