Soften water: How to get soft water

Softening water is an everyday problem for many, because drinking water sometimes has very different degrees of hardness. We explain how to get soft water.

Soften water: Here's how

The harder the water, the more lime it contains. If you drink soft water, it affects the human body better than hard water.

• Soft tap water has a hardness of 7.5 to 1.3 millimoles per liter. Very hard water, on the other hand, up to 14. The water hardness is measured in ° dH, ie degrees of German hardness.
• In addition to the hardness, the pH value is also important. The following applies: ph 0 means that the water is acidic and ph 14 basic. The water is neutral at pH 7. Drinking water should have a pH of 7-9.
• Your body can only process calcium-containing water with difficulty, because the substances it contains, such as magnesium and calcium, are difficult for the body to absorb from the water.
• With the help of different water filters, you can soften the water quickly and easily.
• You can connect special water filters directly to the tap. To filter water before consumption, it is best to use drinking water filters in the form of jugs.
• If you filter water, you also spare your household appliances. Therefore, always test your water for its quality.

How to get soft water

There are many ways you can soften water.

• You can get soft water with pitcher filters, coal water filters, ion water filters, distillation or reverse osmosis water filters, for example.
• Have a water softening system installed in the house, then you can protect all pipes and household appliances from limescale. In this case you save yourself the laborious descaling with water filters.
• You should note that copper pipes are not suitable for soft water. Lime water contains copper carbonate, which protects copper pipes from wear and tear. The low pH of soft water dissolves the copper oxide and thus also the protective layer of the pipes.

It's that easy to soften water

You don't necessarily have to get a filter system to soften water. There are traditional methods you can use to soften water easily.

• If you need quick lime-free water, you can buy it in a health food store or health food store.
• You can also soften water with baking soda. Sodium also has a deacidifying effect on the body. To do this, boil water and add a pinch of baking soda to the water.
• Jug filters are very convenient when you need soft water for everyday use such as cooking. To do this, fill the water in a filter can with a cartridge, which you have to replace after two to three weeks. From the filter you can fill the water directly into the pot or the coffee machine for cooking. You can filter up to two filters in one container.
• If you want to use softened water to water plants, you must mix the water from the pipe 2: 1 with distilled water.
• If you collect water in a rain barrel, you can hang a peat bag in the bin.
• In aquariums, soften the water with the help of a reverse osmosis system. This filters lime and dirt out of the water.

Learn to drink water. Everything you should know about drinking water correctly can be found in our next practical tip.