🪨Hard water vs Soft water💧
Water hardness depends on dissolved mineral ions. The amount of calcium and magnesium decides whether water is hard or soft.
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🪨Hard water
- ✓High in calcium and magnesium ions
- ✓Forms scum with soap
- ✓Leaves limescale in kettles and pipes
- ✓Lathers poorly with soap
- ✓Often from chalk or limestone areas
💧Soft water
- ✓Low in calcium and magnesium ions
- ✓Lathers easily with soap
- ✓Leaves little or no limescale
- ✓Found in areas with hard rock like granite
- ✓Can be produced by ion-exchange softening
Verdict
Hard water carries dissolved calcium and magnesium that fight soap and form limescale; soft water has few such ions and lathers easily. Hardness reflects the local geology.
Frequently asked
What causes water hardness?+
Dissolved calcium and magnesium ions, usually picked up from chalk or limestone rock.
Why does hard water form limescale?+
Heating it deposits insoluble calcium carbonate as scale in kettles and pipes.
How is hard water softened?+
By ion exchange, swapping calcium and magnesium ions for sodium ions.
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