Hard water is harmful for health if people drink it. This water is also bad for the appliances, clothes, utensils, etc. People should make the water soft in order to get rid of all such problems. Many people do not know how to soften hard water. There are very easy tricks, which they can apply in order to soften the water and use it.
There are many things, which people can use in order to soften the water and one such thing is water softener. Besides this, people can also use a water softener system in order to convert the hard water into soft one. In this article, we will discuss about how to soften hard water.
Why softening the water is needed
Hard water consists of different types of minerals. The main contents are magnesium and calcium. This water is not good for anything whether washing clothes, utensils, appliances or for drinking. The minerals present in the hard water stick to different places and this can block the pipes or damage the appliances and reduce their efficiency.
Types of hard water
Hard water is of two types, which include permanent hard water and temporary hard water. It is very difficult to convert the permanent hard water into soft water. In the case of temporary hard water, many things can be done to make it soft
How to soften hard water
Now let us know how to soften hard water with the methods described below.
Ion exchange
This method is considered as one of the best ways in order to soften the water. In this method, the ions of calcium and magnesium are exchanged by sodium. Since the calcium and magnesium are ionic in nature so they can be easily exchanged and this makes the water soft.
Water softener
A water softener is used to soften the water. This machine consists of resin beads whose charge is negative. The charge of calcium and magnesium ions is positive. When these ions come in contact with the resin, the sodium ions are transferred into water while the calcium and magnesium ions are attached to the resin.
Boiling
Boiling the water can remove the temporary hardness. People need to boil the water and after it cools down, people can see the minerals that settle down. The water can be poured into another vessel leaving the minerals
Baking soda and vinegar
The nature of vinegar is acidic and baking soda is alkaline in nature. Both of them can be used in softening the hard water. Both of them have the ability to remove the hardness from water. In the case of vinegar, people should use distilled white vinegar. People need to make sure that they should put the vinegar according to the quantity of water that they are using.
Now we will deal with the process of softening the hard water for different purposes.
Kitchen
Hard water should not be used in the kitchen as it can damage the vessels, appliances, and other things. If it is used for making food, then it can have bad effect on the health of consumers of that food. There are many ways in which people can treat the hard water for using it in the kitchen and these ways are discussed below.
Boiling the water
As discussed earlier, people can boil the water and let it cool for a few hours. The minerals will settle down at the bottom and people can use only water available on top of the vessel.
Using a softener in the tap
A hard water softener is available which people can install on the taps. This softener has the ability to remove the minerals that make the water hard. The softener will not filter the water so a secondary filter should also be added.
Laundry
Clothes should not be washed with hard water as they can be damaged and become useless after a few washes. White spots are also created on the clothes. Another disadvantage of water is that the detergents do not work effectively and the clothes are not cleaned properly. Here are the ways in which water for laundry can be softened.
Liquid water conditioner
The conditioner liquid has the ability to remove the minerals from hard water and people should be careful while buying the conditioner. Water conditioner liquids are precipitating as well as non-precipitating. People should purchase the non-precipitating one, as it will not leave any spots on the clothes. Only a few drops of conditioner liquid is enough for softening the water.
Hard water softener
People can use hard water softener, which can be attached in the inlet of the washing machine. This softener will remove the hardness and only soft water is used to wash the clothes.
Baking soda
Baking soda is also a good option for removing the hardness from the water, which is to be used for laundry. A tablespoon of water is enough for a full tub of water.
Vinegar
White vinegar is a good option to remove the white spots that remain on the clothes after they are washed with hard water. People should use diluted vinegar, which can be rubbed on the white spot for its removal.
Bathroom
Hard water should not be used for taking bath as it can make the skin itchy. It happens because the minerals present in the hard water stick to the body and result in itchiness. Here are the things, which can be done to soften the water for bathing.
Hard water softener
A hard water softener can be attached to the tap in the bathroom. This will make the water soft and suitable for bathing.
Drinking
Drinking water should also be made soft because hot water can cause health problems. Here are the ways to soften the hard water.
RO purifier
This is a device that will convert the hard water into soft one and it also removes impurities.
Wrapping Up
These are some of the ways in which people can soften the hard water and use it for different purposes. Hard water can be softened very easily with different materials and devices. Water softener materials like vinegar and baking soda can remove the hardness. People can also use RO purifier, and water softener system to soften the water.
