If your senses are craving some data, grab a home water testing kit. They’re cheap, easy to find at hardware stores, and they make you feel like a mad scientist. Most kits use little test strips that you dip in a glass of water for a few seconds.
Water Quality Testing Adelaide at Joseph Florence blog
The strip will change colors faster than a chameleon on a disco floor. You then match those colors to a chart that tells you about pH levels, hardness, chlorine, nitrates, and alkalinity. It’s like a mood ring for your water! Ideal pH is between 6.5 and 8.5. Hard water (high mineral content) is safe, but it leaves those annoying white spots on your dishes.
The “Hard Water” Fingerprint
You don’t even need a kit for this one. Fill a clear bottle halfway with water, add a few drops of pure liquid soap (not detergent!), and shake it like a polaroid picture. If you get a nice, fluffy cloud of suds, your water is soft. If you get a sad, wimpy layer of bubbles with a milky film on top, congratulations—you have hard water. It’s not dangerous, but it means your soap is fighting a losing battle against calcium and magnesium.
