How does water hardness affect cleaning effectiveness?

Used and mostly loved for its incredible versatility, when it comes to water, we understand the importance of it, most of all because it is an essential element which has a primordial role with it comes to helping us clean, cook and most importantly live in an orderly fashion. With some pointed exceptions we know of, most water supply in major parts of the world comes straight from the ground. If not treated correctly or filtered perfectly, water from the surface can harbor many minerals in different degrees or amounts that can produce a cocktail of compounds that will eventually tamper your attempts at successfully cleaning your spaces. Water hardness can affect cleaning by, mainly and most painfully, disrupting your routine as you’ll have to find workarounds for the poor conditions the minerals in water will leave any element you use it to clean with. 

But, you may be asking out loud by now, what exactly is this water hardness we’re going on about anyway and how do you become aware of it affecting your tidying and plumbing? First and foremost, water hardness is a very silent and inconvenient enemy in your household that can make a simple chore like laundry a real eyesore when all your clothes come out half clean or not properly scrubbed. Despite that, you can easily overcome the problem that presents water hardness to your daily chores, in very easy and preventive steps. 



The presence of minerals in quantities above the normal level is what mostly causes the hardness, minerals such as calcium and magnesium carbonate can travel through water but accumulate when in contact with many surfaces or when in contact with other chemicals and products. This accumulation is called scaling and may occur in areas like your dishwashing stations, your washer and also your showers, as these are the places that most constantly will harness the hardened water. 

Find out more.

In order to find out if the mineral levels on your water deposits are higher than usual you may arm yourself with a hard water test kit, or more conventionally, by filling a clean bottle with water from your faucet; after a good rough shake, look at the water in the jug attentively, look out for any spots or a mucky consistence on it that will be signs of hard water. If any suspicions arise about water issues in your home, you may be guided by some very apparent signs that will eventually surface after manipulating chemicals and water from your plumbing: 


If the resulting lather from the product does not easily form when using shampoo and/or soap in the shower.

If rings appear around the shower expanse, white scaling (mineral accumulation) will show mostly where there’s drains, taps, and so on.

If your hair or skin dries fairly quickly after showering and during the day. 

If clothing is stiff after washing and letting it dry. 

If any of your water-reliant gadgets do not perform or clean as good as the first day, even with the tear and wear of time. 

All effects mentioned above are a consequence of water hardness, which can affect cleaning by downright diminishing its effectiveness. By noticing any of the mentioned signs you can quickly determine whether the mineral levels on your water need a bit tampering or conditioning.  

Let’s talk cleaning.

As water in itself is not sufficient when it comes to cleaning, we have invented a plethora of chemicals and products that we now use to remove dirt and oils from the many surfaces of our homes and offices, clothes and bodies and so on. Soaps being the most used and versatile one, can break down and trap dirt and oil from most materials so water can wash it off from them in a jiffy. 

Unfortunately, soaps and detergents are the most common prey of water hardness. Why? It gets a bit science. As soft water has less mineral levels on it, it causes the soap and chemicals in detergents to expand or react to produce the advertised and manufactured effect. However, water with high levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium components will cause the chemicals in the mentioned products to be “trapped” or glued to these minerals, and thus will not perform as intended. 

In this order, a reduced cleaning capacity is expected when using water with high mineral levels. An optional remedy to this diatribe is to use more soap or detergent when washing, but this will only make you break your budget, therefore water hardness can affect cleaning by involving greater amounts of product to be used in hopes to increase the effectiveness at stake. 

Another reason to shy away from, and remedy any hard water levels at your home, is the resulting foam that the mix of minerals and the soap’s chemicals produce as an aftermath. This will cling to garments, stain shower surfaces or toilets, damage your plumbing setup and introduce build up not only on faucets and other plumbing joints, but on your hair and skin. 

Some tips.

To fend off the matter of hardness when using your washing machine, it is best to keep the water temperature at a very tepid measure, this will reduce the energy used by the washer and also improve its condition. Keep a regular cleaning schedule for your washer as this will avoid build-up from forming on it and affecting your clothes. White vinegar through an empty normal cycle at the highest temperature available for your device should do a good job in cleaning any lime scale away from the drum. 

When all else fails, you may also buy a water harness solution or conditioner for your repository. This might be costly but it will improve the quality of water and the usage overall with time. Not only can this save you in the long run from spending in more and more cleaning products, but will also help with your skin and any other uses you may give to water in your household.