What Makes Water Hard?

Few things are harder on your family than hard water. It's hard on your clothes, your dishes, your pipes and your appliances. Fortunately, no one knows more about hard water and how to soften it than Morton Salt. To find out more about hard water and how Morton can make your "hard" life a little easier, just select the topics from the menu below. So, what Makes Water Hard? The words "hard water" describe water that contains calcium and magnesium, the hardness minerals. Rain water begins as soft water, free of these minerals. As rain water passes over and through the earth, flowing into lakes, rivers, streams and ground water, it absorbs the hardness minerals. While these minerals aren't harmful to your health, they do affect the properties of water and its effectiveness for washing and cleaning.