Hard water

[DianaB]

Our town is having some water issues and everyone has been talking about how awful their dishwashers are working. We're having hard water marks on glasses plus a white film on everything. I read an article about phosphates causing problems and our pastor's wife found a phosphate-free dishwashing detergent at Wal-mart. It's ALL and it's in a white bottle plus she's using the Lemon Shine with it.

You can also put in some vinegar and it will help take off the hard water. You'll have to figure out what amount works for you. Also, make sure you're using the stuff that helps with water spotting. I think that it's called Finish but I also know that Cascade makes some as well. Good luck!!

[gja1000]

Janet, we could get a water softener and use bottled water for drinking - but I'd have to use it for all my cooking too - and tea, etc. I'm just not ready to go that route yet, but I may have to.

Thanks for the information Diana!

[JJJ]

Makes me feel silly. I never even thought of hard and soft water

[Lindsey]

My parents have hard water and it really builds up in the shower heads (they usually just get cheap ones to replace them) and even the coffee pot! Every once in awhile my mom runs vinegar through the coffee pot to clean it out. They have a water softener but it hasn't worked for years and they haven't replaced it.

We have hard water too, but we have a water softener. I'm glad because hard water really seems to dry out my hair when I wash it!

[JJJ]

So how do I know if I have hard or soft water

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by JJJ

So how do I know if I have hard or soft water

Well, that's a good question! Hard water is slow to lather. When you are in the shower, if you have to put on lots of soap or shampoo to get a good lather, you probably have hard water. It will leave cloudy marks or a cloudy film on your glasses and flatware and also leaves the inside of the dishwasher cloudy. It will create a buildup on shower heads and eventually clog up the holes. The same buildup occurs in pipes too.

When your water is very soft, it feels like you can't get the soap off when you take a shower. Soft was doesn't do any damage to appliances, since there is no mineral buildup.

You can have your water tested to see how hard or soft it is.

[Lindsey]

I was trying to find one of my favorite old commercials to post here but I can't find it! It opens with an older couple sitting on a couch, looking incredulously at a test strip. The woman says "I can't believe it..." her husband says "After all these years!" (leading you to think it's a pregnancy test) and then "... We have hard water!"

[JJJ]

Originally Posted by gja1000

Well, that's a good question! Hard water is slow to lather. When you are in the shower, if you have to put on lots of soap or shampoo to get a good lather, you probably have hard water. It will leave cloudy marks or a cloudy film on your glasses and flatware and also leaves the inside of the dishwasher cloudy. It will create a buildup on shower heads and eventually clog up the holes. The same buildup occurs in pipes too.

When your water is very soft, it feels like you can't get the soap off when you take a shower. Soft was doesn't do any damage to appliances, since there is no mineral buildup.

You can have your water tested to see how hard or soft it is.

Hmm, I definitely have hard water then.