7 surefire ways to soften water at home

Hard water is an invariable companion of life for an urban person. How to soften the water in the aquarium, in the washing machine and dishwasher? What should be done to make water suitable for use in household appliances?

Hard water - what is it?

Hard water is called water containing a large amount of magnesium and calcium salts. It is these elements that determine the properties of the fluid flowing from the tap in our home. In addition, chlorides, silicates, phosphates and other compounds can be found in such water. Some of them decompose upon boiling, others remain unchanged for a long time. Water hardness is largely determined by the location of the village and the presence of various calcareous rocks in the soil. Why does every housewife strive at all costs to make the water softer?

Scum on the kettle, sediment on the walls of the washing machine and other household appliances - all these are consequences of using hard water at home. Such water gives a person a lot of household inconvenience. The effectiveness of various detergents is noticeably reduced, because in hard water they simply are not able to work at full strength. Clothing after washing loses color and softness, and its service life is shortened. A thick layer of scale on the heating elements and white streaks on the dishes make the housewives look for means to soften the tap water. But are household troubles the only reason?

Hard water is a source of serious health problems. It makes hair dry and brittle, tightens the skin, accelerating its aging. The ingress of such water into the internal organs can cause kidney and urinary tract diseases. The liver also suffers, taking on a large burden of processing the incoming fluid, as well as large vessels. What can be done to soften tap water?

7 ways to soften water

• Method number 1. Boiling

To make water softer at home, you can use ordinary boiling. One problem: along with the harmful salts of calcium and magnesium, numerous beneficial compounds also evaporate. In addition, with constant boiling of hard water, dishes quickly fail.

• Method number 2. Soda ash

This method of softening hard water was known in ancient Greece. In those days, the mistresses used ash from the hearth and thereby changed the properties of water. Today it is enough to simply add soda ash to the liquid - and the water will become significantly softer. 2 teaspoons of soda should be carefully placed in 10 liters of water and be sure to wait for the formation of sediment.

• Method number 3. Emollient salts

Special emollient salts are suitable for changing the properties of the liquid used in dishwashers. Such a product is available in the form of tablets and makes the water softer. The use of emollient salts not only favorably affects the condition of the dishes, but also significantly increases the service life of the dishwasher.

Tip

Pay attention to the indicator of the dishwasher - it will tell you when it is necessary to add softening salt.

• Method number 4. Jug Filters

One of the most popular ways to quickly make water soft at home. Such a filter is a container in the form of a jug, inside which a special filter cartridge is fixed. By installing a filter at home, water can be softened with little effort. This method is simple and affordable, but the relative cheapness of the device over time plays against it.The filter jug, on average, works no more than 1.5 months, after which a mandatory cartridge replacement is required.

• Method number 5. Magnetic filter

The method is based on softening tap water with two magnets. These devices create a special magnetic field, which should make the liquid softer. Also, this original device allows you to remove various harmful impurities. Unfortunately, finding out how useful such purified water is is quite difficult. Basically, a magnetic filter is used in boiler rooms.

• Method number 6. Ion exchange filter

How to soften hard water at home with an ion exchange filter? To do this, you need to purchase a device consisting of two tanks. An ion exchange resin is placed in one container, while in another there is a saline solution. Such a filter passes running water through itself, sending it to the resin tank. The liquid is saturated with ions, after which it enters the salt solution. Here a reaction occurs with salts of magnesium and calcium, which are gradually removed from the water. The filter replaces calcium and magnesium ions with sodium, due to which the passing liquid becomes softer.

• Method number 7. Reverse osmosis

The reverse osmosis system is recognized as one of the most effective methods of softening running water. The device is a filter containing a special membrane. Purification and softening of water occurs due to the difference in osmotic pressure. The liquid, passing through the membrane from one solution to another, gradually gets rid of magnesium and calcium salts. The only negative: this scheme eliminates not only harmful salts, but also various beneficial substances, therefore it can not be used to purify drinking water.

How to soften the water in the aquarium?

Of particular note is the softening of the water in the fish tank. It is known that many inhabitants of the river bottom prefer to breed only in soft water. How can I soften the water in my aquarium at home?

• Boiling

The most famous way to make the space in the aquarium suitable for fish. When changing the water, it should first be boiled and cooled, then pour 2/3 into the aquarium. The sediment from the bottom should not rise, because it is there that the calcium and magnesium salts precipitate.

• Distillate

When changing water, you can also use distillate. It should be remembered that this tool not only cleans the liquid from harmful salts, but also reduces the amount of nutrients. Micronutrient deficiency can adversely affect the condition of the inhabitants of the aquarium, so this method should be used very carefully.

• Freezing

This simple method is available to any aquarist. The water used must simply be poured into a container and left in the freezer for a while. When half the water freezes, it should be poured out and the ice should be removed from the refrigerator. The ice will melt and can be used to fill the aquarium.

• Reverse osmosis

Many aquarium fish lovers prefer to use a reverse osmosis filter at home. The device is installed in the room and connected directly to the water supply. This method is undoubtedly the most convenient, but also quite expensive at the same time. The use of such filters is justified in large aquariums.