The No. 1 reason that soft water feels slimy in the shower is that people who are accustomed to hard water use too much soap. Without the minerals in hard water, soap is free to crate much more lather per molecule than it can in hard water. It’s much more difficult to wash off large amounts of soap in soft water. Therefore, the best way to feel less slimy is to use less soap or shampoo. This has the added bonus of reducing the amount of soap and shampoo that you have to buy.
Is This Natural?
It might not feel natural, but it is. That feeling you like so much of “squeaky clean” is actually soap that’s left on your skin the same way that hard water leaves bathtub rings and scale on your sink. The other reason that the water feels slimy is that it’s loaded with salt. Common water softeners use what’s known as a brine tank to remove the minerals, relying on a chemical reaction to remove them from the water.
Is There a Downside?
The downside of salt-based water softeners is the salt itself. For example, if someone requires a low sodium diet, then the water would have to be filtered before drinking or cooking.
What Else Can Be Done to Reduce the Slime?
You can choose a body wash that doesn’t contain soap. These synthetic bathing products work just as well as soap for some people, and they’re a reasonable alternative when you just can’t deal with the slime.
You can also choose to use a water softener that eschews salt. One such method is a water conditioner. It’ll crystallize the minerals instead of removing them. Crystallized minerals won’t cause scaling or calcium buildup. These systems waste a lot of water, however, which is their downside.
A reverse osmosis system is another option. It uses filtering technology to remove the minerals from the water. They also remove 99% of all other contaminants. These systems are quite complex and expensive, however, so that is a consideration as well.
Electromagnetic softeners used to be popular, largely because they’re much less expensive than other methods. However, their popularity is waning because of low effectiveness.
Answers for Your Questions
We at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing have quite a lot of experience with the different methods of water softening, and we’ll be happy to discuss them with you to help you find the best solution to your hard water issues for you. To take advantage of everything we have to offer, call us today to make an appointment.