Does a Water Softener Remove Chlorine?

Does a Water Softener Remove Chlorine And How To Remove It?

If you want to have the best quality of water in your home, you might be wondering does a water softener remove chlorine?

The shortest answer is NO. Water softeners are designed to provide soft water, but they do not remove chlorine.



What is a Water Softener?

A water softener is a water purification device that removes hardness minerals such as calcium and magnesium from hard water.

Hard water contains high levels of dissolved minerals, which can cause a buildup of scale in pipes and appliances.

Water softeners use a process called ion exchange to replace calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions, resulting in softened water.

What is Chlorine?

Chlorine is a chemical added in water treatment plants of municipal water supply systems to kill harmful bacteria, but it can also have negative effects on your skin, hair, and clothes. In this article, we will explore whether a water softener can effectively remove chlorine from your water supply.

Chlorine is a highly reactive gas that is used in the production of a wide range of products, including PVC, solvents, and insecticides.

Chlorine is also added in the water chlorination process to water supplies to kill bacteria and other harmful microorganisms, and keep the water microbiologically safe.

Effects of Chlorine in Water

While chlorine is effective at killing bacteria, it can also have negative effects on your skin, hair, and clothes.

While chlorine unquestionably makes our water safer, its use raises some health-related questions.

Chlorinated water can sometimes lead to skin dryness and irritation, and prolonged exposure to chlorinated steam in showers can irritate the respiratory tract. Also, harmful chlorine can dry out your skin and hair, making it itchy and flaky.

water for hair wash and care
Chlorine has bad effects for hair wash and care

However, these effects are generally mild and vary from person to person.

It can also cause your clothes to fade and deteriorate more quickly.

Does a Water Softener Remove Chlorine?

While water softeners are effective at removing minerals such as calcium and magnesium from hard water, they are not designed to remove chlorine.

High concentrations of chlorine in water can even shorten the lifetime of water softener resin.

So How do You Remove Chlorine From Tap Water?

Activated carbon filters are the best way to remove chlorine from tap water.

There are many different water filters on the market. Any kind of water filter that has an activated carbon filter will remove harmful chlorine from water.

What is the Best Way to Remove Chlorine and Have Chlorine Free Water?

If You don’t have excess chlorine content in your water, the best way to provide drinking water without chlorine is to use a combination of a water softener and a drinking water filter.

This means that You have a whole house water softener and a POU reverse osmosis for drinking water purification.

This way You have chlorinated water in your house that is microbiologically safe, and removed chlorine from your drinking water.

If You have excess chlorine quantities in your water, it would be the best to remove chlorine completely before it enters your home.

You can be sure to have excess levels of chlorine if your water has a swimming pool smell.

Chlorine removal can be done easily with whole house filters with activated granular carbon cartridges or carbon block cartridges, like a Big Boy Water Filter.

Big Boy Water Filter is the Best Way to Improve Water Quality
Big Boy Water Filter is the Best Way to Improve Water Quality in your Home.

So, do water softeners remove chlorine?

No, water softeners do not remove chlorine. As water softening is not a way for chlorine removal, the activated carbon filters are the right solution for better tasting water and complete chlorine removal.

FAQs

Is chlorine the only option for water disinfection?
No, there are alternative methods such as UV disinfection and ozone treatment that are gaining popularity due to their effectiveness and fewer associated drawbacks.

Does filtered water contain chlorine?
No, many water filtration systems are designed to remove chlorine, improving the taste and odor of tap water.

Can chlorinated water be harmful to pets?
Just like humans, pets can also experience skin and respiratory irritation from chlorinated water, although the effects are generally minor.

How can I reduce chlorine exposure during showers?
Using a shower filter or taking shorter showers can help reduce exposure to chlorinated steam and its potential irritations.

Is bottled water chlorine-free?
Bottled water should not contain chlorine since it’s often sourced from natural springs or purified using methods that eliminate the need for chlorine disinfection.



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Does a Water Softener Remove Chlorine And How To Remove It? 11

Who am I?

I am working as a water treatment technical manager and I have more than 25 years of practical experience in water purification.

Water purification expert

After many years of experience in water purification, I want to share some of my knowledge and get people to know the real importance of water quality.

Water purification and water treatment are very complex themes, so it is important to explain them in an easy-to-read way.

On this blog, you will find many understandable, easy-to-read information about water purification.

I hope you enjoy it, find some useful information, and thank You for reading.


More info on my work and my expertise on water purification can be found on my LinkedIn profile.