Hard water is an annoyance for many homeowners, as the buildup of calcium and magnesium in faucets and shower heads can cause them to clog. It also doesn’t taste the greatest! As you take a sip, you may wonder if hard water is hazardous to your health. Learn some of the facts about what happens when you use hard water every day.
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Can I Drink Hard Water?
While hard water does have a generally unpleasant taste, there is a silver lining—there’s no reliable evidence that it’s unhealthy or unsafe to drink. In fact, hard water may have beneficial health effects. Calcium and magnesium are the most common minerals in hard water, both of which are also essential to a balanced and healthy diet.
Can I Bathe in Hard Water?
Taking baths or showers in hard water can make it more difficult to feel clean when you step out. In addition to a few other things you can expect when using hard water, you might notice a filmy residue build up on your skin and hair. Your scalp may itch, your hair may feel tangled and unmanageable, and your skin may even break out in patches of eczema.
Luckily, there are plenty of water softening filters that are easy to install on a faucet or shower head. Water softeners remove the excess calcium and magnesium from the water before it sprays out of your shower head, so you can enjoy showers that leave you feeling cleaner.
In Conclusion
If you’re wondering about the adverse health effects of hard water in the home, rest assured that it’s safe to drink. Any health issues that arise from hard water exposure are more likely to affect your skin and hair than your internal organs.
So, is hard water hazardous to your health? The fact is, hard water may actually benefit your health by adding calcium and magnesium to your diet. The most common negative effects of using hard water are skin conditions like eczema and itchy scalp. If you want to soften up the water in your home for drinking or bathing, install softening filters that will remove those excess minerals.
