Soft Water Heater Purchased and Installed

We use The Works. It comes in Tub and Shower Cleaner (spray bottle) for sinks, tubs, etc. and also The Works Toilet Bowl Cleaner. It is really strong. I've also used a toilet bowl cleaner called Kaboom. If you get a water softener use the green salt bags instead of the yellow ones. The green ones have rust remover in them.

the works toilet bowl cleaner and rust stain remover in brown bottle from walmart works wonders and safe for clothing too.

Hello M.,
Since water softeners are expensive, the next best option is renting. My husband use to own a water softener company and we had many rentals. It would be a good option until your finanaces were more in line with purchasing.... then you may have the option to buy the unit that you are renting. Also, there is a product called Iron Out. It could be used to clean your toilets and if I remember correctly can also be used in laundry.... but please read the label. It is not to terribly expensive... I imagine under $5( but it has been awhile since I have even looked at a bottle of it!) Try looking in hardware stores, possibly Walmart, Menards may carry it..... Good Luck!
A.

The only thing I've found to work well on Iron stains is a product called Iron Out. It comes in a powdered form. I use it a couple times a year on my dishwasher, washing machine and toilets.

C.
Mother of a 4 year old girl
Woodstock

This is in regard to the stains. I also have iron water that stains everything. For the bathtub and I totaly discovered this by accident, Sno Bowl toilet bowl cleaner, the only place I can find it is the Family Dollar stores, its just a couple bucks. Mix half and half with water and spray on, you'll see the iron stains disappear as you spray, then just rinse and wipe. Have been cleaning with this for about a year and a half now and so far the only thing to remeber where as it does not harm the tub make sure to rinse well before wiping or else just use an old rag cause eventually the Sno Bowl and water will make holes in the rag used after a few washings.

I also live in Bartlett and experienced similiar problems to yours except for the rust issue. Our old softener broke and within months we had hard water stains on everything. It basically ruined the inside of our brand new dishwasher. We ended up purchasing a new softener from Sears. It is a Kenmore model and it works great. We didn't do enough research because we ended up spending extra money on the larger model which we didn't need. It was a couple of years ago that we purchased it and I think we spent around $700 for the unit. They do have smaller units which are less expensive. It was worth the money too. It is all digital and you program it to your needs. It also lets you know when you need to add more salt which our other unit didn't do. We did have to change around some of the water pipes to accomadate the new unit so if you don't know someone who can do that you may have to hire someone. Either way you should do something soon before the water begins to ruin things. Good luck!
M.

I agree with the rental idea until you can afford to purchase your own. You should do something soon though, because you're going to end up ruining all your white clothes too! If you find something that works on the rust stains please let me know. Our softener broke and within one week all the toilets and tubs were stained and we've tried everything to no avail! When you buy salt I would recommend the green bags for rust removal.

I too have extremely hard water. Like you, I can't afford a water softner right now, & I wash all dishes by hand. I have found a very inexspensive way to remove the stains from silver ware, glass ware, toilet & faucets. VINEGAR. Once a month I soak glasses in a hot water vinegar mix. For the toilet just pour it on a scrubbie sponge & well, scrub. CLR will not work, in fact I have found that nothing else really does the trick without killing your self scrubbing. Hope this helps.
A.

Hello M.,

Our water softener was installed by Angel Water in Barrington, although we weren't the owners who purchased the unit, we have called Angel Water more than once. They were so helpful and answered all of our questions over the phone without having someone come over.
We had them come out and test our pH to see if the water softener was working properly, they were great and I don't remember it being too costly.

We did our own. My husband is a little handy, but we bought one from Menards one that is made for extra Iron. However, once you get it installed, using hydrogen proxide to get all the stains off is very cheap and easy way to remove the rust stains...I was amazed at how well it cleans it, I ran it through the washer, dishwasher etc. and that is so cheap!

Hi M.,

I live in unicorporated Medinah and have well and septic so I know what its like to deal with the rust stains. I use Iron Out in my toilet. Just sprinkle some in and let it sit for a short time and then flush. It is strong so you don't want to stay in the room while it soaks, but works like a charm. For my sinks I use Bartenders Keeper. You can usually find it near the Comet and other cleaners at the store. Also, a liquid alternative to the BT Keeper is a cleaner called Zuds (I believe). Its in a yellow squeeze bottle also in the same area of cleaning products at the store. Hope this helps you for now. Good Luck.

Hi M.~
While I don't have much advice for an inexpensive water softener, I wanted to let you know that my neighbor & good friend is a licensed plumber. He has been out of work for a few weeks now, but is still out and about doing side jobs. If you're interested in having one installed, you can send me a message & I can get cost info for you. He's really good at working with peoples' financial needs, especially in these times.
J.

Hi M.. My name is E. (pronounced Eeva) and my husband and I own a local plumbing company. You can read our review under the Local Business Reviews tab.
Anyway, although we don't install water softeners ourselves, I can recommend a great company that does.
The name is Angel Water Conditioning, Inc. out of Barrington. We know the owner, and he prides himself on service and industry knowledge. I'm pretty sure they'll come out and give you an estimate for free.
They'll be honest about what you need and what your options are. Give them a call. Tell 'em MasterCraft Plumbing sent you. Good luck.

Angel Water Conditioning
214 S. Hager
Barrington, IL 60010
http://www.angelwater.org/index.html

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The Joliet water we get is also very hard. Try adding about a 1/2 cup of vinegar to every load in your dishwasher. Just pour it in the bottom of the basin. It's totally natural, very cheap, and worked wonderfully for us. My dishes sparkle and I'll never buy jet dry again!

To M. C.
You can do some research & find a licensed plumber that can do the job as a side JOB. Most companies are very fair to installations. Also, ask around, my husband is a licensed Plumber & there a many plumbers & companies that are very good to do the installation. Just ask around. The water softener will help a great deal & save you money later on. Good Luck. K. W

Hi Michelle,

I had the same problem out where I am with hard water although we never had problems with rust- you just feel it on your skin and hair when showering. I called a few places and found our best option was to rent one, we could not afford the initial cost of purchasing one. After a couple of years they give you the option to buy it out or continue on the renting. We have just continued to rent it since they will come out and service it as needed if there is ever a problem and replace it even if necessary.

We do have to make sure that there is always salt in the thing, usually about 2 bags of salt a month. But even with the salt we do notice a residue/spots on our sink and tubs... not sure why, maybe our soap?!?!? But I just use vinegar to clean that. For our toilets I do vinegar and baking soda....I have never had problems with rust so not sure what to suggest for you for that, maybe try the same for that as well?

Good luck and blessings to you!

M.,
Hopefully you found someone to help you-But have you tried CLR to clean it is supposed to be safe to use..Good Luck

Lemi-shine Lemi-shine Lemi-shine...did I say Lemi-shine?
We have very rusty water, all the time. I found a product called Lemi-shine in the dishwasher detergent aisle. I buy it at Target and Jewel, for sure. It is organic. I was ready to throw all my glasses, dishes, sinks, tubs and toilets away due to the ugly brown stains. This stuff is miraculous. It is not expensive. It works so much better than anything I have ever tried. Then maybe you can save for a water softener.I don't like soft water, so I am looking into that tub-less electric softener. Good luck!