Home/  Products/  Water Softening/  Water Softening Facts/  How Your Water Softener Turns Hard Water into Soft Water       What Makes Water Hard? Do You Live in a Hard   Water Area? Why Hard Water is Hard   on You Why Soft Water is Such an   Advantage around the House How Your Water Softener   Turns Hard Water into   Soft Water Why Softening Salt is   Important Morton® Pellets with System   Saver® II Formula Make a   Big Difference in Your Water Morton® Pellets with System   Saver® II Formula Make a   Big Difference in   Your Water   Softener Potassium Chloride Pellets   Soften Your Water With Morton, Your Soft   Water Solution is in the Bag How Your Water Softener Turns Hard Water into Soft Water The principle behind water softening is really just simple chemistry. A water softener contains resin beads which hold electrically charged ions. When hard water passes through the softener, calcium and magnesium ions are attracted to the charged resin beads. It's the resulting removal of calcium and magnesium ions that produces soft water. The diagram shows the exchange that takes place during the water softening process.