Hard Water Problem?

Question:I live here in Sunny San Diego and I have noticed a significant difference in the water out here. It leaves a "Hard Water Residue" in the shower but mostly in the dishwasher. My question(s) for those of you out there who experience this or for those of you who know of somebody who experiences this problem are as follows:
1. Do you ignore it?
2. If you don't what type of items did you purchase in order to try and resolve the situation?
3. Did/do you like the outcome?
4. If given the chance to do it all over again, what might have you done differently next time.
Thanks , Dee.

Answers:
We have severe hard-water where we are in NYS. The only solution was to buy a water softener that filters the water right through the plumbing. Our toilets, dishwasher, tubs, sinks, washing machines...everything was layered with brown rust. Now, everything is clean and clear. I hardly ever need to scrub the shower as no soap scum builds up. I use 1/2 of the laundry detergent and dish detergent that I used to. One thing I would suggest is to RENT a water softener, not buying one. If you rent one, then anything that goes wrong should be fixed by the company you are renting from. We bought one from Culligan Water Softener and when it broke down, it was our problem and Culligan could care less about helping us. They were going to charge us a fortune just to look at it. We have rented a softener for years now and when anything goes wrong we just gives the company a ring, and they come fix it at no charge. I wouldn't live life without a water softener.