Are Water Softeners Safe?
If you have noticed your water being unpleasant in some way – to the smell, taste, feel, etc – it’s likely that you have been considering some sort of water treatment. If you haven’t, be sure to schedule a free Culligan water test to know for sure. Sub-standard water isn’t something any of us should have to deal with, and if there are concerns, don’t let those get in the way of having a pleasant water experience either. The main question at the front of mind – are water softeners safe? In short, yes, they’re very safe and beneficial to your health, but let’s understand why.
How Water Softeners Work
While there are multiple types of softeners, the most common varieties of at-home units filter out and remove calcium and magnesium ions and replace them with sodium ions. Softener units contain several cubic feet of porous plastic resin covered in molecules that attract and bind to positive ions dissolved in the water and replace them with salt molecules instead. The resulting output is safer and softer water. Other kinds of water softeners include reverse-osmosis systems, salt-free systems, and portable softeners.
Health Benefits From Soft Water
The good drastically outweighs the bad with water softening/filtration. Besides the noticeable things like better taste and smell, there are some significant health benefits as well. First, soft water is good for your skin. Hard water interacts poorly with soap and produces a nasty film as opposed to a bubbly lather, and the film from soap and hard water can remain on your skin and clog pores and lead to breakouts and dry skin. Additionally, soft water is good for your hair. As the same goes for soap being an unpleasant film, hard water neutralizes some of the effectiveness of shampoo and can wash away much easier, leaving your hair dirty.
Internally, soft water is much easier on your kidneys. When you drink the carbonate and sulfate minerals found in hard water, they proliferate in the kidneys and possibly create complications with UTIs or kidney stones down the line. Also, hard water has been found to impact fertility in males. The minerals found in hard water can disrupt male reproductive hormones, and also even more severely, reduce the sperm count in some scenarios.
Lastly, soft water just tastes better! When your water tastes better it’s easy to be more motivated to stay hydrated, and a hydrated body is a happy one. The average adult is recommended to drink 2.7 liters a day to maintain proper working order in your body, and flush out impurities that may have been ingested.
At the end of the day, the reasons to soften your water far outweigh the alternative. Water softeners are safe and beneficial, and everyone in your home will be thankful in the long run. Do you think you have hard water? Or are you interested in getting started with your own system? Give us a call today to see how your life can be drastically easier, happier, and healthier with clean, delicious Culligan water.
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