Hard Water Stains – Cheap Ways to Remove Them From Your Kitchen

by البصراوي

Hard Water Stains – Cheap Ways to Remove Them From Your Kitchen

Hard water stains in the kitchen can be very tough to remove with ordinary cleaners. However, with the right approach they are easily eliminated from glasses, bowls, tea pots and kettles.

As you may already know, elbow grease is a poor weapon in the fight against lime scale, but with some basic chemistry knowledge you will be able to will dissolve those annoying hard water stains and remove them from your kitchen items in no time at all.

Abrasives may scour off stains, but if used regularly, harsh abrasives will gradually scratch the finish of glasses and bowls as well as other kitchen items causing unwanted damage. Coarse abrasives will also damage plastic, glass, plated and highly polished metals. Chlorine bleach can help remove stains, however, it can dull shiny finishes of porcelain enamel surfaces.

Acids also have an ability to remove hard water deposits and are typically found in toilet bowl cleaners, rust removers, metal cleaners and kitchen/bathroom cleaners that remove mineral deposits. However, there are some natural acids all around your home that can be easily used to get rid of hard water stains and limescale. They have been used for centuries for a variety of different purposes, but are also great for removing stubborn stains. These natural solutions are white vinegar and lemon juice…see below for some really simple ways of using them to remove stains from common kitchen items.

Natural Formula to Use:

Equal parts white vinegar and water, plus squeeze of lemon juice

Methods to Use:

Glasses and Bowls:

1. Make up enough solution to cover the cookware

2. Allow to soak for 15 minutes to one hour

3. Rinse thoroughly

Cookware:

1. Make up enough solution to cover the cookware

2. Allow to soak for 30 minutes to one hour

3. Rinse thoroughly

Teapots and Kettles:

1. Make up enough solution to cover the base of the teapot or elements of the kettle

2. Allow to soak for 20 minutes to one hour

3. Rinse thoroughly

Tip:

If the hard water stains and limescale are still present after soaking, try heating up the solution on a hob to aid the removal.

Warm Regards,

Patrick Henry

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Water Conditioners – The Environmentally Friendly and Low Cost Solution to Combat Hard Water

by SergioTudela

Water Conditioners – The Environmentally Friendly and Low Cost Solution to Combat Hard Water

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!

HARD WATER SOLUTIONS GOING GREEN

by the longhairedgit

HARD WATER SOLUTIONS GOING GREEN

HARD WATER SOLUTIONS GOING GREEN

 

89.3% of homes in the United States have issues with hard water, which refers to the dissolved mineral content of the water. Hard water can cause limescale, which is the left over mineral deposits in your water that build up in your pipes and appliances. Limescale build up contributes to the inefficiency of water-using appliances, which can significantly increase energy consumption.  According to the US Department of Energy, as little as 1/32” of scale build up on a hot water heater or boiler can cause a 10% increase in energy usage. A 1/4” of build up can increase costs upwards of 40%.  Limescale build up can also cause hot water heaters, swimming pool pumps and other appliances to prematurely stop working. Limescale can also clog pipes reducing the flow of water and can leave unsightly deposits on faucets, tile, toilet bowls and tubs.

 

Water hardness does depend on location, the source of the water and the water’s exposure to sub-surface rocks and limestone. Wells and aquifers typically have the hardest water, although it is not unheard of for some public water supplies to have hard water as well. There are several options for determining water hardness, whether it be contacting your local water company or purchasing a simple to use water quality test kit, like the one sold by www.amiservices.us

 

Treatments for addressing hard water are varied.  Often, the solutions of choice are the use of filters, water softening agents or ion exchange units, which use sodium chloride or potassium chloride. These treatments require regular monitoring and are costly due to need for maintenance and the use of consumable parts.  Additionally, these solutions should not be considered ecologically friendly due to concerns for the environmental impact from the use of chemicals and the discharge of brine water (sodium) into aquifers and accumulated waste in landfills from spent filters. 

 

Today, being ecologically sensitive and using green products has become of the utmost importance across the globe. Magnetic and electrical signal devices offer a far more environmentally friendly means of eliminating hard water deposits, as there is no salt or chemicals to affect the ground water or plant life.  AMI Services offers two such solutions for addressing hard water through the use of magnetic devices and devices that emit electrical signals directly into the water system.  The Magnetizer and the Hydrocare HC-38 prevent limescale and reduce the damage associated with limescale, extending the life of standard home appliances and hot water systems by naturally softening the water through reduced surface tension.  The Magnetizer and the Hydrocare HC-38 work on all types and sizes of pipes and installation for both is simple and do not require a plumber. Both are reliable, efficient and maintenance free with no consumable parts.  While both the Magnetizer and the HydroCare HC-38 reduce energy costs, it is the Magnetizer Hard Water Solution that is a truly ‘green’ product, as it requires no power to operate.    

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