How to Deal with Black Water Stains
Water is a crucial part of having a clean home. We rely on it as a “master” cleaner to help wash the dishes, do the laundry, and more. So when your water starts to leave black stains, that really sets things back. Your tap water is supposed to be clean and rinse away completely. If you’re dealing with stains, then it’s time to take a closer look into your overall water quality.
Why Do Black Water Stains Happen?
Seeing water with a hint of orange when you turn on your faucet is one thing. But even cloudy tap water and crystal-clear tap water can have problems. Dissolved minerals and contaminants are usually invisible to us without a microscope.
One of these tricky substances is manganese, which is often found in well water. Your water might look clean at first, but over time, you can see those black stains adding up. This happens because of oxidation. Underground aquifers have lower concentrations of oxygen, and manganese only really takes on a black tint when it’s exposed to air. The running water from your tap could see fine, but with a little more time around higher oxygen levels, the manganese in the water can leave behind brown or black stains in your sink or around your other fixtures.
Sometimes you might be dealing with multiple types of water stains. When you’re noticing rusty-colored stains around the toilet bowl or elsewhere, then you’re probably dealing with water than has high levels of iron. This usually goes hand-in-hand with manganese, so you best bet is to tackle both at once.
Cleaning High Iron and Manganese Stains
Let’s start with the bad news: Unfortunately, you can’t clean rust stains or tough manganese stains will old fashioned soap. And standard bleach isn’t an option either. Chlorine actually makes things worse for these clean-up jobs, so if you’re going the chemical route, you’ll need to be sure to pick chlorine-free products.
Some porcelain or other fixtures may be damaged beyond repair. But for places with newer stains, you may be in luck. There are a few different types of scrubbers and cleaners that are designed to help with hard water stains and rust stains. You just want to be careful that you aren’t scratching up the porcelain or other surface itself. Otherwise, you’ll create more opportunities for bathroom mold and water stains to stick around.
What’s more, cleaning the stains once doesn’t mean you’re done for good. Even if you’re able to scrub away the stains, you’re not addressing the root cause of how they got there in the first place. You might have removed the stains around the bathroom, but what about your washing machine? Water with high levels of manganese and iron will continue to stain your laundry. Plus, who wants to shower in that kind of water? Preventing those water stains from happening in the first place is key. That’s where home water filtration can help.
Find a Water Softener with Iron Removal
Homeowners who are constantly dealing with water stains and hard water spots love water filtration. Basically, the right water filter can do all the annoying work for you! A water softener with iron filtration will remove dissolved minerals before the water reaches your tap. That will give you stain-free fixtures and truly fresh, clean water for your laundry, showers, and everything else in your home.
It’s a simple, yet powerful solution. Even better—these types of well water filters get rid of bad water odors too! No matter what water quality concerns you’re dealing with around your house, our team at Indy Soft Water can help. Whether you’re dealing with water stains or something else altogether, just send us a message so we can figure it out!