Explain the Slimy Feeling With Soft Water
Question:
Dear Mr. Timmons, You may have received questions similar to the one that I will pose to you from others, but I am quite confused as to what I have read on the internet. Please allow me to provide you with details. When I take a shower, I want to feel as if all of the soap, body oils, and grime will come off my body immediately. I do not mind if my skin comes out extremely dry after showering. I want to feel clean and I can always put on lotion if my skin is too dry. I have lived in southeastern Kentucky for many years and I have never had any issues while showering. I contacted my municipal water manager here in Hazard, Kentucky and he informed me that the water hardness of our town is usually around 180 parts per million and runs a range of 160-240 ppm at the extremes. The pH is usually around 7.4. During my college and medical training, I have lived in Lexington, KY; Louisville, KY; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Silver Spring, MD; and Burbank, CA. I have never had any problems while showering in those communities.
One time, we visited family friends in rural Iowa and taking a shower was an unpleasant experience. It felt as if the soap would not come off my body no matter how much water I used. When I visit my brother in Las Vegas, NV, it is the same problem with taking a shower - the soap does not feel as if it is coming off at all. I do not know if he has a water softener. When I visit my parents in New Tampa, FL the same situation as with my brother - I can't stand taking a shower as it feels that the soap will not come off no matter how much water that I use. I have read conflicting information on the internet. Some sources state that hard water causes the problems that I experience with showering in IA, NV, and my parents home in FL. Other sources say that it is probably a water softener used to lessen spots on dishes, etc., that cause that slimy feeling of not being able to get soap off of me during showering.
I read your article that states that it is actually a "silky" feeling. I respectfully disagree with your characterization of "silky" as it is a markedly uncomfortable feeling and I have noted that acne seems to be worse when I am visiting my parents as the oils are not effectively removed from my skin. My parents told me that they have a filter for their home, but I am not certain that it is "softening" the water and that is why showering is such an unpleasant experience. The reason that I am sending this e-mail is that I will be moving to the Tampa area to work. I will be renting an apartment in Brandon, FL and I am not certain as to whether I should get some sort of water treatment system or if I should just try the city water first. Most of the literature seems to point to "soft" water as the culprit for the markedly uncomfortable feeling while showering. Some say it is "hard" water. Please explain and advise.
Thank you very much. -G
The Water Doctor's Response:
Dear G, First of all, I will just deal with the facts. Whether the water is silky or slimy is a perception, not a fact. I know many people who feel it is silky and I know many who think it is slimy. Do you like Coke or Pepsi? That's personal taste - you can't say one is better than another to everyone - just you. I love baseball and another person may hate it, so when we go to a game together, he is bored and I am engaged. We are in the same place, so it is our own perception that changes everything. I just wanted to make that point.
Here are the FACTS:
1. Calcium and magnesium are “hard” minerals which combine with soap and form “curd” and suds.
2. This calcium and magnesium and soap curd does lodge in the pores of your skin in hard water.
3. Since there is no calcium or magnesium in soft water, the sodium which is a “soft” mineral, combines with the soap to form suds, without curd.
4. There is no calcium and magnesium in the water and no curd, and sodium does not stick in your skins' pores.
5. Use a pure soap like Ivory - wash one hand with soft water and rinse - it will fell slick - then wash the other with hard water - it will feel “squeaky clean.” Then taste both hands. You will taste soap only on the hard water side. Therefore the soap is gone.
6. Many people with sensitive skin break out when they bathe in hard water. I have seen people with eczema-like skin problems have clear skin after a few days with soft water.
7. There is no soap residue left when you shower in soft water.
8. There is soap residue left on the skin when you shower in hard water.
9. I cannot say why acne would occur in soft water unless the skin is stimulated by the lack of calcium and magnesium in the pores to produce oil.
10. Some people love the slick feeling - others hate the slimy feeling - it's all about perception!
11. With soft water, you get the following benefits over hard water:
b. 30% saving on water heating energy.
c. Dramatically increases the life of all water using appliances and plumbing appliances.
d. Delivers spot-free dishes in the dishwasher.
e. Cuts cleaning time in showers and sinks. Those are the facts.
This is why we offer traditional salt based water softener solutions as well as salt free water conditioners
135 Comments
Thanks for sharing your expertise. There’s one part that I’m having difficulty wrapping my brain around and would love further explanation. If it isn’t soap residue causing the slick feeling of my soft water, why do I perceive that sensation only after applying soap? Also, after excessive rinsing and rubbing of hands, why does that slick feeling dissipate?
Water acts as a trigger for oil glands to secrete oil and when you rub it much like rubbing lotion into your skin.
The taste test tells the tale.
Perhaps you missed my first question. If it’s water triggering glands to release oil, why do I only perceive the slick feeling when I apply soap? This morning, I even waited a few minutes before applying soap in the shower. Again, the slick sensation was only apparent after applying soap.
