Do You Still Need Fabric Softener If You Have Soft Water?
How you do your laundry can have a significant impact the items in your wardrobe. Softer clothes are usually comfier clothes! But if you’ve been relying on fabric softener for years, you might want to rethink your system. You can actually get benefits all around your home just by enhancing your water quality.
Switching Your Laundry Detergent for Soft Water
People first began using fabric softener around the 1960s. It was popular because the clothing dyes and detergent during that time were pretty harsh on clothes. Rather than deal with itchy fabric, people added fabric softener to the mix. But in reality, it’s not that necessary today.
For starters, the science behind laundry detergent has improved a lot. The process for making higher-quality fabrics has gotten better too. Plus, homeowners today have the option to upgrade to soft water. It’s not really a surprise that using fabric softener is falling out of style. When you already have a water softener—or you’re thinking of getting one—you can save money by streamlining (and upgrading) your laundry routine. Soft water tackles all sorts of problems at once.
The Soft Water Whole-Home Difference
Your typical tap water is hard water, meaning it has dissolved minerals. These minerals are okay in theory because they’re “natural,” but they’re a real nuisance around the house. Hard water is responsible for those spots left behind on your clean dishes and all of that crusty stuff on your faucets. The minerals are also probably one of the reasons why your laundry doesn’t feel as soft today as it did before that first wash.
Soft water is different because it doesn’t have those minerals. You can think of it as “cleaner” water, and you can start enjoying it as soon as your water softener system is installed. This gets even better when your water softener also has a built-in process for chlorine removal. You know how chlorinated swimming pool water feels like it dries out your skin? Well, chlorinated tap water basically does the same thing to clothes. That means hard and rough shirts and sheets. And no one likes that.
Once you have soft water, there’s a good chance you can stop using fabric softener altogether. Even better, you should also be able to cut back on the amount of laundry detergent you’ve been using. Soft water does a much better job of getting soap to lather and rinse away completely. So if you stick with the same amount you had with hard water, you might get an overflow of suds. Definitely keep that in mind!
Need Water Softener Service? Or Ready to Upgrade?
Whether you want to ditch fabric softener for good or you want a little bit of it to go even farther, soft water can help. You should notice a difference now if you already have a home water softener installed. But if your laundry still seems a little rough, it may be time to have your system serviced. Then again, it may be time to look into a more efficient model. Then you can save money on salt, as well as the water required for the system’s regeneration process.
And if you’ve been living with hard water for years and years? Let us help you get set up with a great water quality solution! Although we can service all types of systems, we’re especially proud to install water softeners that are Made in America. Send us a message, and we can schedule a time to visit. Soft water is the smart and easy way to get softener laundry with every load.