Citric Acid added to water = Soft Water?

[Dogbones]

I read on miracle water thread that adding a teaspoon of citric acid to a gallon of hard water would make it soft water? Do I just add the citric acid and leave it in the gallon of water then use it on my hair or do I have to strain it? Has anyone tried this?

[gabee]

No citric acid added to water does not make soft water. I decreases the pH of the water so it can be used as a hair rinse similarly to ACV or white vinegar. A final acidic rinse helps the cuticle of the hair lay flat I believe, and when used after a shampoo bar helps prevent soap buildup in the hair. Soap is also alkaline (high pH) so the acidic rinse helps bring the scalp and hair back to normal pH.

[Gulbahar]

No citric acid added to water does not make soft water. I decreases the pH of the water so it can be used as a hair rinse similarly to ACV or white vinegar. A final acidic rinse helps the cuticle of the hair lay flat I believe, and when used after a shampoo bar helps prevent soap buildup in the hair. Soap is also alkaline (high pH) so the acidic rinse helps bring the scalp and hair back to normal pH.

Well, it does. In a way. "Hard water" generally means water that contains a lot of calcium (and magnesium and others). They often form hard and insoluble deposits. When you add some acid to hard water, it will react with the minerals and form other minerals that are not so prone to form those hard deposits - the water becomes soft or at least less hard.
The problem is that it doesn't work with all kinds of minerals in hard water. As long as there are mainly calcium and magnesium, you are fine.

[mora]

...Do I just add the citric acid and leave it in the gallon of water then use it on my hair or do I have to strain it? Has anyone tried this?

The citric acid is a powder that just dissolves in the water so you can just mix it in and use it, no straining necessary.

[Anje]

I suspect citric acid might have some ability to chelate the hardness ions, actually. If so, it would cause it to behave more like softened water, depending on the strength of the interaction.

We'll see if someone who's done something chemistry-related more recently than me can chime in on this. I'm something like 8 years out of Organic.