- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Eco-Friendly Family
how do I know if my water is "too hard?"
I know that we don't have soft water and that hard water can be a problem for CD, but how do I know if I need to use something to soften the water in the wash? Is it just trial and error? Do I just find out if I happen to have a problem with the dipes in the future? Is it worth getting a water softener the whole house if we were already questioning it? We get lyme stains on our sinks around the faucets all the time and the shower head gets clogged spots every now and then (probably clean it every 6 months).
I've thought about getting a softener, but don't know if it's in the budget soon or not. Does it sound like I'll need to use something regularly in the CD wash? If so, what do I use and how do I use it?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: how do I know if my water is "too hard?"
Do you have well water or city water? If you have city water, you can get a water report for free that will tell you what's in it. There are so pretty good websites that can help you decide based on your report what kind of system would be best for you. It depends on what's in it. If you're already considering a water system, Cullingan will come test your water for free, you just have to listen to their sales pitch.
Until then, use Calgon in your wash. I use 1/2 of the recommended amount with my CDs. The minerals in your water will eventually build up on your diapers and cause them to repel. We have alot of iron in our water, which means we'd have to get the very most expensive kind of system, so we haven't. But lime's your problem, you may be able to get a less expensive system.
we have city water and I know they sent out a report about 6-9 months ago because it was discovered they had too much of something (more than nat'l average or something) in the water that they were trying to fix. I wonder if I still have that report....
Another question - would the amount of Calgon I use change if I have a FL machine? Like using less for all my laundry and then EVEN less for CD laundry?
I would think so. I just looked at the back of the bottle, and it just says 1 capfull for a load, more if necessary. I don't think you'd do any harm if you used too much. It's not like detergent where it's going to foam too much. So I use 1/2 cap for my CD laundry, so I guess you would use 1/4 capfull.
We just called and they sent us another copy of the yearly report they send.