Here’s the ironic part: if your water isn’t hard, a softener is a glorified paperweight. Hard water is great for your bones, but terrible for your pipes. It leaves scale buildup that clogs your showerhead, ruins your water heater, and makes soap refuse to lather. That’s why your skin feels tight after a hard-water shower—it’s like the minerals are trying to exfoliate you against your will.
If you live in a place like Phoenix or most of the Midwest, you probably have hard water. If you’re in Seattle or Portland? You’ve got soft water naturally, and you can laugh at the rest of us lugging salt bags. But for those of us with hard water, a softener is the difference between a “sparkle” and a “scum.”
Wait, does it make your water salty?
No—and I’ll pause here because this is the first question everyone asks. The sodium ions swapped in are such a tiny amount that you won’t taste it. Unless you’re on a strict low-sodium diet, it’s negligible. Your water won’t taste like the ocean, I promise. (Though wouldn’t that be hilarious? “And I’ll have a glass of tap, please—extra salty.”)
Some people freak out about the salt and buy potassium-based substitutes, which are like the organic kale chips of water softening: pricier, but you feel virtuous. The choice is yours, but honestly, the standard salt works fine and doesn’t turn your faucets into a salt lick.
Water Softener - Water Purification Systems
