Whole house Soft water system coming next week

8 years ago

I think I am going to have to get used to doing laundry with ultra soft water. We signed the contracts today....Whole House Water conditioning system being installed a week from today. They told us to drastically reduce detergent usage!

By how much, how does this affect cleaning, deodorizing and stain removal?

Thanks for any tips or advice! Excited, but very nervous. Looking forward to softer clothes, skin and clean faucets (although I know my very fine hair, will be too soft and I will look like a drowned river rat some days, LOL)!!

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georgect

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Larsi...I guess I'm just used to it. I've only ever had soft water (I don't get around much).

But yeah, you only need really small amounts of shampoo/conditioner/shower gel etc (depending on hair length, a nickle or quarter size amount (more or less) is all you really need.

It's going to take me a long while to finish my bottle of Persil.

It's not the small one but the next size up and I'm using so little.

I like to try different detergents but now I have to buy the smallest sizes or I'll be using them forever.

I still want to try the Zero Suds when Amazon get's it.

I do like the smell of A&H (with oxi) liquid. To me it has that smell of laundry from when I was a kid. A very clean smell.

I don't know if you stay away from fabric softeners but you might want to keep some on hand in case you get suds half way up the window on the Electrolux like I did. Fabric softener really helps to cut the suds down when you make a dossing error. Vinegar did nothing to cut suds.

How's the Wisk HE working for you?

I was at Walmart to get cleaning supplies and was checking out the laundry aisle and they did not have the (big/exclusive) HE Wisk. They did have FOCA but the bag is too huge.

I was going to try the FOCA liquid (from Amazon) but it's not labeled "he".

I like liquids but use powders on occasion. With the liquids (like I said) I only fill the liquid cup to under the lip for normal sized loads and for larger I'd go up to MINIMUM.

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Comments (9)

georgect
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Larsi...now you know how I feel.

We have soft (city) water. With the Persil (he) liquid I'm using, I can only go up to the plastic, so the detergent is just about touching the bottom lip and absolutely no more than minimum.

You'll have to tell us how you make out when you get the water softener installed.

I'm afraid the pods might be too much for soft water.
mamapinky0
8 years ago
Congrats Larsi, you will like having soft water once you adjust to it. You will have to cut way down on the detergents, shampoos, cleaning supplies ect...I have soft city water it took some adjustment when I moved here 6 yrs ago. Biggest thing I hated was it felt like I couldn't get the shampoo and bath soap off. Lol. You will have to start slow with laundry detergent and work up to the correct amount...like 1 teaspoon at a time lol. Georgect is right about the laundry pods, but you can open your loved A&H4 in 1's they are powder. I can picture you with sissors cutting all those little guys open over a tupperware container, remember it isn't so much the convience of the A&H pods its the low suds, great cleaning and awesome scent.
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larsi_gw
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks george and mama!! I think my beloved A&H 4in1 pods will still be ok, because even when I use TWO, there are still barely any suds (and our water currently is classified as moderate hardness). I think one A&H pod will be just enough will the coming soft water. I'm assuming I do not need to add any more of my Charlie's Booster, Hard water treatment! The sales rep today said adding that in addition to the very soft water, will be way, way too soft.

I remember years & years ago my aunt had a whole house soft water treatment system, and I KNOW exactly what you mean. I kept rinsing and rinsing and I still felt like I had shampoo, conditioner and body soap on!!!
whirlpool_trainee
8 years ago
We moved from a 6 grain per gallon area to 13 and the difference is very noticeable. Previously, I could just dust any lime scale in the bathroom off and the electric tea kettle never needed descaling. Now... :-(

Just keep in mind that you don't want to over soften the water. Miele, for example, mentiones in their Perfect Glass Care video that too soft water corrodes glass.
mamapinky0
8 years ago
Georgect, I don't recommend FOCA in a FL, powder or liquid, it is a sudsing detergent, expecially in your soft water, however I do know people that successfully use it in FL'ers. The liquid doesn't smell quite as good as the powder IMO, my water is 1gr/ gal and I use a traditional top loader and have to be careful..but its worth trying it really is a good detergent.

I'm also waiting for Rosalies Zero Suds to be available on Amazon. The people on AW that have used it so far are very impressed. I thought there was sodium percarb in it , but there isn't, it does have a enzyme cocktail though. And I've been told whites

come out very white.
mamapinky0
8 years ago
Whirlpool...I moved in my current house 6+ years ago and my water hardness is 1gr/gal or lower depending time of year. Prior to moving I don't know the # but scale everywhere and hot water tank needed changed every 4 years. Shower heads would rot out fast. My current dishwasher was my mothers it came with the house, it just turned 20 years old, not a sign of scale anywhere. But your right water that's too soft has its own set of problems.
Cavimum
8 years ago
We had a water softener at our previous house. We cut laundry detergent in half as well as dish detergent. Still, after several years, our glassware became badly etched. Use the smallest amount of dishwasher detergent you can get away with.
whirlpool_trainee
8 years ago
Miele dishwashers, those with Perfect Glass Care, keep the hardness at 4 to five grains during the wash to avoid etching.

Whole house Soft water system coming next week

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