Hard water help

[wolf girl]

We have really hard water in my area. I would like to get a water filtering system for the house but those are rather costly for my budget just now. I'm thinking the hard water is the cause for a lot of my dryness and straw-like ends. Does anyone here use a shower head water filter that they like? Did you notice a difference in your hair after installing it?

I have also considered buying distilled water and using it for wash days. But in the long run, I thought a filter would be more cost effective.

TIA:flowers:

[Laila23]

I've read about doing apple cider vinegar rinses at the end of the shower in order to remove some of the hard deposit that accumulates.

HTH

[Erin1152]

wolf girl, I unfortunately don't know about a filtering head, but I ended up trying to wash with distilled water. It lasted three times before I was ridden with guilt about putting plastic jugs in a landfill somewhere due to WASHING MY HAIR! haha!

If your solution turns out to be too expensive, maybe look into catching rain water! We had a massive down pour here yesterday that made me really want to research that *free* option! :)

[CopperHead]

I use a shower filter and I love it! I don't know if it makes the water softer, but it removes chlorine and other things so it really does help. I have one for my hand held shower head. :)

[girlcat36]

I bought a Brita water filter pitcher and keep it in the bathroom. I use that water for the final rinse on my hair, with some ACV in it.

[heidi w.]

A shower head filter that fits on the arm of the shower head will do the job until you can afford a water treatment system for your entire house.

These are relatively inexpensive in the $20-$40 range.

Be sure to buy a model that is not being de-activated since then you could have future problems getting replacement filters.

Most shower head filters do require somewhat regular changing of the filter itself.

SOME shower head filters may make the flow rate of your shower water somewhat less pressure.

If you are on city water you will also want a filter that removes chlorine and chloramine which are comment sanitizers used for city water. (Chloramine is the combination of chlorine and ammonia. As nasty as these sound, the bugs you can get from unclean water are far worse!)

I myself did a 3 part situation in my house, or plan to:

I first installed the shower head filter
I later installed a water softener, still have the shower head filter since many water softeners don't manage chloramine.
I am almost saved up for a water osmosis filtration for the entire house and then I can remove the shower head filter.

Shower head filters can be found at any Home Depot, Lowe's, Menards, local hardware store, probably even Wally's World (or is that Sam's World - snark!) or Target.

It's easy to install, simple pliers and wrench, and you're good to go.

ACV will help to remove product and minerals from hard water that are deposited on the hair in that hair wash only. Once it's dried on the hair, it won't remove it.

You MIGHT need to consider clarifying your hair after your filter is installed.

heidi w.

[harpgal]

I live with terribly hard water. The best way I have found to deal with it is to use this shower filter (http://www.waterionizer.org/site/898596/product/RS01?type=search&keyword=vitashower&adid=924320647&placement=&gclid=CJDIiK_6u5cCFRNOagod_hGKSA). I also rinse with 3 cups of distilled water along with 1 Tablespoon ACV. When my hair is just barely dry, I put some coconut oil on the last 12 inches or so.

Hard water is difficult to deal with, but I have been able to get by using the above methods. However, I really "pig out" when I get to wash in soft water. :cloud9:

[Anje]

wolf girl, I unfortunately don't know about a filtering head, but I ended up trying to wash with distilled water. It lasted three times before I was ridden with guilt about putting plastic jugs in a landfill somewhere due to WASHING MY HAIR! haha!

If your solution turns out to be too expensive, maybe look into catching rain water! We had a massive down pour here yesterday that made me really want to research that *free* option! :)

Good idea about the rain water, and I think Aine uses distilled water exclusively on her hair. You can always recycle the bottles, though, and many stores have stations at them where you can refill bottles with RO (reverse osmosis, close to distilled in purity) water.

[suicides_eve]

i got a shower head filter for like $20 from home depot on line, it works great we have lots of iorn in our water everything would turn red- including my bleached blonde hair. It was the best investment i ever made, the replacement filters are $10 and they last about 9 months b/c there is alot of ppl in my house that use a shower

[annys]

We have really hard water too, and I'm wondering if that is the reason my hair is so damaged at the ends. My hair was short when I moved to this town, and I've been growing it since we moved here. It would explain a lot.

