We all know that hard water can be a headache. A simple household task, like cleaning the bathroom sink, turns into a long and laborious scrubbing process. Faucets and bathroom fixtures become the home of mineral build-up, dishes still have spots after cleaning, laundry may feel rougher after it comes out of the wash…the list goes on and on. And trust us, we know all about it.

There are many different suggested methods out there for removing hard water stains, from store-bought cleaners to natural methods. Just look at Pinterest, and you’ll find tons of ideas.

You might try removing hard water stains with half a lemon, or maybe some vinegar, or maybe even baking soda paste. But how well do these methods really work? It always seems you’re still left scrubbing vigorously to remove those hard water stains no matter what you try. This got us thinking…what causes hard water and what do we need to know about our water

The Source of Hard Water

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So, what causes this nuisance we call hard water? The answer: compounds of calcium and magnesium, and a variety of other metals.  Hm. Doesn’t sound very refreshing, does it?

Rain water begins as soft water, but as it flows through lakes, rivers and streams it absorbs hardness minerals, which over time, creates hard water. While these minerals aren’t harmful to your health, they do affect the properties of water and its effectiveness for washing, cleaning, and bathing.

General guidelines for the classification of waters are:

  • 0 to 60 mg/L (milligrams per liter) of calcium carbonate is classified as soft
  • 61 to 120 mg/L is classified as moderately hard
  • 121 to 180 mg/L is classified as hard
  • > 180 mg/L is classified as very hard

How Hard is Your Water?

Patterns of water hardness in the United States are shown on the map below. Check the map for approximate water hardness levels in your area. This may help you determine whether or not you need to take preventative steps, and if so, how extreme. For example, do you simply need to wipe down your shower after each use, or do you need to invest in a water softener system?

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Source: U.S. Geological Survey

If your location on the map is classified as moderately hard to very hard, you can use our Water Hardness Test Strips to check the levels in your water. You can also check with your local water utility, or if you have one, check with the vendor of your water-softening system for more information.

Here at Precision Laboratories, we are located in an area with hard to very hard water. We know we’re not the only ones, so we found a few helpful resources online.

You can visit the EPA’s website (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) to get local drinking water information, including an annual report on water quality for your state, location of state offices, compliance trends and more.

The EPA also has a page where you can surf your watershed to find information on water health, water quality monitoring, and even local groups monitoring the watershed if you want to get involved.

The American Water Works Association is also a great resource for information if you want to look further.

While we can’t change the water hardness levels where we live, a bit of information and preventative planning can go a long way. Hopefully, we’ve given you some helpful tools that you can use to learn more about the water quality in your area, and water hardness in particular.