Water softeners are used to soften water that contains magnesium or calcium. Water softening is the partial removal of magnesium, calcium, and other metallic cations from hard water. The resulting Water Softeners takes less soap to clean with, since soap isn't wasted binding with magnesium ions. Soft water also has better-tasting taste, making it an important kitchen additive. Below are some of the most popular water softener models on the market.