The Impact of Hard Water in Home Care

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated with dingy clothes, spotty dishes, or soap scum that seems to cling to every surface, chances are you’re dealing with hard water. Hard water is a common problem in households—about 85% of U.S. homes are affected by it. While hard water isn’t harmful, it can make everyday cleaning tasks more challenging and impacts the effectiveness of household products. 

What is Hard Water?

Hard water contains high concentrations of dissolved minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. These minerals are harmless to drink but can wreak havoc on your cleaning routine by interacting with detergents and soaps, reducing their effectiveness. 

Hard Water’s Impact on Laundry, Dish Care, and Cleaning

Laundry

One of the most significant effects of hard water is its interaction with laundry detergents. Hard water contains elevated levels of mineral ions like calcium and magnesium, which readily bind to the anionic surfactants in detergents. Surfactants are responsible for reducing surface tension and allowing water to effectively penetrate and clean fabrics. 

As a result, detergents form insoluble salts with these minerals, leading to a reduction in detergent efficiency. Over time, this can lead to visible residue buildup, gray or dingy-looking clothing, and stiff fabric due to the deposition of these insoluble salts on fibers. 

In addition, up to 50% more detergent is required over time to remove tough stains, and a higher wash temperature is required, further reducing the lifespan faster.

Dish Care

Hard water is particularly problematic in dishwashing. When the hard water dries on the different surfaces, it forms mineral deposits, which appear as a cloudy film or spots on glassware, cutlery, and dishes. These deposits not only reduce the visual appeal of glassware by dulling its sparkle, but they can also accumulate over time, creating a persistent haze that is difficult to remove. 

Over time, these mineral deposits can accumulate within the dishwasher itself, affecting the appliance’s lifespan. This accumulation can lead to up to 70% more detergent required for the dishwasher to be effective.

Hard Surface Cleaning

Hard water presents significant challenges throughout the home due to calcium and magnesium ions accumulating on various surfaces. These minerals precipitate out of hard water, forming limescale deposits on surfaces exposed to frequent water use, such as bathroom fixtures, sinks, and faucets. Limescale, a hardened mineral deposit, adheres strongly to these surfaces, creating rough, chalky areas that look dirty.

In addition to limescale, hard water also reacts with soaps. When calcium and magnesium ions combine with soaps, they form an insoluble substance commonly known as soap scum. Unlike regular soap, which is easily rinsed away, soap scum clings to surfaces such as bathtubs, shower doors, tiles, and sinks, leaving behind a filmy residue, making surfaces look dull and requiring more frequent and intensive cleaning to maintain shine.

How Soltellus™ Polymer from Lygos Helps Fight Hard Water

Soltellus is an innovative solution that effectively tackles the challenges presented by hard water. Lygos’s Soltellus is a biodegradable multifunctional polymer that improves cleaning performance, making it ideal for use in laundry detergents, dishwasher detergents, and hard surface cleaners. 

Enhanced Laundry Detergent Efficiency

Soltellus helps boost the performance of detergents even in hard water conditions. It binds with the minerals in hard water, preventing them from interfering with laundry detergents. As a result, laundry comes out softer, colors stay brighter, and you can use less detergent for better results.

Spotless Dish Care

When added to dishwashing formulations, Soltellus helps to minimize spotting and filming on dishes and glassware. By reducing the effects of hard water minerals, Soltellus ensures that glasses come out clean and shiny. 

Easier Surface Cleaning

Soltellus helps reduce limescale and soap scum formation, making surface cleaning easier and more efficient. 

Experience the Difference with Soltellus

With hard water affecting many aspects of home care, it’s crucial to have products that can tackle these challenges head-on. Soltellus from Lygos is a smart solution for enhancing cleaning performance and addressing the issues caused by hard water, all while maintaining a commitment to sustainability.