If you have hard water in your home, you might have noticed the symptoms without knowing the root cause. Hard water has an excess of minerals, typically calcium and magnesium. Although it’s safe for you to drink, hard water can negatively affect the people and objects it washes over.

Fortunately, there’s an easy solution for this issue. Learn the ways hard water negatively affects your home and find out what you can do.

1. Clogs Plumbing and Appliances

One important property of water is that it’s a universal solvent. More things dissolve in water than in any other chemical.

Hard water forms when water works through rock such as limestone, chalk, or gypsum and takes some of the minerals with it. After the water picks up these minerals, it can deposit them in your home, which can lead to issues.

One of the ways hard water can negatively affect your home is by clogging plumbing and appliances such as your washing machine or dishwasher. When water deposits minerals inside your plumbing or appliances, it causes the passageway to become clogged with buildup. This leads to reduced water flow or leaks.

2. Dries Out Your Skin and Hair

Of course, hard water doesn’t leave its full mineral content in your pipes. Hard water dries out your skin and hair. You can’t completely rinse off with hard water, so soapy residue stays on your skin. And the minerals left on your skin can absorb some of the moisture and natural oils, further drying out your skin.

Hard water can leave shampoo residue in your hair and make it rough, dry, and hard to style. And if you have color-treated hair, hard water will cause the color to fade faster. Hard water can damage your hair so much that it breaks or thins.

The best way to avoid issues with hard water is to use a water softener. The system will filter out the minerals in your water. After that, soft water flows through your system, allowing you to feel clean again and protecting your plumbing and appliances.

3. Wears Down Your Laundry

Washing your fabrics in hard water can give them the opposite of a clean feel. One of the biggest ways hard water negatively affects your home is wearing down your laundry and making your laundered fabrics look dull.

If you wash your clothes in hard water, they might become gray or get damaged. It’s hard to clean with hard water because it can effectively re-soil your clothes, which is one way they can get a gray hue. White fabrics can look gray and colored fabrics can become dull. And the reaction between the detergent and minerals can leave behind a gray scum.

The fabric can also become scratchy because of these deposits. Because the fabric loses flexibility, it creates more friction and wear-and-tear. You might have to throw out clothes, linens, and towels earlier because of it.