Hard Water Vs Soft Water: What’s The Difference

Are you trying to figure out the difference between hard water vs soft water? Read this article to learn more about the two.

The terms hard and soft water are tossed around in commercials for all kinds of products. But those advertisements aren’t always great at articulating the difference between the two types of water. How are you supposed to know if you have hard or soft water?

Are you wondering about the difference between hard water vs. soft water? And is one better than the other? Here’s what you should know.

What Does It Mean to Have Hard Water?

Why is water ‘hard’? The answer is a straightforward one.

Hard water contains dissolved minerals picked up as it moves through the ground and pipes. These minerals are usually calcium and magnesium, but they can also include chalk and lime.

There’s nothing wrong with finding calcium and magnesium in your water. Both are essential minerals that your body needs to function correctly. Some people prefer hard water both for the health benefits and because the minerals impact the water’s taste.

So, What’s Soft Water?

If hard water is water containing natural minerals picked up from the earth, then what does it mean to have soft water?

Soft water is water that contains only sodium, and it can occur in two ways.

First, if you collect rainwater, you will typically find that the water is soft. Why? Because it hasn’t yet picked up minerals from the ground. You collected evaporated water that lost its minerals and then turned back into condensation.

You can also get soft water by treating it. You might use a home water softener if you have too much lime in your water or if your water is exceptionally hard, as it might be if you live by the ocean.

Hard Water vs. Soft Water: What’s Better for Your Home?

Hard water and soft water are both fine to drink. So why do so many companies emphasize the need for soft water?

While hard water is best for drinking, it can be incredibly difficult on household appliances as well as on clothes. If you have hard water, you will see your metal fixtures covered in the build-up from the minerals in the water. It can even cut down on the lifespan of some appliances.

Hard water can also:

• Damage the colors on your clothes
• Leave your dishes with spots
• Make it harder to clean
• Use more energy
• Impact your hair and skin

As a result, people with very hard water tend to want to strip some of the minerals found in their groundwater – at least for the sake of their pocketbooks.

At the same time, old fashioned water softeners tend to leave something else behind in your water. Soft water usually has higher concentrations of iodine or sodium. It can leave your water salty to the taste, however, a salt free water softener can limit the amount of salt in your water to keep it drinkable while also making it softer.

How Can You Tell if You Have Hard or Soft Water?

For most people, there’s no question as to whether you have hard or soft water. 

You won’t see the difference between hard and soft water by looking at it. However, you may feel the difference, particularly if you have very hard water with vast amounts of minerals left in it.

The tell-tale signs of hard water are mineral stains. Mineral stains show up on your clothes when they come out of the washing machine. You’ll also see stains on your shower or sink. If not cleaned regularly, you might also have low water pressure caused by mineral deposits within your pipes.

You might also notice you have dry skin and hair. Calcium and magnesium can change your skin’s pH balance, which can damage your skin’s protective barrier and may make eczema worse. 

How Does a Water Softener Work?

So, you’re thinking about considering a water softener. But how does a water softener work, and will it work even with very hard water?

Water softeners remove the positively charged mineral ions from your hard water and leave behind sodium ions before the water enters into your plumbing. Rather than dissolving the calcium and magnesium, most water softeners use a plastic resin that attracts the ion’s charge. As the water flows, the magnesium, calcium, lime, and other minerals stick to the resin.

To maintain the right electrical charge, a water softener typically releases sodium, which also has a positive charge.

When the resin becomes too saturated with the minerals, your water softener cleans it with a saltwater solution. This usually happens in the middle of the night when no one is using any water. After the rinse occurs, the sodium ions once again take the place of the magnesium and calcium. The leftover minerals then go down the drain.

As noted earlier, some people worry about the amount of sodium in their water. While the sodium in your soft water is typically “low sodium,” you may not like the taste of the water. As an alternative, you can get a softener that uses potassium chloride salt instead. However, these are more difficult to find than a conventional sodium water softener.

You Don’t Have to Live with Hard Water

The vast majority of the United States’ water supply is what’s called hard water. ‘Hard water’ means that the water contains minerals it picked up from the ground, such as calcium and magnesium.

The good news is that hard water isn’t dangerous, but people whose water supply is very high in minerals may find their water makes life difficult. It can irritate your skin, damage your clothes, and even damage your appliances and pipes.

Whether you choose hard water vs. soft water is a personal decision. But water softeners have greatly improved since they first came out. So these appliances may be worth a second look if your water feels ‘scuzzy’ or leaves stains all over your bathroom and kitchen.

Do you have more questions? Find more house and home tips in the Lifestyle archive.