Water Hardness

Calcium and magnesium ions contribute to water hardness.

When washing, add more detergent. Some of the detergent will be used to tie up the hardness ions and soften the water before the remaining detergent can do the cleaning.
Hardness in water could be a problem for your laundry. Hardness minerals interfere with the cleaning action of soaps and detergents. It's harder to achieve good laundry results with water that contains the calcium or magnesium ions that contribute to water hardness. Soils on fabrics can also add to the hardness of your wash water.

If you have problems with water hardness…

When washing, add more detergent. Some of the detergent will be used to tie up the hardness ions and soften the water before the remaining detergent can do the cleaning.

When non-phosphate detergents containing carbonate builders tie up the hardness ions, a white precipitate, calcium and magnesium carbonate, forms and may give clothes white streaks. It may also build up in the washer.

If you use soap in hard water, soap curd may form, leaving streaks and deposits or grease balls on your clothes. You can remove soap curd by soaking fabrics in a solution of warm water and a packaged non-precipitating water softener or conditioner, such as Calgon. Just follow the package directions for proper usage.

Synthetic detergents generally work best when laundering in hard water. Phosphates in synthetic detergents help soften the water for satisfactory results. Hard water can also be softened mechanically, after which good results can be achieved with most laundry products.

For more information on water hardness contact your local County Extension Office.