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Is Your Water

Leaving Stains?

Mysterious stains on your bathtub, toilet, or laundry may indicate a problem with your water.
 

Is Your Water

Leaving Stains?

Mysterious stains on your bathtub, toilet, or laundry may indicate a problem with your water.
 

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Staining Could Be a Symptom of Water Issues

Does it seem like your sinks and bathtubs are constantly stained no matter how often you clean them? Or, do your clothes somehow look less clean after going through your washing machine? If mystery stains are a common occurrence in your house, your water may be the culprit.

What Causes Water to Leave Stains?

Iron & Manganese

Depending on where you live, your water might contain high amounts of iron or manganese, which can cause rusty orange or black staining. You’ll see these stains on clothes, sinks, tubs, toilets, and water-using appliances like dishwashers.

Acidic Water

When water has a low pH, it often leaves behind telltale blue-green stains. These stains are most noticeable on lighter-colored surfaces that your water comes in contact with, such as sinks, tubs and showers, toilets, and even white fabrics.

Which items can be stained by water?

Fixtures

Water with high iron content can cover fixtures like tubs and sinks in an orange film.

Appliances

Washing machines, water heaters, and other appliances can be stained by water that’s acidic or rich in minerals.

Laundry

High levels of manganese or iron can leave stains on your freshly washed sheets, towels, and clothing.

Eliminating Water Stains

A water analysis can reveal the source of your staining. If your water contains high levels of iron or manganese, a Kinetico Water Softener or a Kinetico Water Filter can help eliminate water staining problems. If the test reveals that you have acidic water, a Crystal Clear Acid Neutralizer will treat your water and eliminate unsightly stains.

What Your Neighbors Are Saying

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Lindsay Groves profile picture
Lindsay Groves
3 days ago
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From the initial phone call to the installation, this company shines with professionalism and care. Eric installed our system; he was kind, professional, efficient in his skill, and even paused his work to kill a spider on my front porch for me. If I could give him 1000 stars I would (just for the spider killing.)
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Mark Fink profile picture
Mark Fink
5 days ago
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They installed a Kinetico water softener and K5 RO unit in our home + bypassed the outdoor hose bibs. They did a great job -- clean and thorough. System is working great. Highly recommend. The entire experience was smooth and easy; they did everything they agreed to do.
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Jewel Greenberg profile picture
Jewel Greenberg
6 days ago
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After purchasing our new home which is on well water, I took water samples to Martin Water Conditioning. Dave (David?) answered many questions for me by phone and in person, then Loren came out to assess our current system and walk us through it since it was new to us, followed by John that same week who came out to update some of our filters and add a UV light. From start to finish, every single person we worked with was fantastic. Dave, Loren, and John were all wealths of knowledge, amenable to answering questions, and thoroughly explained the parts of the system we have, how they work together, and how to maintain them. If you're looking for a company full of knowledgable, professional, and genuinely nice people, Martin Water Conditioning is a great match. Thank you, everyone! We really appreciate the time you took with us. :)
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Elyse Eberhardt
7 days ago
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Chris was a pleasure to work with. Easy to talk to and understand, and readily available for any questions or issues. Kervin and Dan were wonderful with our installation. They were as pleasant as could be, and very knowledgeable and efficient. They went out of their way for us, knowing we were on a time frame. We will absolutely be using Martin’s again in the future and will recommend them to everyone!
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Carmen Quiñones profile picture
Carmen Quiñones
7 days ago
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Today Kervin was working in our house and he did an excellent job! He is a very nice person and very polite.
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Deborah Maurer profile picture
Deborah Maurer
7 days ago
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I love my water softener! Kervin did an excellent job. He was very efficient and customer friendly!
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LEROY SHEARER profile picture
LEROY SHEARER
7 days ago
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Zack did a great job. Was diligent and professional
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Eric Ray profile picture
Eric Ray
10 days ago
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Eric and Jason showed up at the proper time, explained their work to me and did a wonderful job install. They were both professional, neat, organized and respected our home. I would definitely use them again.
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Rick Musk profile picture
Rick Musk
11 days ago
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Honest answers on MARTINS Water Conditioning— This is a spectacular company with knowledgeable, professional installers that employed by this company. Dwayne Martin ,Kervin, ,Jay. I have 6+ Contractors , Construction , Painters, Driveways , Plumbers, Electrician I have worked with my clients for the last 26+years as a REALTOR Real Estate . Martins is the BEST🇺🇸🙏
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T O'Leary
16 days ago
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My husband and I adore Duane. He is considered family. He has taken care of our water system for many years now. We don't want another guy. He is fast, efficient, friendly and just plain wonderful!!!! Thank you for all you do and that killer smile doesn't hurt😉 P.s. This is the same review I've given him before but it's the truth so no need to change it.
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Okday profile picture
Okday
22 days ago
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Very professional
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Mike Sabocheck profile picture
Mike Sabocheck
22 days ago
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Martin Water is a first class professional company to do business with. Their employees are always professional, polite, and trustworthy. Glad we chose them for our water needs.
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Barbara McLaughlin profile picture
Barbara McLaughlin
23 days ago
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Eric H was excellent in explaining, installing and demonstrating how my new system works. He was very neat, considerate and made sure all my questions were addressed. Chris also was excellent in addressing my water situation and placement of the system. Thank you.
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Following Jesus profile picture
Following Jesus
23 days ago
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Martins Conditioning is the one place where I can put my trust in for all around Top Quality in the appliances and the workmanship that are provided. I know that I can count on Martins if I would ever need them.
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Christina MacNeill
23 days ago
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Wendell was friendly, professional, and knowledgeable.
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Kim Stone profile picture
Kim Stone
24 days ago
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Great customer service! The technician, Duane, arrived on time, was also very friendly and knowledgeable.
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Rick Loncosky profile picture
Rick Loncosky
29 days ago
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Kervin was just a pleasure to have worked on our new system. Great personality and his knowledge of water systems is top notch. Thank You “Martins Water” 👍
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Daniel Sutorius profile picture
Daniel Sutorius
29 days ago
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Another excellent water processing equipment service call today by Duane of Martin Watering Conditioning. The service call was on time and ran with no surprises. Duane was very professional and clean and thorough. He kept me informed along the way and explained each step before proceeding. Pricing was very fair given all the work that was performed. Will certainly use Martin again on future service calls.
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Don HB profile picture
Don HB
30 days ago
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Eric & Caden were great. They knew their stuff, they were polite, and they problem solved. Thanks for having such a great team.
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Laura profile picture
Laura
30 days ago
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We have been a customer of Martin for about 5 years now. I researched our options back when we were thinking about installing a water system and haven’t been disappointed in our decision. Duane, the Martin representative servicing our system, was terrific and made some important recommendations to improve our water quality. I appreciated his attention to detail and how he kept me informed of his progress. Highly recommend Martin Water Conditioning.
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Kelly Wagner profile picture
Kelly Wagner
31 days ago
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Wendall was super knowledgeable and super helpful with preventing a Potential problem! Super customer service, highly recommended!
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Jim Herman profile picture
Jim Herman
31 days ago
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Excellent sales and installation. Keevin was great at installation and Dwayne was a pleasure to work with on the contract. They really care about customer service !
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JJ D profile picture
JJ D
31 days ago
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The entire Martin staff are always on time, courteous, and more than skilled and efficient. Duane was our technician for this round of service. He is wonderful to work with and more than happy to explain the system, as well as fully outline and demonstrate any problems and/or services s in full detail. Being in service all of my career I have to say it's always a pleasure working with them and never disappointed. Highly recommend this organization for any of your water softening and water treatment needs. Thank you Duane and to all the other technicians that constantly deliver Top Notch service to our home!
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Steve Miller profile picture
Steve Miller
32 days ago
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Zach showed up at time promised. Answered all my questions and completed his work in a timely manner
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Arthur Royce profile picture
Arthur Royce
34 days ago
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We just had a new water softener system installed. Eric H. did an excellent job with the installation. I think the basement was cleaner when he finished than when he started. The piping was neatly laid out and well marked. He also took me down to the basement to explain what he did, how he set it up and what I should do going forward. Eric explained things well and asked if I had any questions. I highly recommend Martin Water Conditioning.
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Frequently Asked Questions

