While essential oils, bath salts or bath gels are typically used as a way to soften skin, there may be something preventing these things from bubbling and doing their job – your hard water!

If you find yourself pouring more bath gel into your tub in order to get the adequate amount of bubbles, you’re not alone! An overwhelming 85 percent of the US has hard water, so the likelihood that you live in a state or city with hard water is high. Not only can hard water start costing you more, but it can also contribute to dry skin, razor burn and clogged pores.

When you have hard water, calcium and magnesium react negatively with the ingredients in your products, such as bath gels, leaving fewer bubbles in your tub.

There are a variety of quick fixes you can try to get your bubbles back, but the problem will never be solved completely until you get a proper water softener.

A water softener will not only generate more bubbles, but will maintain the softness of your water throughout the day and night. Hard water can stain your toilets, sinks and water-using appliances as well generate scale in your plumbing and pipes. This slows the performance of water in your home.

We have a free test you can try so you can easily detect if hard water is an issue in your home. Our step-by-step tool can identify the perfect water softener for your home.

Take your bubble baths back from hard water by getting a water softener today.

The post Why Bathing in Soft Water Is Better appeared first on HomeWater 101.

Water Softener Seasonal Maintenance Checklist

1. Check softener for any salt bridging
2. Clean the brine (salt) tank with a softener cleanser
3. Clean the venturi valve

How to keep your water softener system healthy

1. Use higher purity salts, which will leave less storage tank residue, lowering the likelihood of salt bridges and salt mushing. It will result in less maintenance.
2. Don’t add salt until almost all the salt in the tank is used up. Then refill the tank no more than two-thirds full.
3. Use an iron-out solution once a year to clean the resin bed and the parts in the control valve.
4. Clean the brine tank once a year.

Learn more about how your water softener works here.

By periodically giving your water softener system a seasonal maintenance checkup, you’ll keep it running smoothly. Take a closer look at what hard water costs you if your home is left untreated.

The post Quick Water Softener Maintenance to Prep for Long Winter Days appeared first on HomeWater 101.

In 85 percent of North America., hard water and its high mineral content cause deposits, also known as scale, on pipes throughout your home. The more scale, the more problems. Scale constricts the opening in your pipes, reducing the flow and water pressure and decreasing the lifespan of major appliances by up to 50 percent due to the extreme wear and tear. That also means increased maintenance needs.

Additionally, scale buildup from hard water can increase the cost of water energy bills by up to 29 percent. The reduced efficiency of your water heater and other appliances makes them work twice as hard to do their jobs.

What Hard Water is Costing You

Let’s break down the dollars. As you can see, the impact of hard water is not just with your appliances, but also contributes to increased costs for household and personal cleaning supplies. That’s because hard water leaves a hard-to-clean film and scale on bath and kitchen fixtures, shower walls and toilets. You may notice spotty, filmy glasses and dishes, and soap that won’t lather no matter how much you use.

Added Costs with Hard Water

Cleaning and personal care

– 40 percent more or $450/year
• Laundry Detergent: $200
• Bath & Kitchen Soaps: $75
• Lotions: $100
• Household Cleaners: $75

Gas and electric use

– 29 percent more or $60/year

Plumbing and appliances

– reduce repair / replacement costs by 30 – 50 percent or $90/year on:
• Water Heater
• Dishwasher
• Washing Machine
• Toilets
• Faucets

Washable items

– reduces lifespan by 50 percent or $200/year
• Clothing: $125
• Towels: $75

Estimated Annual Cost of Hard Water

: $800/year

Protect Your Valuables

A water softener, which removes the hard water minerals from your water, helps keep your appliances working efficiently, clothing pristine, and your gas bills low.

To get started with a permanent solution, pick up a test strip from your nearest retailer, which will confirm if you have hard water. Once you know that answer, let us help you find the best water softening solution for your home.

The post Your Crusty Buildup Could Cost You appeared first on HomeWater 101.

The minerals found in hard water (calcium, magnesium and iron) can distress hair, making expensive products less effective and hair more difficult to manage. This results in less lathering, ineffective cleansing and the inability of conditioners to penetrate the hair follicles.

If you find you are using an extra pump of shampoo and conditioner just to get a little more foam or get that deep condition, you may be washing more than just hair products down the drain.

Price of Hard Water

When the cost of shampoo, conditioner and styling products isn’t feeling worth it because your hair is still dry, limp, dull or unmanageable, you may want to think about investing in a water softener.
By using a water softener, a household can save an average of $450 over the course of a year on shampoo, detergent, soap, and other cleaning supplies.

Broken down, that’s an estimated 50 percent savings on costly products and salon visits.

