How to Manage the Slippery Sensation of Soft Water
It’s a common scenario.
After researching and shopping around, you finally pulled the trigger and bought a new water softener for your home. You are excited about the benefits, especially the promises to alleviate dry skin, brittle hair, and help avoid limescale build-up. Installation day is finally here. The tech just left. With great anticipation, you hop in the shower. And it feels, well, different. No matter how much you rinse, it still feels like you are soapy.
It often catches people off guard.
Some call it slippery. Some go so far as to call it slimy. Whatever you call it, it throws people off because they aren’t expecting it. And for some, it takes a little getting used to.
What Causes Slippery Water?
So what is happening here? Well, the good news is that it is an indication that your water softener is working as designed. The better news? While it may feel unusual today, after some time to adjust, you will likely forget it ever bothered you.
If you live in Central Texas, you are all too familiar with the problems that hard water can pose. But you are also accustomed to the feeling of hard water. It physically feels different to the touch because of the minerals that naturally occur in hard water. Calcium and magnesium particles are floating around in the water supply, making the water rough. It’s subtle, but when you shower or wash your hands, you can feel the grit.
So when your water feels slippery, it kind of is. And that is because your water softener removed the minerals that cause it to feel gritty, and you are now experiencing soft water. Kind of cool, right?
How Does a Water Softener Work?
Big picture, how is this all happening? It is through a process called an ion exchange. Your water softener takes the hard water minerals, calcium and magnesium, and swaps them out for sodium ions. Without those pesky minerals, your water isn’t causing as much damage.
When left to its own devices, hard water not only causes dry skin but can also create expensive and frustrating problems in your home.
Typically, a technician will install your whole house water softener at a point where all your water will travel through it before flowing throughout your home. Removing the hard water minerals as it enters your home will significantly reduce the chances that limescale will build up in your pipes and appliances or on your tile, sink, and faucets. Your home will avoid damage and likely give your appliances a longer lifespan.
Benefits of Soft Water
So, as you become accustomed to soft water, let’s chat about some of the benefits of what you are feeling and how it impacts the quality of your showers.
Protects Your Hair and Skin
The minerals that are floating around in hard water come at a cost, namely to your skin and hair. Calcium and magnesium will strip away natural oils that are essential to keeping your skin and hair healthy. Stripping away this moisture results in dry skin and brittle hair. A water softener is a great, effective way to combat these issues, allowing the natural oils to do their job and keep you feeling great.
More Effective Soap
When you wash with hard water, your soap needs to work harder just to do its job. Remove the minerals, and it can do its job easily. You may even notice that you have more suds and are able to use less soap and shampoo. You’ll feel cleaner and save money by using less of the bath and body products that you love.
Better Water Pressure
You may even notice that your water will flow more freely without limescale build-up in your pipes and fixtures. This build-up can reduce water pressure over time as your water fights harder to make its way through your pipes. By avoiding limescale, you are far more likely to maintain good water pressure, resulting in a far superior shower experience for years to come.
What Can Be Done About Slippery Water?
So, what exactly do you do about the slippery water? Give it time. While most people are unbothered by it, others find it takes getting used to.
You can’t make it go away, but you actually don’t want it to go away because it is a result of better quality water in your home. It’s not so much that your water is actually slippery; it’s that your water used to be gritty (and loaded with problems for you and your home).
It Is Worth Softening Your Water
When it comes to softening your water, especially in areas like Central Texas, where the problem is relatively significant, the benefits far outweigh the costs. What may feel strange now will pay off over time as you reap the benefits of your new water softener. One of the most distinctive benefits of investing in a water softener in Austin is that your showers will be more effective, and your skin and hair will feel better than ever.
