Hard Water

I'm always one to defend municipal water. Coming from NJ, there has always been much to defend. It's cheap, it's good for you, it doesn't waste plastic and you're already paying for it with tax dollars, so why throw away a few bucks (or worse, euros) on a bottle of "mineral" water? But this isn't about my distaste for bottled water, which is shared by many. This is about an indefensible aspect of water here in Paris: too much calcium.

Consider our average cup of tea. Notice the cracked "surface," the gunk accumulating on the sides of the mug. Both are indications of hard water, which usually means too much calcium or magnesium. It's not unhealthy, just kind of gross looking. It also means that soap doesn't easily lather, and that soap scum easily forms. Our water may not be hard enough to cause frequent soap scum, but what you see above is pretty normal for hot tea, and calcium is clearly building up on the shower doors.

Thank goodness they sell "anti-calcifying" solution in the stores here (a clear sign other people have the same problem). Also, it turns out you can run a solution of 1-part distilled vinegar, 1-part water through whatever appliances/dishes need cleaning, et voilà! Problem solved.

Still, it'd be better not to have to deal with hard water at all. And that's one reason we'll be glad to get back to Boston, which has (along with the rest of the Northeast) some of the softest water in the country.