Most people are comfortable with the idea of using rainwater for washing clothes or flushing toilets, but some have reservations about bathing, showering or drinking rainwater.
Provided that you take simple precautions, rainwater is perfectly safe to drink (read more in our article Is it Safe to Drink Water from Rainwater Tanks?). Since it is safe to drink rainwater, it follows that bathing and showering in rainwater is an economical and safe way to use rainwater. Not only that, using rainwater for bathing has some great health advantages.
Rainwater is Kind on Your Body
Rainwater is naturally soft, meaning there are less minerals dissolved in it than hard water. This is because rainwater has not flowed over rocks, through rivers etc. and picked up the salts and minerals that groundwater or mains supply might.
Your hair loves water that is soft, has a neutral pH and is free of heavy metals. Rainwater fits this perfectly. Also, if you don’t need to chlorinate your rainwater, that’s even better.
For the same reasons, your skin loves the purity and neutral pH of rainwater. If you have sensitive skin, it can reduce some symptoms associated with hard water.
Detergents and soaps also work more effectively in soft water. You will be able to get a great lather on your soap and you won’t need to use as much to get clean. This also goes for washing clothes and the dishes – even washing-up liquid lasts longer in rainwater!
What Precautions Should I Take?
To enjoy the refreshing feeling of a rainwater shower or bath, you don’t necessarily need to treat rainwater heavily to make it safe. You should always have a filter in your rainwater system, but whether you need further decontamination depends on the pollution in your area and around your house.
If you need to, there are a number of additional cleansing processes that can be added to a rainwater system to give you high quality drinkable water. A common addition is a UV light over your tank, which kills harmful bacteria. It is important that you contact a specialist to design and install this as incorrect installation can lead to your water not being decontaminated properly.
We can give you expert advice to understand whether you might need additional cleaning equipment and how to choose the right size tank for your needs. If you plan to use rainwater for bathing and drinking, it’s important you have enough storage.
Water Savings
After you’ve installed a rainwater system, the water you use from it isn’t charged. So it makes sense to use rainwater for as much of your water needs as you can. If you have enough rainfall and storage to use rainwater for bathing, it would be yet another saving you could make by switching to a rainwater system.
Rainwater systems reduce your water bill significantly, and allow you to use your stored water as you like, avoiding mains water restrictions in drier periods. If you feel like an indulgent bath, you can have one knowing that the water is free and fell in its purest form from the sky.
More Information
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