First, you need to know what you’re dealing with. Grab a simple water test kit from a hardware store, or better yet, check your local water utility’s annual report online. You’re looking for a number in grains per gallon (gpg)—that’s the gold standard for measuring hardness.
If your water is around 1–3 gpg, you’re mostly fine (hi, lucky you!). Anything above 7 gpg? That’s when your soap stops lathering, your hair feels like straw, and your pipes start plotting against you.
