Salt Bridge

I know there are a lot of questions about this issue, but I feel like mine is a little unique. I haven't tested the hardness of the water lately but about 2 months ago I had very hard water caused by a salt bridge. I broke it up down to somewhere between the 1 & 2 lines, then I couldn't reach any further so I figured it would be okay (dumb assumption, I guess). Now it seems like the water is hard again, and I just checked & the salt bridge had built back up again. I just broke it down to between the 1 & 2 lines again but I feel like I need to take it all the way down or else the situation will just keep repeating (if it's even enough in the first place). What is my best option - pour some water in & try to soften the salt? Keep trying to break it up? How the heck do I reach that far down without tipping the softener? How can I best make sure this doesn't happen again? Thanks for any advice anyone can offer. Andy