What You Should Know About Using Soft Water for Washing Your Car

March 30, 2021

According to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, 85 percent of American homes have hard water. Hard water is defined as water with high levels of calcium, magnesium and other minerals. These minerals are known as total dissolved solids (TDS) in the water treatment world.

While hard water is safe to drink, it can wreak havoc on appliances and cause issues for people washing their cars. This post will cover everything you need to know about washing your car with hard water and why you should consider investing in a water softener before doing a home car wash in Scottsdale, AZ.

How do hard water spots form?

When water evaporates from your vehicle, the minerals left behind are known as hard water spots. You may also notice these spots after taking silverware, dishes and glassware out of the dishwasher. The lower the TDS count in your water, the lower the chance that these spots appear when the water eventually evaporates.

On top of using soft water—which we’ll cover below—drying your vehicle or dishes quickly is a great way to reduce the chance of hard water spots forming.

Why should you consider using soft water?

As mentioned above, the lower the TDS count, the slimmer the chance of getting hard water spots. Reducing TDS levels is easy when you install a water softener at your home. While the process is much more scientific, a water softener essentially removes magnesium, calcium and other minerals from the water and replaces them with salt.

Although some salt traces may be left behind, you should notice fewer hard water spots after doing a car detail with soft water in Scottsdale, AZ, even if you don’t dry the vehicle right away.

Using soft water can also help save you some money each time you wash your car. This is because you won’t need to use as much soap or as much water to get your car sparkling clean.

What’s the best way to ensure a spot-free rinse?

Believe it or not, getting a water softener before washing your car in Scottsdale, AZ isn’t actually the top way to wash a car. For the best wash, be sure your water is conditioned by a reverse osmosis (RO) system. An RO system works by removing the salt from the water after it’s been treated by a water softener, leaving the water essentially pure.

In fact, RO systems lower TDS levels by up to 95 percent. Since there are so few minerals, your car will be free of any spots after it’s done drying. On top of leaving you with a cleaner car, RO systems also benefit all of the appliances throughout your home.

Talk to a professional about which RO system is right for your home, as all systems aren’t created equal.

Call WES Water today

If you frequently wash your car in the summer months, there’s never been a better time to invest in a water conditioning system for your home. Contact our pros at WES Water to learn more about car detailing with soft water in Scottsdale, AZ.

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