Can You Use Water Softener in a Washing Machine Rinse?

Hard vs. Soft Water

• Hard water is water with a high calcium and magnesium content. Mineral content in what is termed "very hard water" is as high as 10 1/2 grains or more per gallon. Typically, hard water is described as 7.1 to 10 1/2 grains per gallon. Softer water might occur naturally in areas where soil mineral content is low. In some areas, softeners are added to water at municipal processing plants.

Hard Water and Laundry

• The minerals in hard water can inhibit the removal of soil from fabrics. They can also act to turn white clothes gray and dingy-looking. In the end, they can make your clothes feel stiff and rigid as more un-removed soil builds up in the fabric.

Water Softener Delivery

• Some jurisdictions add softeners to water before it reaches your tap. Another way to get soft water is to acquire a home water softening machine, which uses salt to pull minerals from hard water. The third way to make water softer is to add packaged softener to, for example, the water in your washer. A precipitating water softener binds to the hardness minerals but can cling to fabrics during the rinse and spin cycles. A non-precipitating softener, which might be referred to as a water conditioner, works by removing the calcium and magnesium and holding them in solution. Non-precipitating softeners are recommended for washing machine water.

Softening Washing Machine Water

• Powdered water softeners should be added to the wash water before you put in your detergent or soap. The water should feel slippery when you have added enough softener. You can also add powdered softeners to the rinse water. An alternative way to soften machine water, is to install a water softening machine between your home water supply and the washer. The water will be softened as it flows into the machine.