Have you ever traveled to another part of the US and noticed a difference in how your skin and hair felt after showering? Depending on where you are in the country, you may find yourself using more cleanser than you’re accustomed to. For more than 85% of American homes, this is the reality of living with hard water - the hardest occurring in the Southwest region of the country including southern California.

Hard water in simple terms means it has a high mineral content, with calcium and magnesium dissolved in water being the two most common minerals that make water "hard." The degree of hardness becomes greater as the calcium and magnesium content increases.

While hard water is not a health risk, it is important to pay attention to how hard your water is for many reasons. Hard water causes scaling, which is the leftover mineral deposits that are formed after hard water has evaporated. This is also known as limescale. The scale can clog pipes, ruin water heaters, produce mineral buildup on fixtures and give you poor soap and/or detergent performance. On an industrial scale, hard water should be avoided as it can cause costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling towers, and other equipment that comes in contact with water.

Hard water can also have a significant impact on your wallet. Here’s just a few hard water problems you may have experienced:

• The need for continuous laundering, which can damage fibers and shorten the life of clothes by up to 40 percent.

• Bathing with soap in hard water leaves a film of sticky soap curd on the skin. The film may prevent removal of soil and bacteria.

• When washing dishes, especially in a dishwasher, hard water may cause spotting and/or leave a film.

• Hard water also contributes to inefficient and costly operation of water-using appliances.

• Pipes can become clogged with scale that reduces water flow and ultimately requires pipe replacement. Limescale has been known to increase energy bills by up to 25%.

So what can you do to offset the unwanted effects of hard water? When looking for a hard water solution, it may be worth trying a water conditioner first as they will often be significantly cheaper than a water softener, and more environmentally friendly, since they use little to no water and energy in its process. Water conditioners come with a low purchase and installation cost (easy DIY install), in addition to a low running cost.

When looking at hard water solutions, water conditioners are a great alternative to water softeners. In softened water the calcium and magnesium content is replaced with sodium, increasing the sodium content of the water, potentially making it unsuitable for drinking. In conditioned water, the calcium ions remain suspended in the water as small particles, but their propensity to form limescale is reduced. Additionally, conditioned water has the added benefit of the calcium remaining in the water, which is a good dietary mineral.

Water conditioners help protect Reverse Osmosis units, eliminate harmful effects of hard water scale, improve plant growth, and makes soaps and detergents go further. All good news for the maintenance of your home and ultimately your wallet!