Hard water and what limescale does to your clothes

Short answer: Limescale settles into the fibres and leaves clothes stiff, grey and less absorbent. Dose for your water hardness and run a vinegar wash now and then.

What hard water is

Hard water contains a lot of calcium and magnesium. They bind to the detergent, so part of it is spent on the water rather than on the soil. The rest settles as limescale in the fabric and in the machine.

How you notice it on clothes

Laundry feels stiff after drying, whites turn greyish, towels absorb less, and dark clothes take on a pale cast. These are the same symptoms as overdosing, and the two reinforce each other.

What to do about it

Look up the water hardness where you live and use the right dose from the pack. Run a wash with a cup of white vinegar and no detergent once a month. Vinegar dissolves limescale in both laundry and machine. See bamboo towels.

Descaling the machine

Limescale also builds on the heating element and makes the machine slower and more expensive to run. Run an empty programme at ninety degrees with citric acid four times a year. See bamboo bedding and bamboo sheets.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find my water hardness

From your water supplier or local authority. The figure is often on the supplier's website.

Should I use a water softener in every wash

With very hard water yes. Otherwise correct detergent dosing is enough.

Do clothes wear out faster in hard water

Yes, slightly. Limescale crystals in the fibre act like fine sandpaper under movement.