Soft vs. Hard Water: What’s the Difference and Why Does It Matter?

You may have heard the terms ''soft'' and ''hard'' water, but what's the difference and is it really important? Learn all about soft vs hard water here.

Did you know that 85% of Americans have hard water? But what actually is hard water? 

You may have heard the terms ”soft” and ”hard” water, but what’s the difference, and is it really important? Learn all about soft vs. hard water here.

What Is Soft Water

The term ‘Soft Water’ refers to water that is high in sodium. It also has low to no levels of magnesium or calcium.

There is a chance you will taste the sodium. If this isn’t something you would like, there are other options to replace the sodium.

There will be signs that you have soft water. For example, you may notice the lather of your washing-up liquid is better than it was before. Another sign would be The water pressure from your taps will increase. 

What Is Hard Water

When water becomes contaminated with a high level of minerals, it becomes hard water. The majority of the time, you may not notice this change. But, there are ways to look for it.

If your skin dries out from the shower or washing dishes, there will be chemicals in your water causing this. If your clothes or dishes come out of the machine still dirty, your plumbing has hard water in it.

Soft vs. Hard Water

The terms hard and soft water may seem worrying, but there are certain benefits to each type. Let’s have a quick look at the benefits of hard water vs. soft water. 

Soft Water Benefits

Soft water is perfect for cleaning. Due to the sodium minerals, you will find that washing the dishes takes a lot less time. 

You will also save money due to your washing machine only having to run once to clean your clothes. Your water bill will hopefully be lower with soft water.

Hard Water Benefits

Drinking hard water is not harmful. Some may argue that the minerals it contains, such as magnesium and calcium, are part of your recommended daily intake. 

Saying this, I would still recommend softening your water. The negatives outweigh the positives of hard water. 

Water Softening

Have you decided that the soft vs. hard water benefits have a clear winner with soft water? You can change hard water with the help of water softeners. 

Water softeners are filtration systems that you attach to your water supply. Different systems will have different levels of effect on hard water. 

The main job of a water softener is to remove those minerals such as magnesium and replace them with sodium. This process clears your water, creating soft water. Read this review for more information.

Between a Rock and a Hard Water Place

Now you know the difference between soft vs. hard water. 

Will you keep the hard water if you have it? Or, will you install a water softener today? 

Read more of my blogs about being part of my Zen. I hope you find yours too.

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