Do I Need Special Soap With a Water Softener

A few years ago when the high efficiency washing machines became available a lot of people started paying more attention to the amount of laundry soap they were buying because these HE washing machines use less soap and that using regular laundry detergent may void the manufactures warranty. 

So does it make a difference what kind of soap do you use when you have a water softener or water conditioner.  With a HE washing machine you use less soap and with a water softener you will use less soap as well.  So if you have both then you may want to pay attention to how much soap you use and if there are a lot of suds left over or if your HE washing machine is taking longer to finish its cycle.

Let's talk a moment about why hard water uses more soap.  Before you had your water softener hard water probably stained your whites and you probably used more soap in order to get more suds and if you poured a lot of laundry detergent in your top loading washing machine you probably didn't see many suds at all.  The reason for this is that it takes twice the amount of soap to achieve the same result as when you have soft water because the minerals that make hard water hard interfere with the cleansing action of the soap.  The soap is attracted to these hardness minerals and you have less suds and it is less effective in hard water.  If you did a test you would find that with hard water it is difficult to rinse the soap from clothing and the clothes will also seem more stiff and dingy looking.  What has happened is that the limescale is clinging to your favorite pair of skinny jeans.  When you have a water softener you will find that it is much easier to rinse the soap out of the laundry because of the soft water.

Okay let's talk type of soap.  If you have a water softener you should try to use soap in its purest form because soft water maximizes the effectiveness of soaps and laundry detergents that should be as clear as possible with as little perfumes and dyes in it as possible.  Most soap manufacturers take in account that most people will have hard water and so they will add water softening agents and fillers to soap.  So what happens is that you pay more because there are additives in your soaps shampoos and conditioners however on the other hand you can make your own soap if you have the DIY energy.

You may have heard that soft water can save you money, and to tell the truth this is correct.  The water quality research council conducted the test with different levels of hard and soft water to determine its effectiveness.  The best news for moms is that when you have laundry stains the study showed that with soft water you use less water and soap and lower temperatures which help in the lowering of utility bills.  IE instead of using hot water you can use cold water in its place. 

House wives will be happy to know that with soft water they will use less shampoo and conditioner and will not longer need to buy rinsing agents for the dishwasher to have spot free dishes and the need to use chemical agents to clean the bathtub and shower walls is over when you have soft water.  There are many places to get your water tested to determine how hard your water is which is what you will need to do if you need to buy a water softener