Hard v. soft water

Hard water is so called because of the minerals and other contaminants it picks up on its way from the sky to your home, such as calcium and magnesium. While not necessarily harmful to you, those deposits are certainly harmful to your home – most likely the biggest financial investment you’ll make. Soft water is simply that same water, but with those added, unwanted extras stripped out.

Well over half of the UK is classified as a hard water area, with the east and south-east of England particularly high on the scale of severity. There are very large areas where the water is very hard, with small pockets of softer water and then over to the west, in Wales, and down to Devon and Cornwall, the water becomes considerably softer. That’s great if you live in those regions, but for the rest of us you’re most likely living with hard water. Even traditionally soft water areas may experience hard water from time to time.