Is it worth installing a water softener?

tsevere

Right now, we don't have one.  When we built our house we left the space and the plumbing is all there for one.  Is soft water much better for CD'ing?

We've only been doing CD's for a couple weeks, and they already feel a little more stiff.  There's also some funk with poopy diapers (not wet, though, which is weird).  I'm wondering if they just need an extra rinse or if it's the hard water.

flutiefrostie

Hard water definitely makes CD laundry harder. I switched to Rockin' Green Hard Rock which I love, so you might want to try that first. A water softener would be nice for more than just laundry, though. If I could afford one I would get one.

NanaDi

I wouldn't dream of living without a water softener. With hard water you never really get anything clean, the soap or detergents or shampoo just doesn't really rinse away. You end with buildup on everything, including fixtures, pipes, clothing, hair, etc. 

You should have your water tested to see how many grains of hardness are in it. In my mind, anything over 3 is hard water. With soft water everything rinses cleanly, and you have a much better chance of avoiding buildup on your diapers.

Some people, who aren't used to soft water, complain that their skin feels too slick after rinsing - they say they feel slimey. That's because all the soap CURD has rinsed away. Truly clean skin does feel slippery. If your skin doesn't feel slick after bathing, your water is hard and you have residue on you. Just imagine what's left on baby's clothing and diapers... 

pixy_stix

Depends.  What were your reasons for cding?  Ecological impact?  If so, you have to watch what kind of water softener system you install, as some can have a significant impact to the ecosystem.

MidwestTexan

We have crazy hard water and our softener definitely helps! We use Rockin Green Classic Rock because even our softened water still has a lot of gunk in it.