Softener

Home water softeners, also called ion exchange units, are appliances that remove calcium, magnesium, and other minerals from drinking water. Resin beads inside the softener trap the calcium and magnesium and exchange them for sodium or potassium.

Water softener crystals, pellets, and cubes are all made from salt (sodium chloride). The difference has to do with how the salt is manufactured. Crystals are made from evaporating salt water in shallow outdoor ponds. The sun and wind evaporate the water and leave behind a layer of natural salt crystals.