What Is Hard Water & How to Test It At Home

RiverSoft | 17 July 2025

Have you ever noticed white scales on your taps and rough hair after a shower? The issue could be hard water and not the products you use. So, let's break down what exactly is hard water.

Hard water contains high levels of minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium carbonates.

-These are minerals that can cause heavy damage to your skin, hair, and plumbing appliances. And if you're living in India, you’re most likely wondering what the best hard water filter for India is to tackle these common problems But before we get into that, let’s see how to find out whether you are dealing with hard water or not. 

So how can you find out if your water is hard? Let’s look at two easy ways.

How to Test Water Hardness at Home

If you're wondering how to test water hardness, it’s easier than you think! Here are two tests you can try at home:

  1. Soap Test:

  • This is an easy and fast test! Fill half a bottle with some water and add a small amount of liquid soap, and shake it for 5-10 seconds. 

  • If you get cloudy water with no bubbles, this indicates that you have hard water. 

  • Hard water produces less lather and foam, so if your soap refuses to lather, it might be due to hard water.

  1. TDS Meter Use:

  • TDS (total dissolved solids) is one of the fastest measures of the hardness of your water. 

  • Water is considered hard water if the TDS reading exceeds 500. This can be easily done using a TDS meter at home. 

If your water fails these tests, it’s time to look for a solution.

 Any questions regarding TDS and RO, read our blog on RO Filters & TDS: How Reverse Osmosis Really Affects Your Water.

Why Test Your Water?

Knowing if your water is hard is crucial, as it affects your skin, hair, and appliances. Hard water leads to dry, frizzy hair, itchy skin, and mineral build-up on faucets and glassware. In fact, if you’re in India, finding the best hard water filter for India could be a game-changer to improve your water quality.

In the next episode of our RiverSoft Knowledge Series, we’ll dive deeper into the problems caused by hard water and why you should care about addressing it. Stay tuned for tips on tackling hard water problems in our next post!

So, if you've been battling with hard water at home, give these tests a try. Your skin, hair, and appliances will thank you!

 

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