Top tips for removing hard water deposits from your faucets and shower

Hard water is a nuisance. It can clog up your home's plumbing, reduce the effectiveness of your soap and detergents, and make your laundry feel rough. That slimy feeling on your skin after bathing or washing your hands? That's probably down to hard water. The faucet or shower head that inexplicably gets clogged is most likely a victim of hard water too. And there's more. Cosmetically, hard water can stain your appliances, crockery, cutlery, and glassware by leaving chalky deposits on the surface. Those cloudy drinking glasses you hurriedly polish before serving drinks to guests aren't dirty as such; they're just coated in hard water residue.

Watch the video to learn how to remove hard water stains and build-up from faucets and shower heads.

Hard water refers to water that contains a high amount of minerals. Water picks up impurities very easily as it moves through the rock and soil. Calcium and magnesium are the main culprits when it comes to creating hard water. And in the U.S., it's almost impossible to avoid it, as hard water is present across 85 percent of the country, according to homewater.101.com.

Broadly speaking, hard water is considered perfectly safe to drink. In fact, research suggests the minerals contained in the solution may be beneficial due to the effects of the salts. Consuming hard water can aid growth, bone and muscle function, and blood pressure. On the flip side, some studies suggest drinking hard water long-term may indirectly contribute to kidney problems. However, much more commonly, the biggest adverse effect may be on your hair and skin, which can become dry and itchy if you use hard water frequently.

Hard water can be softened in several ways, including boiling water for cooking and drinking, which is effective with some types of hard water; attaching water filters to your faucets to catch the impurities, and using water softeners in your washing machine.

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