How to soften hard water at home

A high concentration of calcium with magnesium makes water hard. Components settle on the walls of the washing machine and kettle in the form of scale, reducing the life of household appliances. The more additives there are in the water, the worse the soap and powder foam, so during the wash you have to spend not one package, but two. Magnesium with calcium can accumulate in the body, causing health problems. In order for the equipment to serve for a long time, and loved ones are not sick, water should be cleaned and softened.

High temperatures

Boiling kills harmful bacteria and turns impurities into carbon dioxide and sediment. An electric kettle is not suitable for this procedure. You will need a saucepan, the volume of which depends on the purpose of the water: if it is used for cooking or tea, a five- or ten-liter capacity will be enough. Options with a capacity of 20 or more liters are suitable for washing or bathing. But boiling such volumes of liquid daily is quite expensive in time, and the monthly amount for electricity will increase significantly.

You can soften drinking water by pouring it into a pot or iron kettle. Put the container on the stove and turn on medium or maximum heat, and when it boils, reduce to a minimum. Water should stand on the burner for 45-50 minutes, after it is removed and allowed to cool. The liquid should be sedimented for about a day, and more can be done so that the metals precipitate. Gently drain clean water, trying to ensure that solid particles do not rise from the bottom and remain in the pan.

In a similar way, water from an electric kettle is softened. If there is liquid left in the device after making tea, you need to carefully pour it into a jug or a glass jar, hiding the container from direct sunlight. It takes 12 hours for the harmful metals to precipitate and make the water potable.

Boiling has two significant drawbacks:

1. You will have to regularly wash the pan or kettle from scale, or annually buy new dishes.
2. High temperatures contribute to the evaporation of beneficial components and oxygen, so this water can not be used for watering indoor flowers and boil again.

The taste qualities of the heat-treated liquid are not encouraging either. You should alternate boiled water with distilled, otherwise the digestive system will suffer.

Cold way

Magnesium and other salts freeze at very low temperatures. The laws of physics can be used to soften and purify water. It is enough to fill a glass jar or pan with liquid and put the container in the freezer. In winter, the balcony acts as a refrigerator.

You will have to control the freezing process, because you need to wait until 75-90 percent of the water turns into a piece of ice, but a small amount remains in the liquid state. It is in those 25-10% that the salts that are drained into the sink will remain. Defrost a homemade iceberg at room temperature and use as directed. Oxygen and a few useful components are stored in such water, so it is suitable for watering plants and daily ingestion, cooking and washing.

Need to soften water from a well or wash well? If the farm has a large metal bathtub or several plastic barrels, the containers should be hidden under a canopy or in the shade. Fill them with liquid and stand for 3–6 days, until sediment appears at the bottom. The top is carefully drained, and the remainder with impurities is drained away from the trees and the garden. Rainwater is also treated in a similar way, but it does not guarantee a 100% result.

Simple and useful

Reduces the concentration of salts and silicon. From time immemorial, they have been lining the interior of the wells with material and laid in several layers on the bottom. Silicon wafers are also used in urban apartments. To soften drinking water, you need to collect it in a separate jar or pan, and immerse several pieces of washed and sterilized silicon into the liquid. Leave for 2-3 days, and preferably for a week, so that the plates absorb salts. Water will become softer and tastier. The mineral will make the drinking liquid not only clean, but also useful, because it gives it useful components. Silicon water is used in alternative medicine for the treatment and prevention of certain diseases.

The method is suitable only for a small amount of liquid, from which tea or food can be prepared, or consumed in a "raw" form.

Domestic water

It neutralizes salts and baking or soda ash. The first component is more harmless and does not dry the skin, so it is added to the liquid for washing. Water, cold or slightly warmed up, mixed with soda at the rate of a quarter of a teaspoon per 250-500 ml. Stir until complete dissolution of the additive, wait 5-15 minutes and wash. The calcined variety is more aggressive and has whitening properties. This soda is added to water for washing clothes or clothes. Enough 1-2 teaspoons per 10-15 liters of liquid. The component can be immediately mixed with washing powder so that it foam better and even remove complex stains.

Soda ash will protect the walls of the washing machine from scale; it is also used to clean the electric kettle. Drinking water with such an additive is not recommended.

Tip: Baking soda is added to pea or bean soups. Water becomes softer, and legumes interrupt the taste of the supplement. The main thing is not to go too far with soda.

Natural options
If liquid from the tap dries the skin, it is advised to collect the required amount in a separate container and combine with fruit or vegetable juices. Dilute from 50 to 100 ml of the natural ingredient in 250 ml of water and stir. Instead of juices, you can take a little pickle from cucumbers or cabbage. Acids that are present in the additive react with metal salts and neutralize them.

