Hard Water Stains On Laundry

If you notice this type of stain on your clothing it can be removed with simple cleaning methods.

Hard water stains on laundry.

What s actually staining your clothing are the minerals including magnesium and calcium that are present in hard water. Fixing hard water laundry stains on clothes. If the staining on your light colored fabric is the dull grey or dingy discoloration and stiffness that occurs with calcium deposits you do have a chance of saving some of your clothing. One thing you might never expect to stain your clothing is water but hard water can do just that.

Washing white clothing with hard water can cause dingy stains on the clothes. These show up on clothes when they come out of the washing machine. Homes on private wells are more likely to have hard water iron and manganese issues whereas public water supplies typically include calcium and magnesium which may not cause hard water stains unless the home s hot water heater has formed rust inside. Rusty water heaters pipes or water storage containers cause staining to be more sporadic.

Hard water and soft water contain many properties including minerals and chemicals. Agitate just long enough to wet the clothes. When you wash your clothes in hard water you may not notice a difference in your colors but you will certainly see a difference in your whites. The mineral ingredients in the water are what cause the stains.

Water itself doesn t stain fabrics. Hard water has the unique ability to make every white article of clothing you have a nice dingy color and depending on how hard the water actually is will depend on how dingy the hard water stains are. Hard water can be a significant issue in certain areas. Your solution for the hard water stains is going to depend on the color of the stains.

Before you assume your white clothes are ruined realize these stains can be removed with basic household cleaning products such as vinegar. Hard water contains dissolved minerals usually calcium and magnesium which tend to cause mineral buildup in water pipes. Add four times the normal amount of detergent and one cup water conditioner. Washing your laundry in hard water can be tricky since some detergents don t react well with the minerals causing scum to form.

Issues such as dull laundry white stains and bad odors on clothing are only some of the problems you could be dealing with.