For those of you who use rain water, where do you store it?

[wolf girl]

Thanks for all the advice. I will look into it after the holidays. Maybe I can get a deal on a good one.

[Allegra]

Umm.. sorry if this is a dumb/newbie question, but I've been wondering for some time..
How exactly do you find out if your water is 'hard' or not??

[wolf girl]

If you have spots on your dishes, shower scum on the walls in your shower/tub, your skin and your hair get 'squeaky' clean (they are not supposed to squeak, that means the natural oils have been removed) then you have hard water. \HTH!

[viking_quest]

Umm.. sorry if this is a dumb/newbie question, but I've been wondering for some time..
How exactly do you find out if your water is 'hard' or not??

I found this link (http://www.goodwaterco.com/watereducation/hardWaterMap.htm) yesterday showing where the water is hard or soft. I hope it helps you.

[wolf girl]

And I do live in a red area.... sigh

[Allegra]

If you have spots on your dishes, shower scum on the walls in your shower/tub, your skin and your hair get 'squeaky' clean (they are not supposed to squeak, that means the natural oils have been removed) then you have hard water. \HTH!
Thank you, yes it does help, it sounds like i do indeed have hard water. Am going to investigate the showerhead filter as well.


I found this link (http://www.goodwaterco.com/watereducation/hardWaterMap.htm) yesterday showing where the water is hard or soft. I hope it helps you.Thanks for that, unfortunately i am in south africa and that only covers the usa, but i am going to search online and try find a map like that of my country.

Thanks again for all your help :)

[RetroKitten]

I wouldn't recommend using rainwater, I think it's to dirty to put in on your body!

[Marchpane]

I live in an area with super hard water as well, and as some others have mentioned, ACV is an excellent remedy. I'm a bit lazy so I've only tried rinsing with it a few times, but I had unsually great hair after it. I used a 1/16 ratio and it really worked so well. :) Good luck!

[yogachic]

I have really hard water too, I have actually had the ACV in my cart and then put it down before checking out. I'm so lazy lately. I don't know if I'll ever try it. My ends are really split.

[Ineedmorehair]

I just ordered the Aquasana AQ-4105 today after weeks of pondering over it. It was expensive-83.96 but a 10% online discount took it down to 75.56, free shipping (shipped just a few hours later). I really can't afford it but when I factored in the money I spent on all these things for my hair, this oil and that shampoo, and this rinse and that soap and...god knows what else I have in my bathroom that is just gathering dust there because they didn't work or because they did more damage, then I was able to justify spending the money for it. It's supposed to be good for 6 months before you need to change the filter so I guess I'll cry then over spending another 40 bucks for another 6 month filter...and then 6 months later and so on haha. If anyone cares, I'll report back in a few weeks with my results?

[wolf girl]

If anyone cares, I'll report back in a few weeks with my results?


Yes please.:flower: I would like to know how it works out for you. I'm sure others would as well.

[howsitgrowin'87]

wow! oh my goodness I'm amazed at the difference a shower filter can make on your skin and hair!

Since moving to college 3 years ago, I've noticed how dry and brittle my hair started to get (and sorry to say, I've also noticed others hair the same way) and I did some research and found out we live in a hard water area. I know that filters don't soften the water, but they sure do take away the chemicals and chlorine! My hair is amazingly soft and clean feeling today and it hasn't felt that way since I can remember. I know it seems like a hassel, but I encourage everyone to get a shower filter (got ours at lowes for $23 dollars and the filter lasts 6 months, plus comes with a replacement filter) it will be money well spent! I thought about getting distilled water, but doing the math, it's actually a lot more money and hassel over a years time.

hope this gives encouragement to anyone else struggling with crummy water!

p.s. - be sure to follow with a acv rinse to give more shine to the hair!