Before you do anything, check the salt level. Pop off the lid of the brine tank (that's the big plastic bin next to your softener). If you see water but no salt, you've got a problem. If you see a mountain of salt that looks like a snowy peak in your basement, congratulations—you just wasted a few seconds of your life reading this.
Here's the weird part: your water softener is basically a lazy magician. It uses salt to create a magical brine solution that rinses minerals off a special resin. Without enough salt, the resin gets exhausted and your water turns into a chalky nightmare. Your dishes will look cloudy, your skin will feel like sandpaper, and your coffee will taste like regret.
Where Do You Even Buy This Stuff?
You can find water softener salt at most hardware stores, big-box retailers, or your local grocery store's "we get it, your water is terrible" aisle. A 40-pound bag costs about what you'd spend on two mediocre lattes. Yes, you have to lift it. No, your back will not forgive you if you try to carry it like a baby. Use your legs, not your ego.
Fun fact: A single bag of salt can treat up to 12,000 gallons of hard water. That's roughly the same volume as a small swimming pool filled with the tears of people who own limescale-covered faucets.
How Much Salt Should I Put In A Water Softener at Regena Rudolph blog
