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Did you move to a new home and notice that something was not right? Your appliances are dirty no matter how much you clean them, your hair is a mess, and your water flow is super narrow? All these might be a sign that the water supply in your home consists of hard water.

A hard water supply can create a multitude of problems for any homeowner. This article discusses the disadvantages of hard water in length and offers some simple alternatives. To know why these problems are occurring, keep reading this article!

The 6 Biggest Disadvantages Of Hard Water

If you have hard water supply in your home for quite a long time, you will start noticing the following problems –

  • Soap Scum - The minerals in hard water do not react well with soap, leading to a deposit of calcium. It means that you will have soap scum all over the place, whether you are washing dishes, doing laundry, or trying to take a shower. This scum, in turn, creates nasty-looking white spots all over your surfaces and sinks.

    What's worse is that the scum does not just look bad; it might create health issues as well. For instance, if your shower curtains accumulate too much soap scum, they might become home to a microbial biofilm. This biofilm can hoard lots of bacteria which may spread diseases.

  • Stains - When your water has too much iron in it, that results in ugly stains on porcelain surfaces. These stains usually look brown and ruin the appearance of your plumbing fixtures.

    You might try taking these stains out, but it usually requires a lot of effort. Vinegar helps to speed up the process, but it is damaging to porcelain in the long run. Besides, if the water is not fixed, the stains will keep coming back no matter what you do.

  • Unpleasant Taste - The stains and spots are just the tips of the iceberg: the real problem starts when you cannot even drink a glass of water without feeling like throwing up. Hard water can leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth, and the degree of unpleasantness depends on the kind of minerals in the water.

    If the water has a metallic aftertaste, it indicates too much iron in the water. Iron will also leave rusty stains on your appliances. Some water smells like rotten eggs, which might be due to the reaction of magnesium and certain bacteria.

    It could also mean that there is some hydrogen sulfide gas accumulated in the pipes. People even complain about their water tasting like dirt at times.

  • Irritated Skin - Hard water not only ruins the appearance of your home, but it takes a toll on your skin and hair as well. The left-behind soap scum while showering can dry out your skin. The mineral deposits also contribute to this regard.

    As a result, you might develop skin conditions such as eczema. Since children's skins are more sensitive, they are usually the first to show any signs of such diseases.

    Your hair might also suffer if your water contains iron. It makes the hair sticky and quite hard to manage.

  • Clogged Pipes - You might notice that your water flow is becoming restricted day by day. That is especially possible if you have old steel pipes. The mineral in the hard water creates a deposit of buildup inside the pipes, making it harder for water to pass by.

    Since the pipes are narrower, drainage also takes a hit. So, food and other particles get stuck in the drains of sinks and showers, resulting in a very messy clog.

    Other problems might occur if your pipe has a leaking problem. Usually, such issues can be fixed easily by a plumber. But if your home has hard water, these minerals deposit in the joint where the water is leaking. As a result, you cannot fix the pipe without totally cutting off the joint.

  • Unclean Laundry - Nothing is worse than doing a pile of laundry, only to find that clothes still look dirty. No matter how much detergent you use and how vigilantly you scrub away, the yellowish color does not seem to fade away.

    The good thing is, this is not a commentary on your laundry skills. The bad thing is, it will not get entirely fixed unless you fix your water problem.

    It occurs because the calcium and magnesium present in the water make it harder for soap to get rinsed off. As a result, the left behind soap makes the laundry look yellowish and worn out.

    You might try to lessen the effects by using detergent specially formulated for hard water. But even then, you have to use a crazy amount of it – approximately 4 times the regular quantity. Even then, there is no guarantee that your clothes will go looking back to normal.

Final Words

Dealing with hard water is a constant battle. However, the first step to treating any problem is diagnosing it. Now that you have read our article on the disadvantages of hard water, we hope that you have figured out whether you have a hard water supply in your home. From here on, you can take corrective courses of action.