The most common water stains are orange or rust-colored stains and blue-green stains. The color of the stain is often the first and most helpful clue in identifying what’s in your water.

Orange and brown staining is typically caused by iron or manganese, naturally occurring minerals that are especially common in well water throughout the Mid-Atlantic.

Blue-green stains usually indicate acidic water, which corrodes copper pipes and leaves deposits on sinks, tubs, toilets, and even white laundry.
Usually both. While stains are frustrating to clean, they also point to an underlying water quality issue that can cause long-term damage. Iron and manganese can build up inside pipes, coat appliances, and dull laundry over time. Acidic water is more aggressive — it slowly corrodes plumbing, which can lead to leaks and costly repairs. If your water is leaving stains, it’s a sign that something in your water should be addressed, not just cleaned up.
Staining does not automatically mean your water is unsafe, but it is a sign that something in your water should be identified. In many cases, minerals like iron at low levels are more of a nuisance than a health risk.

However, staining can also point to conditions, such as corrosion, that may introduce metals like copper or lead into your water over time. Because there’s no way to know the cause based on staining alone, testing your water is the safest way to determine whether it’s appropriate to continue drinking it untreated.
As soon as possible. Staining is a visible sign that your water is already affecting your home, and the longer it goes unaddressed, the more damage can occur. Iron and manganese can accumulate inside pipes and appliances, reducing efficiency and lifespan. Acidic water continues to corrode plumbing over time, even if you do not see the damage right away. A prompt water test gives you a clear picture of the issue before it becomes more costly to fix.
It depends on the cause. A water softener can remove lower levels of iron and manganese, which helps eliminate orange and brown staining. Higher concentrations may require a dedicated iron filtration system. If the staining is blue-green and caused by acidic water, a softener will not solve the problem — an acid neutralizer is the appropriate treatment instead. Since the solution depends entirely on the cause, testing your water is the first and most important step.

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When you need water conditioning services, trust Martin Water. For your no-obligation water analysis or for more information about our premium products, industry-leading warranties, and reliable service, contact us today!

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