Culligan Blog

This holiday season, many of us will be making our favorite recipes for soups, stocks, sauces and other dishes that demand the finest culinary finesse – but we may unknowingly be using a base ingredient that can compromise the truest taste: untreated tap water.

Here’s how taste can be affected:

• Unfiltered tap water – Water that comes from a municipal water supply is safely regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); however, nearly every water source contains some level of contaminants* that are addressed by adding commonly used disinfectants like chlorine.  Traces of chlorine can produce an unpleasant taste and odor that can taint your water-based recipes; steam used for cooking vegetables, rice and pasta; and even ice cubes used to chill beverages. 
• Unsoftened hard water – Residents on private or community well systems are subject to hard water that may contain a number of odor- and taste-altering impurities*.  For example, sulfur found in some hard water sources contributes to a “rotten egg” smell; iron or copper can produce a metallic aftertaste; and water that flows over rocks, soils and vegetation sometimes contains a salty or bitter taste.

Stir Up Solutions…

If mixing your favorite beverage with stale-tasting ice cubes or dumping chlorinated water into your grandma’s chicken noodle soup isn’t on your recipe card, consider making the most of your tap water. Your local Culligan dealer can provide a free, on-site water analysis to determine which in home solution is best for you.  This might include…

• A system targeted to filter your home’s drinking water for optimal taste and purity
• A solution that softens your water with smart technology to save salt, energy and money
• A 2-in-1 total home system that filters chlorine and softens water throughout your home

…and Help Spare the Environment

Optimizing the taste of your food with quality water also has other “green” benefits that extend to the environment.  For example, using softened water can provide the following advantages:

• Longer equipment lifespan – Minerals such as calcium and magnesium that are dissolved in your tap water tend to settle out when hard water is heated and evaporates.  These minerals accumulate, corrode and clog water-using appliances (i.e. dishwashers, coffee makers, steamers) and other devices, causing increased energy use, a shortened lifespan and premature equipment disposal.  Soft water can help eliminate these issues and extend the life of your appliances.
• Less detergent – Removing spots, stains and scale caused by hard water from your cookware and dishes requires scrubbing with detergents and other harsh chemicals.  The more stubborn the residue, the more cleanser required – contributing to unnecessary environmental waste.  Soft water helps detergents to lather better so cleansing is easier and less soap is needed. 

This holiday season treat yourself to quality water. Not only will you save time cleaning the dishes, but you’ll help save the environment while creating better tasting food to share with the ones you love.

^*Contaminants and impurities are not necessarily in your water.

As we celebrate over 70 years as a world-leading water treatment company, Culligan is thrilled to be part of the 100^th birthday of the Good Housekeeping Seal!  To honor this centennial celebration, Good Housekeeping has launched a traveling exhibit that simulates the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) where all product evaluations are conducted.  That’s the lab that analyzes consumer products, cuts through all the manufacturing “hype” and verifies if the products perform as promised.  The real GHRI has traditionally been closed to outside visitors, and now for the first time, consumers can get an “up close and personal” view of the rigorous testing that products must pass to earn the seal.  This is the hallmark that gives people peace of mind that the products advertised in Good Housekeeping are safe, effective and backed by a two-year limited warranty against being defective.

Most visitors that have seen the exhibit are immediately drawn to this immersive, interactive experience.When they enter what appears to be a spaceship-like dome (the GHRI simulation), they’ll walk through a series of labs with diorama-style windows that provide a peek into the testing procedures, along with a video of each lab’s director explaining the products he/she evaluates. 

Culligan is sponsoring the Kitchen Appliances & Technology Lab, where visitors get to see how better water makes their lives better, along with how other appliances, equipment and utensils used to prepare and store food are reviewed.  Culligan’s portion of the lab features our new Aqua-Cleer® Advanced Drinking Water System – an at-home solution that provides customized water filtration and an economical alternative to bottled drinking water.  In addition to this system, Culligan has seven other drinking water filtration and softening products which have received the Good Housekeeping Seal.  These include: AC-30 Good Water Machine® Drinking Water System; Gold Series™ Whole House Water Filter; Medallist Series™ Whole House Water Filter; Iron-Cleer® Whole House Filter; Platinum Plus Series Water Softener; Gold Series™ Water Softener; and Medallist Series™ Water Softener.

Since the GHRI traveling exhibit began its maiden voyage in September, it has traveled to Tampa, FL and Dallas, TX and is stopping in a total of 11 markets across the country into 2010.  In every community, Culligan dealers have eagerly attended with their customers, and the response has been phenomenal.  In Tampa alone, the GHRI exhibit at the Museum of Science & Industry attracted 13,354 attendees – three times more than what was expected! 

Here are some photos of the GHRI exhibit and the Kitchen Appliances & Technology Lab where Culligan is featured. You can also read Culligan’s press release about the tour at: http://www.culligan.com/Template/PressRelease.aspx?id=1898 or you can visit http://www.culligan.com/goodhousekeping.

More information about the tour including videos, photos, tour schedule and locations, and additional information about the Good Housekeeping Research Institute and Seal can be found at www.GHRIonTOUR.com.

We hope to see you at one of the many GHRI Tour stops in the near future!

Hard water is an all-too-familiar reality for millions of Americans. According to a U.S. Geological Survey, 85 percent of American homes have problems with hard water.  Another new study from the Battelle Memorial Institute showed that after just one week of constant testing with hard water, more than three-fourths of household showerhead nozzles became clogged.

While these findings seem pretty shocking, not everyone experiences the same severity of hardness.  The level of water hardness is typically measured by grains (of mineral) per gallon (GPG), and any water that contains more than 1 GPG of dissolved hardness minerals (i.e. calcium, magnesium carbonate, and manganese) is considered hard, with 10.5 GPG very hard. 

Having been in the water treatment business for more than 70 years, Culligan has been helping homeowners solve their hard water problems with water softening solutions for decades.  Consumers have often asked us, “How I can tell if I have hard water?”  Your local Culligan dealer will come out to your home and perform a professional water analysis to determine the level of hardness (if any) in your water, but here are some quick ways you can tell if you might have hard water. 

10 Signs That Your Water Might Be Too Hard

Check how many of these apply to you:

• Rough, dry, itchy skin?
• Gray, dingy, faded or stiff laundry?  Using fabric softener?
• Soaps that don’t lather or suds enough?
• Limp, lifeless hair?
• Soap scum on bath tub, shower curtain or doors?
• Spots or streaks on silverware, dishes or glasses?
• Scale build-up on faucets or fixtures?
• Damage, repair or replacement of faucets and fixtures?  Major appliances like water heater, dishwasher or washing machine?
• Coffee maker, humidifier or steam iron not working as effectively?
• Replacement/re-plumbing of your home’s pipes?

How many of these apply to you?  We know there’s nothing pleasant about living with hard water.  It’s rough on your skin, your hair, your clothes, your dishes and everything else it touches.  There are many other ways to tell if your water is too hard, but if you feel like your water is not quite the best it can be, it’s time to talk our water experts at Culligan.  Need help finding the local Culligan Man nearest to you?  Click here.