Average Cost Savings Per Year on Products:

Shampoo – $75
Conditioner – $75
Styling Products – $150
Salon Visits – $125+

Your Wallet Will Thank You

That water softener is a permanent fix that will keep your hair looking vibrant and healthy, with no build-up, while saving you money. It removes those hard minerals before water even gets to your showerhead so you never have to experience dull, limp hair again.
It’s easy to be on your way to softer, healthier hair. Once you’ve tested your water and know your hard water number, you’ll be ready to find the best Whirlpool water softening solution for your needs.

The post Hard Water May Be Damaging Your Hair and Costing Your Wallet appeared first on HomeWater 101.

The Dingy Clothing Culprit

That clothing discoloration is just one indication that your home may have hard water. Faded colors, stiff and weakened fabrics are other tell tale signs. And those symptoms come with a cost. You may find yourself washing clothes more often to fix the problem, but that just leads to increased soap use. Ironically, hard water lessens soap effectiveness by up to 50 percent, so additional washes simply increase your costs.

When added to your laundry, special additives provide a quick, temporary solution. They bind to the hardness minerals and soften the water during the wash cycle. However, those additives are drained away with the wash water, leaving your clothes to be rinsed in hard water and undoing some of the additives’ benefits.

So what can you do to rid your home, and your clothing, of the underlying problem for good?

Protecting Those Back-to-School Clothes

A water softener, which removes the hard water minerals from your water, helps keep those expensive back-to-school clothing pristine while decreasing household cleaning solution costs by 40 percent annually.

To get started with a permanent solution, pick up a test strip from your nearest retailer, which will confirm if you have hard water. Once you know that answer, our easy questionnaire helps you determine the best water softener solution for your home. For example, how many loads of laundry do you do in a week? Once your new water softener is in place, we hope that number decreases, even with all those additional clothes that come with a new school year.

The post Protecting Your Child’s Costly School Clothes appeared first on HomeWater 101.

Hard water problems can lead to a number of issues around your home. But the biggest impact hard water can make is on your wallet.

There are 4 ways hard water is sneakily costing you money.

1. Cleaning and personal care
2. Energy bills
3. Clothing and fabric
4. Plumbing and appliances

Shampoo, lotion and detergent are all used to clean. Whether it’s for your body or clothes, softened water activates these cleaning products so they lather better. In turn, you use less soap during every cleaning cycle with softer water.

Hard water causes scale buildup in your home’s plumbing. This scale makes it hard for water to move causing you to lose more heat. This will affect your electricity bill because you’re using more energy to maintain temperature.

Hardness minerals in hard water make your clothes and towels rough and scratchy. This hurts the material making clothes less durable. The lifecycle of towels is also shortened.

Hard water scale also builds up in your appliances. This makes them break sooner than they should. Over time, hard water will cut the lifespan of your water heater, dishwasher and washing machine.

Adding these 4 issues together, hard water is costing you about $800/year.

Buying a water softener will solve all of these issues in your home.

If you suspect hard water is already leaving its mark in your home, watch our “How to Test Hard Water in Your Home” video to find where it’s lingering.

If you’re sick of hard water costing you, visit EcoPureHome and shop for your home’s solution.

The post The Impact of Hard Water on Your Wallet appeared first on HomeWater 101.

Despite having unruly water that causes problems all over the home—thanks, calcium and magnesium—some people are a little uncertain about purchasing a water softener. In fact, only an estimated 30% of Americans living with hard water have a water softener. The primary reason? Many believe that a water softening system costs much more than it’s worth. In fact, the opposite is true. Water softeners help you solve many common water-related problems around the home and they save you money.

Doesn’t a softener require a lot of energy?

A water softener doesn’t use as much energy and salt as you might expect. The total energy required to run a water softener over the course of one year is the same as an alarm clock uses in a year. And because most new softeners regenerate only when you need them to, water and energy use are optimized. For an average family of four, the water softener runs less than five times a month.

As for the salt, most families use fewer than 10 bags of salt over the course of a year to get the soft water they want. Newer water softener models are highly efficient, using much less salt than their predecessors.

Does soft water really make a difference?

The short answer? Yes. Soft water makes a huge difference when it comes to the longevity and performance of your appliances. Using soft water with your everyday appliances helps reduce wear and tear on them. Because a water softener prevents scale build-up in the pipes and on faucets, it increases their longevity and working power. Because your hot water heater doesn’t have to work as hard, you could save up to 27% on energy in just one year. Plus, water-using appliances last up to 30% to 50% longer when used with soft water, so you won’t have to replace pricey water heaters, dishwashers and washing machines as often.

Another bonus of using soft water? Better cleaning power. Soaps lather better and other cleaners are more effective, so you can use less and get cleaner results. Not to mention, you’ll spend up to 40% less time on tasks such as washing dishes and cleaning the bathroom.

Soften water for saved time and money

With a newer, more efficient water softener, you’ll see how it will pay for itself. You’ll use less of your cleaning products and enjoy longer-lasting appliances and lower energy bills. To find the best water softening solution for your home, visit EcoPureHome.

The post Myth: It costs more than it’s worth to soften water appeared first on HomeWater 101.