It’s Tuesday and I’m still facing a big pile of laundry that accrued over a busy weekend. If you’re also facing a mountain of laundry today, here are a few tips to help you conquer that mountain with great results while spending less. Read more
Do you have extra privacy when showering thanks to beads of hard water that have dried and left your glass shower door clouded? If so, you’ve probably got HARD WATER. You’re not alone—more than 85 percent of US households have hard water.
The scale or mineral deposits from hard water and soap scum often leave annoying spots on shower doors, dishes, and fixtures that are cumbersome and tough to remove. Here are a few tips that might make the laborious task of removing hard water spots a little easier.
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Softened water can do a world of good in a home. From reducing the amount of soap needed to wash clothes and dishes, to extending the life of a water heater, and saving on energy bills. But does softened water bode well for indoor plants and outdoor gardens?
Most water softeners utilize an “ion exchange” process where calcium and magnesium (minerals that make water hard) are exchanged for either sodium or potassium chloride in order to soften the water.
The amount of sodium or salt in your household water (after processing through a water softener system) can vary depending on the hardness of your water, but it certainly isn’t “salt water”. In fact, on average, those that own a water softener get less than three percent of their daily sodium intake from drinking softened water.
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As I waved good-bye to my children on the first day of school, I gave a big sigh. Life had been busy the past couple of weeks as we tried to get every last bit of fun in before summer vacation ended.
Since we’ve been out of the school-day routine for a few months, I began to make a mental checklist to make sure I had remembered everything.
Wait– What about the water bottle? In the rush of the morning, I had forgotten to tuck water bottles into their backpacks.
Although there are drinking fountains at school, many teachers allow and even encourage students to keep a water bottle on their desk –and for good reason.
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When a water pipe broke just outside of Boston, more than two million people were left without clean water for three days. Within hours of the break, a “Boil Water Advisory” (BWA) was issued and cases of drinking water in stores quickly disappeared, restaurants closed their doors, schools sent children home, and hotels refused reservations.
While this incident affected millions of people and caused the governor of Massachusetts to declare a state of emergency, most water supply contamination events only affect a neighborhood or two. Yet thousands of BWAs are issued each year, so understanding what steps to take during a BWA is important.
So, you’ve figured out you have hard water (like 85 percent of homes in the US) and are researching water softeners. One of the first things you may want to consider, is the warranties offered by various manufacturers. You’ll notice there are a wide range of warranties in the water softening industry and these warranties certainly are NOT created equally.
Generally, the standard water softener warranty is for a one-year limit on parts (labor not included) and a 10-year warranty on the fiberglass resin tank and plastic brine tank.
But because softener tanks are usually not the issue when it comes to water softener problems and repairs (rather the valve and electronics)– most warranties end up falling short when you need them most.
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In today’s world, most of us do our shopping with a few keystrokes and within 48 hours, the item arrives at our doorstep. It’s wonderful and magical–and often thrilling to have our needs and wants instantly met. And we feel great knowing that after a few minutes of online research, we can be sure we’ve gotten the absolute best price available. So why when it comes to purchasing a water softener or conditioner shouldn’t purchasing work the same way?
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With summer temperatures on the rise, keeping our families hydrated is a legitamate concern. Whether at an amusement park, a baseball game, or even the neighborhood pool, children and adults alike need to drink plenty of liquids in order to avoid heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses.
The best way to ensure that plenty of liquids are consumed, is to make sure that water and other liquids are easily accessible. But if your kids are like mine, they complain about carrying a water bottle and often set it down the second we arrive at the park or other destination (never to be seen again).
Check out these fun crafts to do with the kids this summer: These crafts will not only put water literally right at their fingertips (and keep their water bottle from getting lost), but will also be something kids are proud to tote around town on their summer outings and adventures.
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Red is great color for roses, but redish-orange stains in the toilet, sink and tub aren’t pleasant. Red staining generally indicates the presence of iron in the water. So what can be done about it? How commonly is iron found in water? And is iron present in YOUR water supply?
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If you live in an area with hard water, you’re not alone. 85 percent of homes in the US have hard water and see the effects on a daily basis.
That depends.
In short, you can pay anywhere from $400 to $10,000 on a water softener. That’s a huge price range! Why the disparity in water softener costs?