We’ve all experienced the frustration of having a hard water shower and having to deal with the issues it causes, such as itchy and dry skin after showering, the dirty layer it left on your shower fixtures, showerhead, faucet, and spots on the mirror and glass shower door that are often irritating to clean.
We all agree that the time we spend in the shower is priceless personal time. Particularly in the evening when we are winding down and seeking to feel clean and refreshed following a busy day or a workout.
However, a hard water shower will keep us from enjoying a shower that is meant to be relaxing for us. Not only that but showering with hard water may not get us as clean as we think. Here, you will learn the problems with hard water shower, the benefits of showering with soft water, and how to get soft water for shower.
Problems That Hard Water Can Cause
Your water’s hardness typically rises as a result of high levels of dissolved minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron, and even aluminum. If you frequently experience some of the below problems, you have likely been using hard water while taking showers.
H3: Skin Problems
The high amount of dissolved minerals in hard water leaves a soapy coating that clogs pores even after the water has evaporated. As a result, your skin may feel dry and occasionally irritated. Dermatitis isn’t brought on by hard water on its own. However, it may aggravate or even make the situation worse. Hard water and an underlying dermatitis disease together might cause more intense and frequent breakouts.
Hair Problems
Dissolved minerals in water can leave hair dry, frizzy, tangled, unmanageable, dull, and lifeless. Arguably the biggest concern that hard water can cause is hair loss. The base of the hair follicle can accumulate calcium, which can break down the hair and inhibit the production of new hair.
Unpleasant Showers
Testing how well your shower lathers is the best way to determine if you have a hard water issue. Hard water will not lather well when you take a shower. It is tough to lather your body while having a shower because of the excessive mineral content. Because of this, taking a shower with hard water won’t be very pleasant and won’t properly clean you.
Dirty Layer and Spots
Hard water also leaves an unpleasant film and stains in your shower, much like it leaves a soapy film on your skin. Keep an eye out for nasty stains on shower glass doors, curtains, and other surfaces where water often flows.
The Benefits of Using Soft Water for Shower
Here are some reasons why getting rid of hard water can be a good idea.
Better Skin
Hard water can definitely worsen your skin condition, especially if you have sensitive or dry skin. Since there is generally less residue left on your skin after a shower when you shower with soft water, you will undoubtedly notice beneficial improvements on your skin. This will ensure that your skin is properly cleansed and moisturized when you take a shower.
Improved Hair Texture
Soft water can effectively treat hair problems that are caused by hard water since excess minerals will stay on your hair. When you take a shower with softened water, there are little minerals left and you’ll notice that your hair has a more appealing gloss and is easier to manage. This makes it simpler for you to style it any way you like.
Less Use of Water and Cleaning Products
When used in hard water, cleaning supplies like soap, shampoo, and bathroom cleaners won’t be as effective. So not only you will struggle to get clean in the shower, but it will also be more difficult to maintain a clean home. This will cause you to use more soap and cleaning supplies to keep your home and body clean, while with soft water you will need less soap and water to lather and rinse your body.
Ways to Get Soft Water for Shower
We now know that using hard water in the shower can be damaging to our bodies. There are a few solutions you can try to remove hard water from your shower.
Sodium Water Softeners
Due to their low cost and high efficiency in softening water, sodium-based water softeners are arguably the most popular choice to soften water.
Pros: It simply needs salt bags, which are easily accessible and reasonably priced. It efficiently removes calcium and magnesium from your shower water and has low running and maintenance costs.
Cons: Due to the salt used, it unavoidably does make your water taste salty as it removes the mineral-like taste from the hard water. Additionally, it’s not the most practical choice because you’d have to recharge the resin beads.
Potassium Chloride Water Softeners
This particular solution makes use of potassium chloride, which is generally more environmentally friendly.
Pros: It effectively softens the water in your shower without leaving a salty flavor.
Cons: It cannot filter out other minerals from the water and is not cost-effective.
Salt-Free Water Filters
There are filtration systems that you can attach to your main water line that will change the magnesium and calcium crystal forms as they flow through the system.
Pros: It is simple to maintain, doesn’t require power to run, and doesn’t use salt or chemicals.
Cons: It only transforms hard water minerals’ crystalline structure with this method. The magnesium and calcium ions will most likely still be present in the shower water, so treating really heavy shower water does not work very well.
Water Softener Shower Head
You might try using a few simple methods and ideas to try to make your showering experience better. However, there is only one truly long-lasting fix, and that is a water softener shower head.
Pros: It effectively eliminates harmful contaminants including magnesium and calcium ions, as well as the unpleasant mineral taste and odor from your water. It will be a great investment since it lasts longer to use, it allows your time in the shower more enjoyable and it helps you actually take care of your body.
Cons: A water softener shower head does not cost as cheap as salt and potassium chloride.
Conclusion
Because hard water is bad for the body, the effort to remove it from the shower is obviously worthwhile. Since soft water does not contain dissolved minerals, it does improve skin and hair quality. Thus, it enhances the quality of our lives.
The options for softening hard water in your shower are equally varied. However, a high-quality water softener shower head is unquestionably valuable if you’re looking for a quick repair that ensures you have access to soft water without having to worry about changing it multiple times a year. You can also consider using a shower head with LED lights from manufacturers like MyHomeware to enhance the relaxing ambiance of your shower and enjoy life better.
FAQ
Hard water does affect your scalp, as well as calcium salts that accumulate there can lead to flaking and dryness, which is often known as dandruff. While you would assume that your shampoo is to blame for dandruff, the actual issue may be hard water.
If you have been using hard water to shower, switching to soft water would undoubtedly improve the skin’s overall condition.
Most people who installed a water softener for showering after realizing they had previously been showering with hard water notice that their skin feels softer and less dry after a shower.
