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Little changes in our daily life like avoiding wasting water or recycling products can make a big difference in helping to protect the environment. Read below, a few reasons why a water softener can be useful and can not only help us to take care of our Planet Blue, but can also contribute to considerable savings on household bills.
The concept of spending money to save money is not new and there are plenty of products out there that claim to do just that. From cars that use less fuel, to washing machines that use less energy and chemicals that protect your home. Yet there is one simple addition to your home that has been proven time and time again to help save you money if you live in a hard water area and that is an ion exchange water softener.
Most people, if they know about water softeners at all, will know about how the water feels and how it leaves skin feeling soft and hair looking shiny. Why? Probably because they have experienced the effects of softened or soft water whilst on holiday, staying at a hotel, or visiting a spa. Yet most of these establishments have chosen to soften their water for a much more practical reason, to save money.
When you choose a water softener for your home you can also enjoy the same kind of savings plus several more that are likely to be personal.
White goods like washing machines or dishwasher tend to last longer when used with softened water. Limescale, as a direct result of the hardness minerals in the water, builds up around the heating element within these appliances. This reduces the their efficiency, so the machine has to work harder to heat the water. Limescale deposits can also break way and damage seals and valves, all of which may lead to premature failure or costly repairs. If you are thinking of buying a new appliance, make sure your old one isn’t being thrown out too soon. When it is time to renew an appliance It’s important to consider disposing of it in a responsible, for example: contacting a specialist disposal service to ensure it’s being handled in an eco-friendly way and the components that can are being recycled. You can find more information here – www.recyclenow.com
Is your boiler doing its job? If your boiler is over ten years old then it’s probably less efficient then when it was new and over time could cost you a lot of money. Save on gas bills when you choose a water softener by ensuring that your combination boiler is working as efficiently as possible. Softened water helps ensure the heat exchanger stays scale free. Blocked or partially blocked water ways and pipes can reduce the heating surface and flow of hot water to your tap, making the boiler work harder to deliver the same amounts of hot water. Working for longer and harder can all contribute to higher running costs.
Boilers that work more efficiently can help save valuable natural resources. As can Lowering your thermostat research by Uswitch.com shows turning your thermostat down by just 1°C could actually save you as much as £80 per year.
So adjust the temperature wisely to maximize your savings, remember it’s not necessary to be hot or to wear short sleeves in winter.
Many beauty products, including soap and shampoo usually come in plastic bottles which take energy to manufacture take years to decay and can often end up in landfill or in the ocean. A good alternative are modern bars! They lather effectively, don’t come in plastic packaging and can last much longer.
Switching to Luxury Water brings personal savings of up to 50% on products like shampoo, soaps, and bubble baths. All of which lather more easily in softened water to create a wealth of silky soft luxurious bubbles perfect for playtime and that much deserved soak at the end of a busy day. Plus if you use only half as much then that could be 50% less plastic bottles we need to transport to our shops, you need to carry home and eventually dispose of.
Household cleaning products contribute hugely to the plastic problem with dozens of different bottles around the house for different cleaning purposes, so a great idea is to look for refillable products to reduce the amount of packaging waste.
Better still is to try and reduce the array of products you need to buy. Products like limescale removers are notoriously expensive but for many of us are vital in the battle against scale. Switching to softened water helps to ensure your kitchen and bathroom remain scale free without the need for harsh cleaners and water additives. A shorter shopping list means more money to spend on things you want and usually deserve.
You can save on washing powder and conditioners as softened water allows soap to lather and rinse out of clothes like woollens more easily. Less rinsing allows you to select shorter washing programmes for a more economical and ecological wash day. You can also save on using conditioner as clothes already feel softer when soap suds are washed away completely.
Another great idea for saving money is choosing a cooler wash. Mostly all the clothes will clean perfectly at just with 30°c, whilst others like cleaning cloths, work uniforms, soiled children’s clothes or mud-stained sports clothes might need that all important temperature tweaking to 40°c.
A water softener will also save you money on renovation costs. Luxury softened water will help bathroom fittings and sanitary ware stay looking good for longer, requiring less frequent updating or replacement. Shower heads and hoses also remain free flowing and need changing less often.
Keep in mind there’s no reason for lots of extra water to be flowing down the drain. So remember whether you’re brushing your teeth, washing your face, or shampooing your hair, make sure that you turn off the tap!
Thanks to being able to wash with less detergent and choosing shorter wash cycles, Luxury water helps you save money on your wardrobe too. With less soap residue to wash away clothes feel softer, look vibrant and last longer too. So you don’t need to worry about replacing your favourite clothes so often, the less you buy the more you save for yourself!
If you’re no longer keen on wearing old clothes, a great way to ensure your clothing can be reused is to donate them to a charity of your choice. Not only will you be helping Planet Blue, but it’s also a fantastic way to support the work of some brilliant charities.
With a whole house water softener you can also say to goodbye to limescale in the smallest room in the house too. No more trying to dissolve and scrub away the limescale deposits that settle in the loo. Instead, simply choose an environmental friendly disinfectant to ensure it stays fresh and ready for use.
If you have a dishwasher, use it instead of hand washing dishes. Doing so can save 60% of the water used. Remember to put it on only when it is full!
Remember to save more money by switching the salt setting on your dishwasher to off or low and let your water softener do the rest. There is simply nothing more for the dishwasher’s integral softener to do as your Luxury water softener will supply the whole house with softened water including your dishwasher.
Save on maintenance too for those sophisticated kitchen appliances like steam ovens and coffee makers. These modern devices are designed with narrow water ways which allow water to be heated and turned to steam very quickly. Softened water will keep these water ways and associated nozzles scale free minimising maintenance and possibly additional service visits.
Also, the way you use your kitchen appliances can also help you to save electricity! One great tip is to only fill and boil the kettle with as much water as you need.
There are of course other potential savings too, many of which are personal choices. But our top ten highlights are the ones most of our customers talk to us about. If you already have a softener we would love to hear about your savings and environmental tips too. New to water softening? Then talk to us about all the benefits a Luxury water softener could bring to your home.
By Sanjeev Gangar, our Digital Marketing Assistant