Laundry Detergents and Hard Water Issues

Background

• In many locations, hard water comes with the territory. Installing water softening systems can be costly, and some people don't like the soft water texture, which can feel slimy. In addition to making plumbing fixtures more difficult to clean, the minerals in hard water can penetrate and adhere to the fibers of your clothing and all of your laundry. Your laundry technique can help minimize hard water issues with your laundry.

Soap Scum

• Soap combined with minerals from hard water forms soap scum. This is the messy residue that forms in tubs and showers and can be quite difficult to remove. The same soap scum develops on fabrics if you use soap for hand laundry or in the washing machine. Use laundry detergent, not soap, if you have hard water, advises the New Mexico University Extension. The soap scum from using soap with hard water can make your clothes and linens gray.

Soiling

• If you don't use enough laundry detergent to combat the minerals in hard water, the washing machine won't clean your clothes efficiently and the laundry will retain soil and minerals in the fabric fibers. To prevent this, add extra detergent to your wash loads to increase the cleaning power and prevent soil and minerals from adhering to the garments. For example, if the laundry detergent label calls for using one scoop of detergent, use 1 scoop plus 1/4 scoop.

Stiffness

• Hard water minerals can make fabric fibers matted and rough, making towels and sheets stiff, and clothing less flexible and harsh on your skin. Washing your laundry in the highest temperature the fabrics will tolerate is ideal. This assures better cleaning, despite the hard water. If you use cold water to preserve the color in clothing or conserve energy, use a laundry detergent designed for cold water washing. If you're in a pinch, use regular liquid detergent with cold water -- it disperses better than powder. Adding fabric softener to the wash can reduce the effect of minerals on fabric. The tumbling action of the dryer helps to restore a softer texture, compared to line-drying.