Maybe you’re not into the DIY life. Or maybe you want a number. That’s fair. You can buy a water hardness test strip at any hardware store or online for under ten bucks. They look like pregnancy tests for your water—you dip them in a cup for a few seconds, wait, and compare the color change to a chart. Green or blue means soft; red or orange means hard. It’s that clinical.
You can also buy a liquid drop kit, which is more chemistry set than water test. You fill a vial, add drops of a reagent, and count how many drops it takes for the water to change color. More drops equal harder water. It’s oddly satisfying. I bought one just to feel like a water detective for an afternoon.
But Really, Do You Need a Kit?
If your soap test was weak and your kettle looks like it’s growing a fossil collection, you probably don’t need a kit. You already know. But if you’re a data nerd (hello, fellow nerd), the test strips are super handy. They also tell you if you’re just barely hard or ridiculously hard—which matters if you’re buying a water softener later.
Soft Water Test Kit – PurSolutions Online Store
