Hard or Soft.....water.

[Frank Manning]

We might well have a " posh pad" in Windsor but there is nothing posh about the bl**dy limescale....!!!!!
How do those of you who live in the south cope with it?????

We don't have it up north....
Or at least in my part of the north east..

Iv bought all the "cleaning" and "get rid of it"..products..but it comes straight back!!!
Iv descaled..kettle, washer, iron, coffee maker, dishwasher...done the loos...shower heads...sink plugs.....poured stuff down the waste disposal.
If you use the tap..the stainless steel sink gets marked immediately...got to spray the granite tops with granite polish every time..cos using a damp cloth leaves marks!!!
Flipping heck!!!
I hate the taste of the water too.
Getting used to it in coffee..but not liking it much.

My OH uses lemons to wipe the stainless steel drainer and sink and it works quite well. Tea is better with hard water especially Yorkshire Tea for hard water.

[Stephen]

I find Whisky and Gin works for me...........once I've filtered it down

[towny44]

My OH uses lemons to wipe the stainless steel drainer and sink and it works quite well. Tea is better with hard water especially Yorkshire Tea for hard water.

I think it must be a question of what you are used to, living in the soft water area of the West Riding I find that tea tastes awful when visiting a hard water area. But I guess I would get used to it eventually if I were to move permanently, (heaven forbid).

[Deefitz]

I'm like you Sue, from up North and now living in Lincolnshire. I hate the limescale and I've had so many things go wrong with me since I lived here.
The sink drives me nuts and I've found the best thing to clean it is something called Viakal. Kettle I have a Brita filter kettle.
I can't wait to move from here next year.

[suespud]

Thanks for all your suggestions..
On the way home last night, from down south, back up north...hubby informed me..I need not worry, I probably won't be going back until it's time to pack everything up when he moves out!!

[Delboy]

We live in a hard water area, and like Meg & DTM state, you get used to it, I much prefer the taste of the water we have, than that in the soft water areas we visit.

We don't don't descale our kettle very often, but then we Brita filter our water and keep it in the fridge prior to drinking or filling up the kettle.

Don't have a stainless steel sink or granite work tops, although I understand granite work tops and stainless steel, can always be a problem to keep clean. Shower head, toilet etc never seem to cause a problem.

Cannot say living in a hard water area, causes us any real problems, I generally do the washing up by hand, and clean the surfaces down after, never seen it as a problem due to the hardness of the water.

On the other hand could be why I am waiting to go into hospital for an OP to remove gall stones.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I wasn't really surprised when Batty left Yorkshire off his list, more so when he added it. I didn't know they'd got running water there yet.

But I agree with his assessment for Staffordshire, where we live. Bang on our experience. And we have the added bonus that it tastes good too. Anyone round here who buys bottled water is wasting money.

[Stephen]

They use the term 'running water' loosly. Usually in door ways

[ItsmeAnnC]

Here in Somerset the water is hard, but not very hard. We have had a water softener for 25+ years and wouldn't be without it. A quick wipe over and the taps are polished. No scum to clean off the basins, etc., no lime scale in the toilets! Hair is lovely and soft after washing. It's very cheap to run, but you should always have a hard water tap for drinking and for use in the garden. We have a filter for drinking water in a cupboard under the sink - the filter is changed once a year - and I cook with this, too. There's also a separate hard water tap with unfiltered water for other things like plants and the garden. Yes, we still get through the kettles, as you can't drink softened water, and drinking filters don't remove lime scale but that's the only thing. Other appliances last longer, so it's swings and roundabouts about the initial cost, and the joy of not having to spend hours cleaning is worth it. You use much less shower gel, shampoo, soap, washing up liquid, etc., too.

[Manoverboard]

... Anyone round here who buys bottled water is wasting money.

I didn't know that you lived in Leek, guess you also drive at 20 mph to save on petrol

[Stephen]

Here in Somerset the water is hard, but not very hard. We have had a water softener for 25+ years and wouldn't be without it. A quick wipe over and the taps are polished. No scum to clean off the basins, etc., no lime scale in the toilets! Hair is lovely and soft after washing. It's very cheap to run, but you should always have a hard water tap for drinking and for use in the garden. We have a filter for drinking water in a cupboard under the sink - the filter is changed once a year - and I cook with this, too. There's also a separate hard water tap with unfiltered water for other things like plants and the garden. Yes, we still get through the kettles, as you can't drink softened water, and drinking filters don't remove lime scale but that's the only thing. Other appliances last longer, so it's swings and roundabouts about the initial cost, and the joy of not having to spend hours cleaning is worth it. You use much less shower gel, shampoo, soap, washing up liquid, etc., too.

According to our sales person You can drink softened water but they fit a hard water tap as standard as well. It's all systems go this coming Monday when we have our system fitted.

I'm looking forward to nice soft hair. I'm just deciding which one

[lioness]

We are in Devon and I must say, I really notice the difference with the soft water on my skin and hair. We have a small inline filter to the downstairs cold water tap which makes the water taste lovely.

[Manoverboard]

According to our sales person You can drink softened water but they fit a hard water tap as standard as well. It's all systems go this coming Monday when we have our system fitted.

I'm looking forward to nice soft hair. I'm just deciding which one

The softening process uses blocks of salt so that could potentially be a problem to anybody who has high blood pressure. Friends who have one of these systems had a ' drinking water ' facility installed ... ie a small tap direct from the mains which incorporates a filter cartridge.

[ItsmeAnnC]

Yes - ours uses pebble salt. It doesn't taste as nice as unfiltered hard water because of the salt content, and, apart from the blood pressure issue, you wouldn't want to give it to babies.

[Stephen]

All fitted and working, although it can take between 5 and 7 days to go fully over to softened water. An impressive, tidy job which took around three hours including fitting hard water tap for drinking as standard, and we got left plenty of spare blocks of salt

[Silver_Shiney]

so you'll be able to take many of the comments on this forum with.....

[Stephen]

I can take or leave pepper Alan.

[Quizzical Bob]

so you'll be able to take many of the comments on this forum with.....

A pinch of muriated natrium?