Carbon filters are the heroes of taste. They use adsorption, which is just a fancy word for “sticking bad stuff to charcoal.” Yum? Not really, but effective.
They trap larger particles. They catch lead, mercury, and some chemicals. But calcium and magnesium ions are tiny and slip right through.
Think of it like a screen door. It stops flies (sediment). It does not stop atoms (minerals). The minerals are just too small to catch.
How To Tell If A Water Filter Is Working
The Quirky Exceptions
Wait, is there any filter that softens? Yes, but it’s a different animal. You need a water softener or a reverse osmosis system.
Reverse osmosis is extreme. It pushes water through a super-fine membrane. It does remove some hard minerals. But it’s expensive and slow.
Most fridge or pitcher filters are not reverse osmosis. They are simple carbon. So no, your Brita is not softening anything.
