# How do you make soft water? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-soft-water/175993 "2003-05-18T03:44:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ohlssonvox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/5daacb/32.png) [@ohlssonvox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ohlssonvox)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-soft-water/175993/1 "2003-05-18T03:44:24Z")
The water here in Chicago is hard water. ( well at least in our apartment ) How do you make it into soft water. Is there a filter or something? In Japan, the water is Soft water and is good for your skin, but after coming here the hard water has damaged my skin and hair. Is there some kind of shower attachment that can be used in an apartment? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-soft-water/175993/2 "2003-05-18T03:46:49Z")
Add salt. You can buy a water softener, which is basically a big basin with a shwack of salt that all of your water runs through before it exits the tap. This isn’t really practical for apartment dwellers that don’t have their own water-heater. I would suggest having baths instead of showers and adding some baking soda to the water. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-soft-water/175993/3 "2003-05-18T03:53:08Z")
It’s not as simple as adding salt. Here’s a How Stuff Works article on the [Ion-Exhange Water Softener](http://home.howstuffworks.com/question99.htm). ---
**Author:** ![ohlssonvox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/5daacb/32.png) [@ohlssonvox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ohlssonvox)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-soft-water/175993/4 "2003-05-18T03:59:16Z")
Will adding baking soda really do anything? Or is that just a guess. As I said, we are from Japan, and taking baths is our prefered method anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-soft-water/175993/5 "2003-05-18T04:11:24Z")
Baking soda will soften the water, but you might need a lot of it. [This page](http://www.tipking.com/Tips/publish/tip_67.shtml) says a half a cup per bath. It seems like you would use a lot of baking soda if you used this method to soften your water. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-soft-water/175993/6 "2003-05-18T04:31:04Z")
You can buy commercial water-softening products that you simply add to bathwater or the washing machine. [Calgon](http://www.homesolutionsnews.com/rbdocs/calgonjump.html) is one brand I have used but I’m sure there are others. Of course, none of this will help you with a shower. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-soft-water/175993/7 "2003-05-18T06:24:11Z")
Boil it. ---
**Author:** ![Swirdle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Swirdle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swirdle)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-soft-water/175993/8 "2003-05-18T10:21:59Z")
A couple of table spoons of white vinegar in a bathful of water will help to reduce soap scum, if that’s the sort of application you are thinking of.