We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? There are few mechanical systems as mystifying as a water softener. After all, isn’t all water soft? Fair point. But water softeners ...

Water softeners could seem like a frivolous expense, particularly if you haven’t felt the effects of hard water. But the minerals in such H2O can wreak havoc on your plumbing and skin.

A household water softener contains a material called cation exchange resin, which takes up calcium, magnesium and iron in exchange for sodium. As the exchange continues, the material in the resin ...

Hard water can quickly clog a point-of-use filter, so you'll need to use a whole-house water softener. Ion exchange systems, the most common, work by replacing water hardening minerals with soft ...

Attracted by the smell of freshly laundered clothes, more Japanese are using fabric softeners with ultra-powerful fragrances. Softeners that continuously release scent for up to a month are a ...