Busting Common Soft Water Myths

Tue, Nov 18, 2008

“What is told in the ear of a man is often heard 100 miles away.”

~Chinese Proverb

In spite of decades of proven benefits that soft water can provide in a home, many people are still wary of taking the plunge. Now, if you’re someone who is concerned about the effects of soft water, we’ve compiled several common myths about soft water and why they’re nothing to worry about.

Myth: Soft water doesn’t wash the soap off your body when you shower/bathe

FALSE: You’ll probably notice that soft water feels slippery the first time you shower in it, but what’s actually happening is that the water is working so well at removing soap and dirt from your body that your skin is at its cleanest. That slippery feeling is your skin rubbing against itself with a minimum of friction.

Myth: Softeners are just too expensive to operate

FALSE: The pocketbook is where most people’s interest in soft water ends, but not to worry! In reality, a softener will actually save money in the long run. For one, nearly all Laundry detergents on the market carry significant amounts of softeners, which are needed to break down the hardness in your laundry water. With soft water, you can use less detergent for the same cleaning power, up to 75% less, in fact! Plus, soft water significantly reduces the risk of damage to your pipes of water heater, which means no expensive repair bills several years down the road.

Myth: Softeners waste water or salt

FALSE: This may have been true decades ago, but new processes and integration with modern electronic computing technology mean much higher efficiency standards are possible. With softeners, getting an appropriately sized unit is key to keeping system waste to the absolute minimum.

Myth: Drinking soft water is bad for you

FALSE: The belief that soft water is somehow unhealthy for you is a particularly insidious myth that plays on people’s health concerns. Although there is a small amount of sodium added to softened water by way of the ion exchange process, it is insignificant to all but those who are already on a sodium-restricted diet. And if sodium levels are a deal breaker, there are softeners that utilize potassium instead, which is safe for those watching their salt intake.

There are many other myths about the imagined disadvantages of soft water, but the only way to shake yourself of these misconceptions is to educate yourself. visit the Water Quality Association, a not-for-profit international trade association representing the residential, commercial, industrial, and small community water treatment industry, at www.wqa.org for more information on various types of water treatment technologies.

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Drinking Water, Myths, Salt, Showers, Soft Water, Water Quality

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2 Comments For This Post

John Says:
January 13th, 2009 at 10:53 am

Myth: Soft water doesn’t wash the soap off your body when you shower/bathe

FALSE:

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Pathetic answer, come on – how about some reality! You are slippery for one of 2 claimed reasons: 1) soap not washed off because chemical reactions allow soap to stick to skin much more than hard water or 2) natural skin oils. I shower to REMOVE dirt, sweat and SKIN OILS! SO soft water DOES NOT CLEAN SKIN AS WELL IN SHOWERS period. People who like soft water or are trying to sell you something ALWAYS get this WRONG. Science is science – BS self serving opinions are junk.

John Foley Says:
March 27th, 2009 at 9:56 am

I am no expert, but it sounds to me like the previous poster may sell something himself. This blog is not really a place to sell anything. It is a forum for all things water related that may be of concern to the public. There are benefits to all forms of water treatment provided they are correctly applied and sold thoughtfully and professionally. To say that hard water is better to shower in is absurd unless you enjoy dry skin and hair and a shower door and fixtures that are always a mess. Some people who sell only softener alternatives find it necessary to bash soft water in order to make a sale. John, you are correct about one thing in your post, science is science. I would be delighted to discuss some with you if I had any feeling at all that you knew what you were talking about.

I am curiuos what you would tell a young mother who does not understand why her infant has an uncontrollabe diaper rash or some other skin condition. Might you say that it is the chlorine and that you can fix that for her? When it does not improve would you be inclined to tell her that it is caused by the climate or the weather or something like that? Would you recommend that she use perscription ointments and creams or a lot of lotion? Based on your advice would she bathe her child more often in your hard water and actully exacerbate the problem?

We also post stories about the benefits of water filtration, proper hydration, healthy lifestyles and pollution of the environment. Speaking of which, the water industry seems to be polluted with uneducated drones who believe a story taught to them by someone who hustles water softener alternatives and has no real water chemistry background. They rehearse a BS story that is intended to scare folks into buying a device that is of limited benefit to the consumer. They might tell the prospective customer that their unit is a “better water softener” that uses no salt. If you are in this category please do us all a favor and look into selling vacuum cleaners or aluminum siding or something where you will have less chance of leaving the customer with the impression that you have a water filter that cures cancer or will prevent ahlzhiemer’s.
Thx, JFoley WQA CWSIV

John Says:
January 13th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Myth: Soft water doesn’t wash the soap off your body when you shower/bathe

FALSE:

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Pathetic answer, come on – how about some reality! You are slippery for one of 2 claimed reasons: 1) soap not washed off because chemical reactions allow soap to stick to skin much more than hard water or 2) natural skin oils. I shower to REMOVE dirt, sweat and SKIN OILS! SO soft water DOES NOT CLEAN SKIN AS WELL IN SHOWERS period. People who like soft water or are trying to sell you something ALWAYS get this WRONG. Science is science – BS self serving opinions are junk.
John Foley Says:
March 27th, 2009 at 9:56 am
I am no expert, but it sounds to me like the previous poster may sell something himself. This blog is not really a place to sell anything. It is a forum for all things water related that may be of concern to the public. There are benefits to all forms of water treatment provided they are correctly applied and sold thoughtfully and professionally. To say that hard water is better to shower in is absurd unless you enjoy dry skin and hair and a shower door and fixtures that are always a mess. Some people who sell only softener alternatives find it necessary to bash soft water in order to make a sale. John, you are correct about one thing in your post, science is science. I would be delighted to discuss some with you if I had any feeling at all that you knew what you were talking about.

I am curiuos what you would tell a young mother who does not understand why her infant has an uncontrollabe diaper rash or some other skin condition. Might you say that it is the chlorine and that you can fix that for her? When it does not improve would you be inclined to tell her that it is caused by the climate or the weather or something like that? Would you recommend that she use perscription ointments and creams or a lot of lotion? Based on your advice would she bathe her child more often in your hard water and actully exacerbate the problem?

We also post stories about the benefits of water filtration, proper hydration, healthy lifestyles and pollution of the environment. Speaking of which, the water industry seems to be polluted with uneducated drones who believe a story taught to them by someone who hustles water softener alternatives and has no real water chemistry background. They rehearse a BS story that is intended to scare folks into buying a device that is of limited benefit to the consumer. They might tell the prospective customer that their unit is a “better water softener” that uses no salt. If you are in this category please do us all a favor and look into selling vacuum cleaners or aluminum siding or something where you will have less chance of leaving the customer with the impression that you have a water filter that cures cancer or will prevent ahlzhiemer’s.
Thx, JFoley WQA CWSIV

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