Hard Water Helper

Hard water can make for less-than-ideal laundry outcomes. We're talking stains, smells, holes, relaxed elastics, and loss of waterproofing on performance fabrics. If your water has a high mineral content, treating it is crucial to protect your garments and ensure your detergent can do its job properly. This is especially important when laundering cloth diapers, which are heavily soiled and washed frequently.

Our all-natural Hard Water Helper powder works as a companion to your detergent to soften the wash water on contact, allowing for the same deep, effective clean you’d get if you had soft/normal water.

Beyond just cleaning, it protects your garments from damage. By neutralizing minerals before they can settle into fibers, it prevents the premature degradation (holes and tears) and stiffness caused by buildup. It’s an essential step to keeping your fabrics and elastics intact through years of use.

For best results, we recommend pairing your Hard Water Helper with our Washing Powder, Softening Rinse and Enzyme Stain Buster!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Hard Water Helper is only needed when washing in mineral-dense water. Not sure if you have hard water? We recommend testing with our Esembly Hard Water Test Strips before use.

Important: Hard Water Helper is only needed if you have mineral-dense water. We recommend testing with our Water Hardness Test Kit to determine your "ppm" before use.

Using the table below, add Hard Water Helper to every wash cycle along with your laundry detergent. If laundering cloth diapers, be sure to add the Helper to both wash cycles.

0-90 ppm: Your water is Soft-Normal. No Helper needed.

90-120 ppm: Your water is Moderate. Add 2 Tbsp (1 Blue Scoop*) of Helper to each wash cycle.

120-180 ppm: Your water is Hard. Add 3 Tbsp (1.5 Blue Scoops*) of Helper to each wash cycle.

180-250+ ppm: Your water is Very Hard. Add 4 Tbsp (2 Blue Scoops*) of Helper to each wash cycle.

1 Hard Water Helper pouch contains 64 Tbs (or 32 Blue Scoops*).

*Blue Scoop refers to the scoop that comes with Esembly Washing Powder Canister. No scoop is included with the Hard Water Helper.

Formulated for use in standard and HE machines.

For more detailed laundering instructions, visit our How it Works page.

Be sure to zip the Hard Water Helper pouch closed completely when not in use to avoid caking/clumping.

Store in a cool, dry place out of reach of pets and children. Use only as directed. For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes. 

Two commonly used hard water softeners are Borax and Calgon. Here's how our Hard Water Helper compares:

Hard Water Helper vs. Borax: Borax is a precipitating water softener, meaning it binds with minerals and turns them into a fine, insoluble sediment. This sediment can get trapped in absorbent fibers—leading to fabric stiffness. Our Hard Water Helper’s ingredients work differently. They grab the calcium and magnesium ions in the water, keeping them liquid-soluble so they rinse straight down the drain without leaving stiffening sediment behind.

Hard Water Helper vs. Calgon: Calgon relies on synthetic polycarboxylates, strong artificial fragrances, and chemical additives to soften water. Hard Water Helper is 100% all-natural, biodegradable, and fragrance-free. It softens your water as effectively as Calgon while being non-toxic and non-irritating for the most sensitive skin.

Size: 2 lbs / 0.91 kgs
64 Tbs or 32 Blue Scoops*

*Blue Scoop refers to the scoop that comes with Esembly Washing Powder Canister. No scoop is included with the Hard Water Helper.

Ingredients: Sodium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Poly(itaconic) acid

Free Of: Fragrance, Dyes, Softeners, Parabens, 1,4 Dioxane, Optical Brighteners, SLS/SLES

EWG Verification pending

Leaping Bunny Certified

Made in the USA