The charges with sodium chloride are all balanced-for every positive sodium ion there is a corresponding negative chloride ion. since its charges are balanced, how can sodium chloride be attracted to water, and vice versa?

Na and Cl have difference in electronegativity. Na is electropositive whereas Cl is electronegative. Thus, Na and Cl forms oppositively charged ions. Now, NaCl may look neutral as a whole but Na-Cl bond is polar. It can be given as,
 Naᵃ⁺----- ᵃ⁻Cl. Due to this polar bond, NaCl has the tendency to attract H₂O molecules towards itself. O atom interacts with Na whereas H atoms interact with Cl atoms. Why? Because attractions happens between unlike charges. This process is called solvation