Hard Water and Cleaning Appliances
What is hard water?
Hard water is water that contains high levels of dissolved minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium. These minerals are picked up by the water as it passes through limestone and other types of rock. The quantity and quality of minerals dissolved in water decides the level of hardness.
The calcium and magnesium salts like carbonates and sulphates dissolved in hard water encounter the inner surfaces of pipes, heating coils in boilers, water storage containers and get left behind as visible deposited scale like a white crusty film. It is known as scale, limescale, or hard water scale.
Should we be worried about our water supply?
Hard water is perfectly safe to drink and use but it can have a significant effect on cleaning efficiency of appliances, or cleaning machine health. Appliances such as kettles, coffee machines, and machines such as dishwashers and washing machines can be impacted by hard water. Commercial food service items such as bain-maries can also require descaling, along with food and beverage manufacturing equipment.
What issues can hard water cause?
- Reduced lather formation with soap, which can make it difficult to wash clothes and dishes.
- The formation of scale in pipes and on heating elements, which can lead to reduced water flow and efficiency and reducing the life of the equipment.
- Staining of clothes, sinks, and other surfaces due to the presence of dissolved minerals.
- Increased use of soaps, detergents, and cleaning products, as hard water interacts poorly with these substances.
Formation of limescale inside pipes.
What can we do about it?
In many parts of Australia, water tends to moderately hard. It is important to use the right detergent products and descalers to minimise your cleaning expenses and get the best possible results.
Dominant has created specialised formulas to counter this problem of hard water. Dominant’s Blizzard dishwashing machine detergent liquid and Blue Lake commercial liquid laundry detergent contain water softening agents which allow for efficient cleaning in hard water. They also protect the dishes or laundry from mineral stains and deposits.
These detergent solutions also contain scale inhibitors to protect your commercial dishwashers and washing machines from mineral build-up.
Dominant’s Glisten and Sparkle rinse-aids also help in avoiding any hard water stains on glassware and dishware in dishwashers.