Month: November 2021

Equipping yourself with reusable bottles can serve two important purposes – keeping you hydrated by having a convenient source of water you can carry around with you, and helping to reduce your plastic waste by stopping you from buying as many single-use plastic bottles. Choosing a bottle or bottles that you like will make it all the more likely that you keep using them and remember to bring them with you when you’re heading to work or out and about.

Reusable water bottle materials

You’ll find reusable water bottles in various materials, including plastic, although you’ll still be saving lots of plastic by reusing one plastic bottle over and over again rather than buying single-use water bottles. Stainless steel water bottles are also a popular choice, which are nice and durable and insulative, helping to keep your drink at the right temperature. Other options include aluminum bottles, which are slightly more lightweight than stainless steel, and glass bottles, also these can be prone to breaking.

Different drinking mechanisms

How you drink from your water bottle can also vary slightly from one bottle to the next. Do you unscrew a lid and drink from it like you would from a glass? There may be a smaller opening to drink from rather than one the full diameter of the bottle. And there are bottles where you have to squeeze or suck the water out, and some with built-in straws that you drink from.

Novelty water bottles

There are various gimmicks when it comes to reusable water bottles, too, some useful and others just for fun. Your bottle may simply have a nice pattern or design on it, or a popular character or franchise, especially great for encouraging kids to drink more water. Some may have novelties like changing color when you fill them or glowing in the dark, for example. Some may have markings on them to show you how much you should drink by a certain time of day.

Collapsible water bottles

If you carry your water bottle with you when you’re out and about, while hiking for example, then you might get annoyed with how much space it takes up in your bag. Collapsible water bottles expand to their full shape/size when you fill them, and then can be folded up or collapsed when they are empty, allowing them to take up less space the more you drink from it.

Infuser bottles

If you want to enhance the taste of your water, then a bottle with a built-in infuser is a great idea. You can add fresh fruit or veg to the infuser, such as lemon or cucumber, to infuse your water with those flavors.

Make sure you’ve also got a supply of fresh, spring water at home or at work, so you can always fill your bottle up with good-tasting water. Contact Mountain Park Spring Water to find out more about our bottled water delivery service and our equipment such as water coolers.

You may have heard people complaining about hard water in their homes, or comparing the benefits of hard water with soft water. A water softener is an installation that can turn hard water into soft water, but what exactly does this mean, and why would you need to use one?

What is hard and soft water?

The “hardness” of your water supply comes down to the amount of naturally occurring minerals in the water. Hard water contains a much higher concentration of these minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, which it picks up in trace amounts no the way to your faucet, from the inside of the pipes, for example.

Hard water is not dangerous to drink. In fact, people often prefer hard drinking water over soft water because the minerals can add a pleasant taste, as well as contributing to your daily intake of those minerals. However, hard water can have side effects when it comes to bathing, washing your hair, and washing clothes and dishes.

How to tell if you have hard water

The most obvious signs that you have hard water in your home can be seen on your glasses and dishes. After washing your dishes or removing them from the dishwasher, you may notice that they’re not entirely clean. If you have hard water, then spots are typically left behind where the water has dried. These are mineral deposits left behind on your dishes and glassware.

Hard water can also leave mineral stains behind on your clothes after washing them, and you may notice things like dry, irritated skin and hair that’s drier and more brittle after washing. Less noticeable side effects include mineral deposits building up inside your pipes and an increase in limescale build-up around your plumbing fixtures.

Using a water softener

If you are having problems with hard water in your home, then you can have a home softener system installed to extract the mineral ions out of your water before it is dispensed from the faucet or showerhead. This will help to prevent all of the effects of hard water listed above, but it is important to regularly clean and maintain the softener to ensure that it is working properly and does not cause contamination of your water. But consider the extra costs of installing and running a water softener before making the decision for your home.

If you’re using a water softener in your home but prefer the taste of mineral-rich water, then you can benefit from a spring water delivery service from Mountain Park Spring Water, delivering fresh and tasty water around Virginia and North Carolina.