Every household in America has clothes and dishes that need washed most every day and on everyone’s grocery list laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent seem to take priority. Imagine if you could get by on less detergent – even half of what you use now. That would be a significant savings every year!
Laundry usually requires a certain amount of laundry detergent, some stain fighting products, some softener products, and often Clorox or other whitening product. To simply do a load of laundry requires quite a few products in our arsenal. Often we pre-treat the laundry, then put it in the washing machine, add extra detergent, crank up the water temperature, and hope for the best. Unfortunately all too often our best efforts aren’t quite enough and after all of that we still have stains and have used a ton of soap and hot water to accomplish something that still remains out of reach. This endless budget run around is unnecessary. We end up spending way more on the simplest task when what we really needed to do in the beginning was simply change the type of water we are using and we could have the end result we have been striving for.
Two recent studies conducted by the independent testing firm Scientific Services S/D of New York funded by the Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF), reveal that using softened water might simply be the answer. “The benefits of softened water in people’s daily lives are significant,” says Peter Censky, executive director of the Water Quality Association. “These studies show how consumers can save money and energy by softening their water.”
These studies showed that in washing machines, detergent can be reduced by 50% and energy saved by washing in 60 degree cold water instead of using 100 degree hot water, achieving the same or better stain removal and whiter clothes compared to results in hard water. Not only can you get by on half the detergent and save energy by using cold water, you can also be more environmentally friendly because there is less detergent being flushed out of your household.
Softened water used to be thought of as a luxury item that you could do without and it wouldn’t really affect your life. You could put up with that sticky feeling after the shower and a few stains on the dishes. Turns out, the softener and maintenance of it might be the cheaper way to go and you could have the luxurious shower too.
What it all boils down to is this, a water softener in your household will save you money that you currently are spending on laundry detergents, stain fighting and whitening products as well as money you are spending on your electric bill. You will use less hot water because you can wash with cold water instead and achieve the same or better results. It doesn’t mean that you won’t have to still buy these products just that you will be using significantly less of them so they will last longer. Take some time out of your busy schedule and research water softeners. A little piece of luxury you thought you couldn’t afford just might be more than affordable; it just might save you far more than it costs.
