The water softener is useful for pulling lime out of hard water from a mains water pipe; typically, this device is periodically regenerated by adding sodium chloride, in a purer form than simple table salt (that means: not blended with other edible salts, commonly used in table salt as anti-caking agents). When softened water incomes laundry machine or dishwasher, lower detergents quantities are needed: in hard water, a part of detergent dose is consumed by lime reducing; in the absence of lime, it is recommended to use less detergent.
To be exact, water treated with softener is useful for washing but is not suitable for drinking, because of the softening process itself. This device contains ionic exchange resins grains, each one carrying a sodium ion on its end; when hard water passes through resins, both calcium and magnesium ions (which, together with carbonate ions, form limestone) are caught by grains in place of sodium ions, which are released in the water flow. This process is useful because the combination between sodium and carbonate is perfectly water-soluble, not giving incrustations. So, what’s the matter? Water rich in sodium ions may be toxic for cardiovascular system: even if it doesn’t have a salted taste (that is typical of table salt, sodium chloride), there’s sodium there, of course! And we are at risk of following a salt-rich diet, with hazard for high blood pressure.
Therefore: water softener may be useful to reduce detergents dosage, but must not be used to treat water before drinking. Hard water, even if sometimes not so palatable, is not scientifically related to kidney stones and is safe and protective for our heart and vascular system.
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