I promised casual, but here’s a surprising fact that makes you look smart at dinner parties. For water with a hardness of 10 grains per gallon (pretty common in the U.S.), a softener adds about 2-3 milligrams of sodium per 8-ounce glass. That’s roughly 0.001% of the volume. You’d have to drink 300 gallons to consume as much sodium as in a single fast-food hamburger.
Water Softener Salt: How Much, What Kind, and How Often
In other words, if your water softener is the reason for high blood pressure, you’ve got bigger problems. Like maybe the treadmill you’re using as a clothes rack.
The Bottom Line (No Pun Intended)
So, how much salt is in softened water? Almost none. It’s like asking how much chocolate is in a chocolate-scented candle. The answer: technically some, but you’re not eating the candle.
Drink the water. Take a nice long shower without scrubbing soap scum off your skin. And the next time someone tells you they can taste the salt, gently hand them a pickle and say, “Here, test your theory.” Then watch them realize their taste buds have been lying to them this whole time.
Stay hydrated, stay salty (just the right amount), and for heaven’s sake, don’t let a water softener ruin your enjoyment of a cold glass of H2O. Your body—and your showerhead—will thank you.