As far as using a taste test, relying on human senses presents many challenges, including to objectivity. I often have to result to sensory evaluation in my work, usually smell and taste, and often find it difficult to remain objective when I’m looking for a particular smell or flavor to either prove my hypothesis or to approve a product for the next step of production. I’m not saying your taste test isn’t scientific, just that it has pitfalls. You should always consider you might be falling victim to your own confirmation bias. On August 19th, 2017, your reply to a comment quoting a scientist on this issue seemed dismissive and defensive rather than properly addressing statements and questions that go against your own theories. As an outside observer, these types of responses lead me to believe you may not be objective in viewing the issue of soft water/soap residue scientifically, instead trying to “win” an argument or advance an agenda selling more water softeners. I came across your blog post because I simply wanted to understand why it feels like I can’t rinse soap off my skin in soft water. I’ve performed your taste test multiple times with no discernible difference between hard and soft water leaving a soapy taste on my skin. That includes not tasting a more soapy skin after rinsing with soft water, so there is a possibility of validity in your claims. Your theory may indeed be correct, but your blog post and comments have produced an opinion on my part of bias on yours. I will continue to look for more scientific answers elsewhere.
Timbo,
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I am not a scientist, but I must point out that to do a “taste test” you have to use a strong, pure soap like Ivory. Unless one has issues with taste or smell, I have never seen anyone say they could taste it on the water that was soft or not taste it on the hand that was rinsed in hard water and I have done that test dozens of times, mostly with skeptics.
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I am biased to the test technology. I admit that. Let me give you another example: wash a load of clothes in hard water and the next day wash them in soft water, Don’t add soap – there’s enough in the fibers to produce a good suds! But if you wash them in soft water, you can’t pull that trick in reverse.
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Finally, my shower doors have not been cleaned for two weeks and they are sparking clean and I do not wipe it down or squeegee it. Look at someones shower with hard water and you will see a pattern of soap film all over it. The soap stick and does not wash off like in soft water.
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I hate the sticky feeling of hard water and love the slick, silky feeling of soft water, but readily admit that not everyone feels the same way, which is why we sell many other systems that do not produce that feeling. I am only telling you what I like and what the results are.
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You should talk to a scientist. Let me know what you find out.
I live in an apartment complex…3rd floor. During hurricane Harvey, our water was off and on several times. My complex was not flooded, but water was off for several hours at a time. We were asked to boil water at one point before drinking because the water level had gone down. Since then (that was in September), the water seems to feel “oily” leaving beads of water on body and in tub; also in the sinks when washing hands. The water has no odor and looks clear. Should I test the water….or get it tested. Thanks!
It could not hurt to test it. That sounds strange.
EVERYONE: Mark Timmons is FULL OF IT! He sells water softeners and will type any bullchit to sell his USELESS, DISGUSTING, TOXIC, HARMFUL CHEMICALS. The end result is the same: YOU CANNOT RINSE THE SOAP OFF YOUR SKIN WITH WATER SOFTENERS! You cannot become clean. It feels DISGUSTING! Why pay money for something not only annoying and completely useless but also AGGRAVATING AND HARMFUL? water softeners are peeling my skin off! People who buy water softeners and force it onto unsuspecting tenants deserve only one fate!
I am 64 years-old and have been bathing in soft water all my life (my father was in the water business). Why isn’t my skin or my kids skin or millions of other peopel who have soft water losing their skin?
I am full of it? Everything you say has ZERO basis in fact. Is the last sentence a threat to someone?
When I moved into my apartment the water was soft, then two wks or so later, this changed. It is now hard. I’m still buying my drinking water but could the reason for the change be that the water was; but isn’t treated regularly; or visa vera?
Water softener makes the water horrible! It feels very slimy and sticky. Absolutely horrible. I can’t get the soap off. I hate softened water.
I cannot make you like Pepsi or Brussel Sprouts and I would never try to force you to like soft water, because that is 100% subjective. However, saying that soft water does not get the sop off is 100% demonstrably untrue. That can easily be disproved.
Hard water feels horrible to me as it is very sticky and you cannot wash off the soap. The fact that it feels horrible to me is subjective but I can prove beyond shadow of a doubt that it does not rinse the sop off.
If you want to believe that you cannot wash the soap off with soft water, maybe that makes you happy and frequently, ignorance is bliss!
I do not know unless you could provide a water analysis.
What do people do when dishes are getting slippery using a water softener? I’ve almost dropped a couple. All other benefits I like.
I have had a water softener in another house in the same area and that water was not slippery on anything. Is there an explanation for that? I was not expecting the slippery part when we put in a water softener a few week ago. I’ll get used to it in the bath I guess.
Rinse it before picking it up… with the soap gone, it will be much less slippery without the soap.
We are buying a new water softener. We’ve lived without one for the last 6 months and my skin is dry. flaky and itchy. When washing my hair, it feels sticky and unclean. After rinsing off in the shower, my hand sticks to my skin. Hours later I can smell soap still. Some may like that but to me it simply means I still have soap on my body.
To the jihadist saying soft water is the end of humanity – it’s simply not your preference. And I’m a LITTLE confused about the chemicals of mass destruction you feel are being introduced into our environment? Your preference is not my preference and it’s a little sad you think you know what’s best for me especially after your clear demonstration of not knowing the simplest of facts.
Be well my opinionated “friend”.