Image courtesy of Money Talks News

We know we’re right in the middle of Drinking Water Month, but it’s never a bad time to remind you, our Culligan friends, of the benefits of soft water. Most importantly, the traditional water softener.

A recent article in MoneyTalksNews reminds us, yet again, of the benefits of soft water, and that hard water could be costing you hard cash. The article states that hard water runs through the homes of at least 85 percent of Americans, taking years off their appliances, among other unfortunate side effects.

Some people wonder about the benefits of a salt-less water softener, but the marketing of the product could be misleading a lot of us.

You might remember this post from last year, but we’ve once before (OK, maybe twice, but who’s counting?) offered a warning about “salt-less” water softeners, or magnetic water conditioners. As water softening is an ionic process, the magnetic water conditioning does not actually soften water. Yet many consumers are attracted by its misconceptions.

We may be champions of our own water softening products, but we aren’t biased against these salt-free water softener devices. There have been a host of third-party independent lab tests done that have shown that these water systems don’t deliver the benefits of soft water:

• Check out what the Army Corp of Engineers found out in their study here.
• How about the WQA here?
• Penn State and Purdue University have their own research results here and here.

See what we mean?

Does your home have hard water? Contact your Culligan Man, and see what we can do for you!

How much water do YOU drink each day?

Dehydration is as simple as it sounds: your body doesn’t have enough water and fluids. In its most mild forms, you may be tired or irritable. Perhaps you have dry mouth. But as it gets more severe, it can cause dizziness, increase your heart rate, or lead to seizures. That’s a worst-case-scenario situation, but you can see how much your health can devolve without enough water.

Fortunately, prevention is simple: drink your water. The National Institute of Health offers some suggestions:

• Even when you’re healthy, drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• When it’s hot outside, drink more.
• Always encourage a person who is sick, and thus more susceptible to dehydration, to drink plenty of fluids.

Pretty simple, huh? One of our surefire ways to keep hydrated is to never leave home without our favorite water bottle, always filled with water. Are you sipping soda or coffee throughout the day? Switch to water. Make a goal. For example, urge yourself to drink three full bottles of water during the work day. One in the morning, one during lunch, one as the day winds down.

As long as you stay hydrated, do what you’ve gotta do. How much water do you drink during an average day? Share your tips with us on Facebook!

“It is a family event,” Alison Casey, resource development coordinator with Hospice, told the Peterborough Examiner. “We had generations of families. I was ecstatic with the numbers. We have an incredible community that shows a lot of generosity and caring.”

The 5.4-kilometer walk through Millennium Park benefited Peterborough Hospice. Volunteers and local businesses offered their goods and services to help create a successful event. Culligan, The Good Water Company provided water.

Hats off to our Canadian Culligan Men and Women for doing good in their community!

According to public news service, Wells’ group is encouraging the EPA to look at a large body of independent research about Atrazine’s health effects on people and wildlife as it reconsiders the legal limit for drinking water, which is now three parts per billion.

“The main thing we need to see is people speaking up and talking to both EPA, about reviewing their science on Atrazine, and also state officials in each of these states can take steps to monitor and safeguard drinking water.”

Check out the rest of the article for more information. Want to talk to your Culligan Man about soft water? Go to CulliganNation.com and enter your zip code to find a dealer near you!

Olivia Haugen (photo courtesy of the Argus Leader)

A 3-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia had a dream come true last weekend when the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Dakota granted her with a playhouse of her own, according to the Argus Leader.

More than 40 members of the Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire (HBASE) donated their time to construct the two-story playhouse painted pink and purple, Olivia Haugen’s favorite colors, the article stated. Along with HBASE, products and services were donated by other local companies, including Culligan.

The local Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Dakota has granted 946 wishes since it started in in 1984. Olivia’s wish was No. 947.

Always puts a smile on our face to see our Culligan Men and Women helping to put smiles on the faces of others. Head on over to the Siouxland Culligan Facebook page and give them a high five.

Check out what the article says about the difference in showering with one versus the other:

Hard water: Makes soap less effective, and creates scale and film buildup in showers, requiring increased frequency of cleaning, and increased use of chemicals to clean the shower walls and tubs.

Soft water: Soap lathers easily with soft water, making it effective for body washing. But from a health perspective, it doesn’t matter.

Check out the rest of the article for more interesting and beneficial information. Want to talk to your Culligan Man about soft water? Find us on Facebook!

The source of the contamination has yet to be determined, but it’s currently being investigated. An area power plant and old landfill site are being looked into, the story reports.

We Energies pays to have Culligan bottled water delivered to one of the affected families, according to Today’s TMJ4. We Energies owns the power plant, but says their paying for the water is not an acknowledgement that its plant is causing the contamination.

Are you concerned about your drinking water? Contact your Culligan Man to help point you in the right direction!

Sure, we’re biased. But we’d certainly choose our water over what’s coming from the tap.

So join us in the Drinking Water Challenge! For the month of May, whenever you find yourself reaching for a sports drink in the fridge or ordering a soda at a restaurant, stop.

Instead, drink a glass of water.

Need more convincing? Consider some of the benefits of keeping yourself good and hydrated:

• You’ll be more alert and less cranky.
• Your complexion will brighten with a healthy glow.
• Your metabolism will be boosted and your energy higher.

And, as usual, your Culligan Man is ready and waiting should you need our assistance. Head over to Facebook to keep us posted on your progress!

Good luck and bottoms up!

The theme for this year’s convention was “Back to Business,” and get back to business, they did. After some fun, of course. Culligan men and women enjoyed delicious Kansas City BBQ at the welcome reception at the World War I Museum, tried their hand at bowling… some better than others, and enjoyed the more than 80 suppliers at this year’s product fair.

But when all was said and done, they got down to the heart of our business – Culligan customers, Culligan employees, Culligan products, and what we love most: Culligan water.

To remain ahead of the game, your Culligan dealers are prepared with all the best tools and knowledge to serve you with the quality water you deserve. It’s why we keep our Culligan crew top of mind so they can keep you top priority. Because that is the Culligan Man’s mission.

Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids Herald-Review

Kudos to Culligan in the Duluth area for providing bottled water for the almost 75 walkers who took part in the March of Dimes March for Babies this month. On April 14, walkers from the Grand Rapids community gathered to show support of the nation’s leading non-profit for pregnancy and baby health, according to an article in the Grand Rapids Herald-Review.

It always puts a smile on our face to see our Culligan men and women reaching out into the community. Head to their Facebook page and give them a thumbs up.