Is Water softener or Scalewatcher the answer to skin allergy

[masona]

My wife for the last 2-3 years have been having skin rash itching allergy problem and according to her GP today quoting "It's the hard water problem".

I have no idea if a water softener or scalewatcher is the answer. I'm confused with all these misleading claims out there.

Would it be the answer to cure or help skin allergy?

 

[Nige F]

I do know that proper softened water ( ion exchange - salt filled ) is much more pleasant for a dry skin ( like psoriasis , for instance ) Hope this helps - don`t waste your money on water " conditioners " though

 

[mickyg]

get a proper water softener, dont waste your money on anything else no matter how great the claims.

 

[flameport]

Water softener - possibly.

Scalewatcher and all of the other electronic mystery boxes with coils of wire, magnets, radio waves and such - total rubbish and will do nothing.

 

[Agile]

Unless she spends a lot of time in water I am not convinced that softened water will help that much.

Better I would have thought to try to diagnose what the problem is caused by. Sometimes stress and sometimes an allergy. Often difficult to identify too.

Reminds me of when I saw a rash on the arm of one of the secretaries and I said " I see you have an allergy rash"! She asked me how I knew that because it had taken three doctors to identify it.

But if you dont mind the typical installation cost of £400-£900 then by all means try it.

It should feed all the house apart from the mains cold tap in the kitchen.

Tony

 

[mickyg]

Unless she spends a lot of time in water I am not convinced that softened water will help that much

actually it does, softened water is a massive help for skin problems. As it says in the OP she has seen her GP, who I'm sure knows more than you about medical conditions.

 

[Agile]

We all have the same skin.

If only the hard water was to blame then it would affect everyone in the house ( or rather the entire area! ).

 

[mickyg]

We all have the same skin.

If only the hard water was to blame then it would affect everyone in the house ( or rather the entire area! ).

no one said the water was to blame. crikey tony i know your not that stupid.
Softer water is kinder to the skin than hard water and especially those with skin conditions. how hard is that to understand???

 

[JohnD]

I see you are in Essex.

I bought my last one from a chap in Essex who reconditions them, at a considerable saving.

PM me if you want his details

p.s.
I too find softened water is kinder to the skin.

 

[Dan Robinson]

It takes less than half a day for my missus to start chewing my ear off when our salt has run out.

Fook knows what Tony is on about, but there is a definite improvement.; and a couple of our clients with eczema have been very happy with the results.

I would say that it is not a guaranteed thing though as it varies from person to person.

 

[JohnD]

because it dissolves soap and cleaners better, I think it rinses residues out of the washing more effectively. You also need much less soap, shampoo, fabsoft, kitchen and bathroom cleaners etc with softened water, which may also help.

And you get a closer shave as the razor glides over the chin better.

 

[Agile]

Yes, John, of course almost all of those things are correct.

With the sole exception of rinsing washed clothes where unsoftened water is best.

 

[JohnD]

why?

 

[Dan Robinson]

If you have the softener set too high then rinsing suds out can be a bit of a mission.

Set it right and it isn't a problem.


The test kits you get are pants. Mine said I needed to set ours to something like 250ppm... Leaving it at 180 was spot on.

Based on the "ball-ache-o'meter".

 

[Agile]

why?

Unfortunately I dont remember ever knowing what the reason is. Only that commercial laundry operators know that rinse water should not be softened and the difference is quite dramatic.

I used to be on the committee of the London Launderette Operators Association!

Tony