Almond bran has also proven itself well. Sweet nut seeds are pressed and squeezed oil out of them, and dry cake is turned into thick plates, which are sent to the mill. The workpiece is ground and added to cosmetics. Almond powder should be diluted with water: a glass of liquid on a tablespoon of the ingredient. The drink is suitable for washing and other hygiene procedures.

Cosmetic and laundry soap
You can prepare water for washing or bathing with soap chips. For the first case, an economic variety is useful, for the second you should stock up on cosmetic or handmade options. Cut a small piece from the bar and grate to get 15–20 g of chips (a full tablespoon with a slide). Take a half-liter jar of water and add soap. Stir until foam is formed and the component is completely dissolved. Pour water from a tap or from a well into a barrel or pan with a volume of 10-12 l, add soapy water. If there is a lot of foam, several more liters of clean liquid are needed.

Insist all night or day. During this time, the components of the soap will react with salts of heavy metals and transform them into a precipitate that will fall to the bottom. In the morning, carefully drain the clean liquid and mix with 2-3 tablespoons of boric acid. The large wash solution is ready.

The washing machine will be protected from scale by laundry soap. Cut a quarter or less from a whole bar, wrap a piece in a cloth or bag and put in a drum. It remains to load the laundry, add the usual portion of powder and start the technique.

Dishwasher cleaner
In household chemical stores, you can find emollient salts sold in tablet form.The product is placed in the dishwasher to prevent the formation of scale on heating devices and improve the condition of plates and pans.

Cocktail for watering plants
Hard water is harmful to home flowers. Irrigation fluid can be prepared from wood ash, which neutralizes impurities and protects plants from rot and bugs. Dissolve 3 g of a natural ingredient in a liter of water and insist a little. You can strain or water with pieces of ash.

An alternative is peat. It will take 10 g of component per liter of water. Stir and moisten the soil thoroughly in flower pots.

Filters and their varieties

Fans of home-made methods are trying to solve the problem of hard water with the help of soda, ammonia or borax, but similar methods can not cope with all the harmful impurities. The best and most modern option is filters.

Jugs are in demand because of the nice design that fits into the interior of the kitchen, and the affordable price. An interchangeable cartridge is located inside the device. Substances that are in the filter plate trap salt molecules and purify water. Pitchers are practical and effective, but the cartridge will have to be changed once a month and a half, depending on the concentration of impurities.

Ion Exchange and Magnetic Options
A device consisting of two powerful magnets creates a strong field that attracts metal particles. Water passing through such a filter becomes softer. The method does not use chemicals, but its effect on the human body has not been studied. Similar devices are more often used in boiler houses to purify water that flows through pipes.

The ion-exchange type softeners consist of two tanks: the first is filled with special resin, the second is saline. Water softening occurs in two stages. The liquid, getting into the compartment with resin, eliminates calcium and magnesium salts, iron particles and other impurities. Thanks to the saline solution, water is saturated with sodium, so it becomes softer. It can be drunk, used for washing and hygiene procedures.

Reverse osmosis technology
A reverse osmosis filter will cost a round sum, but it is this option that is most optimal for a private house and city apartment. It is suitable for softening aquarium and drinking water. The device is placed in a room and connected directly to the water pipe.

Water enters the first tank filled with concentrated solution. There it is cleaned of salts of heavy metals, and then under the influence of high pressure it moves into the second section of the filter. Here the concentration of the solution is lower. The substance makes particles of harmful impurities heavier, and they are trapped inside semipermeable membranes.

The water that comes out of the filter resembles distilled in composition. The only drawback of such a system is that it removes both harmful and useful minerals. It is necessary to restore the composition of the liquid so that it becomes suitable for drinking. The reverse osmosis technology can be used to purify water intended for bathing, washing dishes or washing.

Filter for washing machine
Softening salts protect the dishwasher from scale, and a magnetic ball protects the washing machine. Inside such a specific filter is a tip that attracts metal molecules. The magnetic field does not allow harmful impurities to settle on the pipes and at the same time cleans the device from a layer of hardened plaque.

Particles of iron and magnesium seem to scrape off the plaque, and it comes out with drain water. If you use a magnetic ball during each wash, you can extend the life of the washing machine and save money. Soft water means less powder and more energy, because the awning without limescale heats up faster.

Tip: Magnetic filters are only installed on clean pipes.Scale before installation is removed with vinegar or citric acid. The layer of solidified plaque does not transmit electromagnetic waves, so the device is useless.

Means for cleaning and softening water may seem too expensive or complicated, but the effort and money spent pays off pretty quickly. The less harmful impurities in the liquid, the more economical is the use of washing powder, shower gels and shampoos. Soft water means healthy kidneys and gall bladder, beautiful skin and a guarantee of well-being for all family members.

Video: how to deal with hard water