Hard or soft. The type of water in your home can have a huge effect on your laundry. Soap and detergents do not work well with hard water, with dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium, inhibiting the effectiveness of many cleaning products. Soap scum and mineral residue could leave your clothes becoming dull and discoloured far quicker when frequently washed in hard water. Not only this, these mineral residues often result in hard and scratchy towels and sheets that can irritate skin. Soft water on the other hand gives fabrics a fluffy and comfy look and feel against skin, and leaves clothes looking new for longer.