Though I've been wet-shaving for probably a couple years now, I still consider myself a beginner. I knew going in that this would be a process, and though it can be frustrating, that just makes it all the more rewarding when you finally get something right.

Like many people, I live in an area with very hard water. This makes it quite difficult to get a good lather. Quality soap and glycerin can help, but only so much. The only solution I know of is to stop using it. I have a jug of distilled water I use for ironing, and I thought "Wouldn't it be great if I could shave with that?"

The primary difficulty in abandoning the tap is getting the water hot. You can use the microwave, and you can use the stove, but that's not exactly convenient when you want to shave. My solution? An electric kettle; a hot pot. It was surprisingly difficult for me to find one in a store, especially considering I live in a college town, but eventually I found one at Walmart for $6.

This morning was my first attempt at my new method. I commissioned a plastic cup and filled it with some distilled water. I dumped that into the hot pot and plugged it in. Once it boiled, I poured it back into the cup and hopped into the shower. By the time I was ready to shave, the water had cooled just enough. I submerged my brush, let it soak for a while, and then lathered as usual.

The results were astonishing. The lather was much thicker, the shave much smoother, and the result much closer than any shave I've managed so far. As a beginner, it's easy to blame yourself for poor results. I kept thinking I wasn't using enough soap, or speed, or water. Turns out, I just needed better water to help everything fall into place.

I know I'm not the only person who has hard water, and I'm sure there are others ways of dealing with it. How have you overcome this challenge?