If you live with hard water, odds are you are already aware of it. From rattling heaters to spotty glassware and dishes, it’s hard to miss the signs that you are living with hard water. However, if you are unsure, you can purchase total hardness test strips that will determine your water’s hardness levels. You can also purchase a liquid hardness test kit, which provides you with results based on a color-changing solution.
If you want to test your water hardness at home without a kit:
1. Fill an empty water bottle halfway up with tap water.
2. Add in ten drops of dish soap. Make sure the soap is free of perfumes, dyes, and detergents, as these can affect results.
3. Screw the cap on and vigorously shake the bottle.
4. Observe. If the bottle is filled with sparkling bubbles and suds and the water is clear, you have soft water. If barely any lather has formed and the water is a milky, cloudy color, you have hard water.
5. Continue to add soap bubbles. The more soap required to make the water lather and fill with suds, the harder that water is.
