Hard water makes your whites gray and your clothes stiff. Add washing soda (sodium carbonate) or a commercial water softener like Calgon to each load. It binds to the minerals so your detergent can do its job. Your favorite shirt will thank you.
Also, stop using fabric softener. It coats your clothes in chemicals that don’t rinse well in hard water. Use a cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle instead—no, your clothes won’t smell like salad. The smell vanishes when dry.
