That's right, folks, there's a conspiracy happening in the plumbing industry. Big plumbing companies are hiding valuable information from you about how to deal with hard water! Of course at Carmine's Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning don't believe in keeping helpful tips from our customers just to generate more business for ourselves! We believe in doing all we can to help you solve all of your plumbing problems, including giving you tools to help yourself sometimes.
Read on to learn more about how you can clean up hard water spots and streaks with products you probably already have in your home. We’ll even share with you the secret to getting rid of hard water for good (spoiler alert: we’re talking about water softeners)!
Hard Water: What it is, and Why It’s a Nuisance
If you have hard water, you'll know it by the difference in the texture of your skin, hair, and even laundry! Hard water contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other hard minerals, which can dry out your skin, making it feel itchy or irritated, and hair, making it feel brittle and lack shine.
The minerals in hard water can also wear out the fabrics in your clothing when you wash them, making your clothes feel scratchy and appear faded. It may even stain your clothes with white spots or streaks.
The same white spots (mineral deposits that stay behind when the water evaporates) can appear on everything from your bathroom tiles to your mirrors, to your silverware and drinking glasses. What can you do to get rid of these unsightly stains? Let’s check that out.
Cleaning Stains: What You Need to Know
The most important thing you should know about cleaning up hard water spots is that you don’t need any fancy, expensive, chemical cleaners to do it! The best hard water spot cleaning agents can be found right in your kitchen pantry: vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.
A paste made from baking soda and vinegar can be spread over hard water stains to loosen them up. After about ten to fifteen minutes, you can scrub the mixture in, and the stain should come right off!
You can rinse the area clean, but make sure to wipe it dry, or the water will just leave a stain again. If you have severe mineral deposit buildup on your faucets, you can get rid of that by spraying it with pure, fresh lemon juice and wiping it clean after a few minutes.
Water Softeners: The Only Solution
The only way to get rid of hard water for good is to install a whole-house water softener. Salt-based ion exchangers are the most common type of water softener on the market, and they only need to be maintained about once or twice a year.
We're happy to share our industry secrets with you in the hopes that you'll pay it forward and share them with your friends and loved ones! Share this article with everyone you know to share with the world how to get rid of those tricky hard water stains!
If you have any more questions related to hard water and water softeners, call Carmine's Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning in Danbury, CT at (203) 791-8089!
