We have had several customers recently mention that they have ordered our non slip bath stickers because their baths and showers had become very slippery after installing water softeners. And I have heard people who have recently got water softeners comment that their skin feels ‘slippery’ even after bathing. So whats it all about?

Having looked into a bit, it looks like its all down to the myth of being ‘squeaky clean’. Most of up grew up when ‘hard water’ was the norm and hard water leaves an insoluble residue on your hair, skin and bath which causes it to create friction and to ‘squeak’. So we believed that we were ‘squeaky clean’. However, it turns out that the opposite is true and it should be called ‘squeaky dirty’!

For baths and showers, having ‘hard water’ means that you get a ring of residue on your bath tub, which can actually help provide a little bit of friction under foot and therefore helps the bath not to feel so slippery. So when people install water softeners they can find for the first time that their ‘soft water’ does not cause this build up and therefore the side-effect is that the bath tub can be a bit more slippery.

There are many benefits of soft water including needing to use less soap and detergents in washing, skin and hair feeling softer and less damage to plumbing appliances.

But just watch out in your bath and shower because soft water is slippery, and make sure you install some anti slip bath stickers so you can bath and shower more safely.