The Midwest is home to some of the hardest water in the country! While the high mineral content is great for drinking, it does a number on your faucets and shower glass. That’s because hard water leaves behind minerals every time it dries, which build up and damage fixtures over time. It’s one of the most frustrating cleaning challenges we run into.
What’s actually in hard water?
We’re usually talking about calcium and magnesium, which appear together, as a white deposit. You’ll see:
- White spots on shower glass
- Chalky residue on faucets
- Mineral buildup on tile and grout
- White rings around sinks and drains
Hard water doesn’t just stain, it bonds.
These mineral deposits don’t just sit loosely on surfaces. Actually, they bond to them over time. That’s why they are so difficult to clean. Plus, the buildup continues thickening, making it difficult to remove without damaging the underlying surface. Here are the places we see it most:
- Shower glass and doors
- Faucets and fixtures
- Tile and grout
- Natural stones
- Sinks and drains
- Bathtub basins
Cleaning hard water buildup generally requires an acidic product, the right dwell time, and either soaking or scrubbing. However, those methods aren’t safe for porous surfaces like natural stone and grout.
Prevention is critical with hard water.
Because hard water is difficult to remove, prevention is your best bet.
- Don’t let stubborn areas dry. One option is wiping dry your glass showers, grout, and natural stone every time you use them. This way, the minerals never get a chance to stick.
- Hire a cleaner. We have the tools and techniques for regular maintenance. Our natural products work wonders on even stubborn hard water stains.
- Reseal grout annually. This makes it easier to keep clean.
- Consider a water softener. It works through ion exchange, by replacing the calcium and magnesium with sodium or potassium. (Fun fact: the hardness drops dramatically, while the ppm, parts per million, stays nearly the same!)
Salt Lake City homes have our highest hard water.
Salt Lake City is in the 90th percentile when it comes to hard water, largely due to the region’s mineral-rich geology. The average water is 250+ ppm, where the national average is around 140 ppm. It’s the hardest water of any Lemon Fresh Cleaners location! That’s why preventing hard water build-up in SLC is especially important.
Here are the categories for determining hard water:
- Below 60 ppm → soft water
- 60–120 ppm → moderate water
- 120–180 ppm → hard water
- 180+ ppm → very hard water
Learn more about Lemon Fresh Cleaners in Salt Lake City >>
Rapid City homes are in the 85% percentile for hard water.
Rapid City and the Black Hills also experience very hard water conditions at 220 ppm. The area also has high concentrations of limestone, which is essentially just more calcium.
However, it’s still the softest water in the state!
Learn more about Lemon Fresh Cleaners in Rapid City >>
Sioux Falls homes have even more hard water.
Eastern South Dakota is known for very hard groundwater sources, at 230 ppm. Residents see stubborn mineral deposits that return quickly after cleaning.
Learn more about Lemon Fresh Cleaners in Sioux Falls >>
Grand Rapids homes have hard water and other minerals.
Northern Minnesota’s water is approximately 150 ppm, placing it in the hard water category and around the 75th percentile. However, this area also sees higher iron content, which requires a separate cleaning method. We can help.
