100 pcs Hardness Water Test Strip It pays to know if you have hard water. Hard water can affect your life in many ways, from housecleaning to bathing to doing laundry. It makes cleaning more difficult. And sooner or later, hard water hits you where it really counts  in your pocketbook. For example, a study by the America Waterworks Association found that washing machines using hard water can wear out up to 30% faster than those using soft water.