What is hard water?

The water which enters our homes can vary depending on where you live in the UK. Below we outline how hard water is formed, what causes it and what you can do to remove it from your home protecting yourself and your appliances.

Hard water problems

Scale and scum tidemarks around baths and sinks
Unsightly white marks on your shower screens, chrome appliances and surfaces that come into contact with hard water
Clogging up of shower heads and taps
Water hardness makes it difficult to get a good lather meaning more money spent on products
Washing in hard water can make clothes dull
Dishes and glasses can smear
Can cause poor skin and hair condition READ MORE
Residue in hot drinks

Hard water affects that you don't see!

Damage that can reduce the lifespan of appliances
Blocked pipes that make your heating inefficient
Scale build up in your boiler which increases gas bills
Water flow restrictions due to scale build up

Hard water affects on your skin & hair

Bad skin, itching and eczema can be caused by hard water

You may already be noticing the affects of hard water in your home

As well as causing damage to your home, hard water can dry out your hair and skin. Common signs that your water is affecting your health can be a flaky scalp and hair breakage. Not only that but hard water can cause dry skin conditions and even aggravate eczema. Hard water has also been linked to irritation from shaving due to scum deposits.

What causes hard water?

When it rains, the water falling from the clouds is completely soft, it is not until the rain hits the ground that it begins to absorb minerals such as calcium and magnesium found within the earth. These minerals, whilst natural, create scale build up causing hard water damage throughout your home.

Soft water areas

Granite areas are so hard that water cannot permeate through it, so rain water will simply run-off the surface and not absorb any minerals along the way.

Naturally soft vs softened water

If you’ve been to Cornwall, Wales or Scotland you may have experienced naturally soft water. Softened water is much softer than naturally soft water.