What Can Hard Water Do to Your Laundry? Insights from a Pentair Water Softening Company in Downers Grove, Illinois

If you live in a city with hard water, you might have noticed some not-so-great results when doing laundry. Your clothes could feel stiff, look kind of dull, or even have a grayish color that is hard to miss. So, what is going on with that, and what can you do to fix it? Below, this Pentair water softening company in Downers Grove, Illinois is going to explain how hard water affects your laundry, and what you can do to avoid any issues.

What happens when you wash your clothes with hard water?

Hard water is water that has minerals like calcium and magnesium in high concentration. When water flows through soil and rocks, it collects these minerals — and places with limestone or chalk tend to have especially high water hardness levels. Hard water is not harmful to your health, but it can be rough on your appliances, your skin, and even your laundry.

Calcium and magnesium in hard water bind to detergent and reduce its cleaning effectiveness. So, in hard water, detergent has to work twice as hard to remove dirt, stains, and oils from your clothes. This can lead to some common laundry problems like:

Dingy clothes: Have you ever washed your whites and pulled them out only to find that they are looking a little gray or yellow? That is probably because of hard water. The minerals in it leave behind deposits on your clothes, which can dull their brightness over time. Unfortunately, even colored clothes can get streaks or faded spots after washing.

Rough and scratchy fabrics: If your clothes feel stiff or scratchy after washing, it is likely because of hard water. Those same mineral deposits that make your clothes look dull can also stick to the fibers and make them feel rough. 

You are using more detergent: If you live in an area with hard water, you are probably using much more detergent to get your clothes clean. This is because a lot of the detergent goes towards neutralizing the hardness in the water, so there is less left to actually clean your clothes. 

The best way to deal with hard water laundry challenges

Just because you are in a hard water area does not mean you have to deal with dull clothes and rough fabrics. The easiest solution is to get a water softener installed by a Pentair water softening company in Downers Grove, Illinois. A water softener removes calcium and magnesium from your water and replaces them with sodium or potassium, turning hard water into soft water — a change that is so much easier on your clothes and your washing machine.

When you switch to soft water, you will see an immediate improvement in your laundry results. Your clothes will look brighter, feel softer, and last a lot longer. There will also be no need to use as much detergent as before since the water softener will filter out those minerals that have been making it less effective.

Downers Grove, Illinois, has very hard water with an average of 288 PPM (mg/L) or 17 gpg, which is not good for your clothes. But by having a water softener installed by a Pentair water softening company in Downers Grove, Illinois, you can protect your laundry from the problems that come with hard water.

Looking for a Pentair Water Softening Company in Downers Grove, Illinois?

Are you tired of dealing with the problems caused by hard water? If so, and if you’re ready to have a new water softener installed by the best Pentair water softening company in Downers Grove, Illinois, Johnson Water Conditioning is just a call away. Contact us today to get in touch with our team.