Hard Water vs. Soft Water

[Betazed]

Thanks, Anje for clearing that up! I'm not sure if the hardness of my water is affecting my hair. I was consitering looking into a shower filter just because I like the idea of using the "cleanest" water on my hair but I have no idea what the cost may be or if I would be willing to pay said cost.

[cathair]

I wouldn't worry, it should be a good thing I would imagine using less shampoo, having crunchy ends less often and not having to worry about having a horribly stained bathroom

[CoveredByLove]

I noticed a vast difference in my hair after we got a water softener! I love it, and I can't imagine ever being without soft water again! Everything works more efficiently with LESS. I use way less shampoo, laundry detergent, dish detergent...etc. With our hard water my hair would get mineral build up quickly and would start tangling. My hair is build up prone anyways no matter what I use, so it made since that minerals build up on my hair quick also. I had to clarify often, which was drying. I haven't had to "clarify" my hair since we got the water softener. I rinse with very diluted shampoo (knocks the products off my hair to prevent build up) , then CO wash my scalp and hair. Sometimes I pre-poo with an oil. My hair is definitely much happier and so much softer. Shampoo bars never worked for me in my hard water. I can use them now effectively if I want to...I just prefer the convenience of poo and condish and being able to use whatever products/ingredients I want.

[jennareid]

My water at home is the hardest water I've ever used. All the bottles on the edge of the tub are covered in scale, I have to de-scale my kettle after maybe 6/7 uses max. When I travel and stay with other people or in hotels there's a HUGE difference. I don't have to use as much shampoo, it foams better, rinses more easily. It makes my skin sooo soft and it doesn't get dry and itchy like at home. Same goes for my hair. It's an instant difference. I wish we could get a softener at home, we have the connections but our utility area is so badly designed that there isn't room and we don't have the space to rearrange.

I saw someone mention dishwashers - we put white vinegar in the rinse-aid section and we pour it straight in the washer before each run and it works perfectly. If we don't use the vinegar even once, everything comes out nasty.

[Anje]

Thanks, Anje for clearing that up! I'm not sure if the hardness of my water is affecting my hair. I was consitering looking into a shower filter just because I like the idea of using the "cleanest" water on my hair but I have no idea what the cost may be or if I would be willing to pay said cost.

I know when my husband was in Cincinnati, a shower filter was crucial for his skin. He started getting really itchy all the time and things were very dry, while the chlorine smell was rather overwhelming. I don't know if they're universally beneficial (seems like it probably depends on the water you have and whether it's causing problems), but the Sprite one we got at Home Depot really helped him.

ETA: I haven't actually used one in my current town. Skin is less dry here than there, an inexpensive filter wouldn't do anything about the hardness, and the chloramines they use in this city's water are difficult to take out with most normal shower filters.

[Chromis]

Hard water is great for drinking, soft water is great for washing IMO. While I did use shampoo bars for years with my super hard water, I also had to use a pretty stiff citric acid and ACV rinse. I have a softener now and it does help greatly. I can lather twice instead of thrice and just use ACV (and less of it) for my rinse. My water is still fairly hard, but the difference in the dishes is amazing! We used to have to run a vinegar rinse each wash on top of using Lemi-shine in the dishwasher. I tend to reuse waterglasses, especially in the basement or the office and I do still have to do a vinegar soak if I use the same one too long, but it isn't solid white on the bottom of the glass now!

[endlessly]

Thank you so much for all the helpful responses! I washed my hair tonight with soft water for the first time in probably 18 years and while I don't notice any changes right now, I will say that my shampoo bar lathered up like crazy! I used hardly any of it, which is a big difference considering it normally takes me 3-4 swipes to get any sort of foam. I'm already excited at the prospect of not dealing with mineral buildup in the shower and our other appliances - hopefully, it's going to save me a lot of time cleaning in the future!