Drink to Your Health: 5 Ways to Clean Your Tap Water at Home

There is a rule: it is better to purify tap water. Especially if you live in a metropolis, where the quality of tap water leaves much to be desired.

How to clean tap water at home – method 1

We will not open America if we offer to boil water in order to purify it. This is the oldest, simplest, and most effective way.

Boil tap water for at least one minute. While boiling, the bacteria that live in the water are killed and some chemicals evaporate from the water.

However, boiling does not remove solids, metals, or minerals. To get rid of them, you need to let the water stand – dense particles will settle to the bottom.

How to Clean Tap Water with Activated Charcoal – Method 2

Ordinary activated charcoal is also very good at cleaning tap water and neutralizes its unpleasant taste.

It is easy to make such a filter at home:

  • take some gauze;
  • Wrap a few tablets of activated charcoal in it;
  • Place the gauze in the bottom of a jar or pot of water;
  • leave it for a few hours.

As a result, you will get clean water that can be used for drinking or cooking.

How to purify tap water with a filter – method 3

Very often filters are used to purify water at home. These devices are divided into different types.

  • Coal filter (also called “carbon filter”) – it is the most popular and relatively inexpensive, cleans the water with coal (hence the name) from many organic substances, including lead, mercury, and asbestos.
  • Reverse osmosis filter – purifies water from inorganic impurities, such as arsenic and nitrates. It can hardly be used as a main filter for purification – rather as an additional filter after the carbon filter.
  • A deionizing filter (ion exchange filter) – also does not remove contaminants from the water, only minerals. Simply put, it simply makes hard water soft.
  • Filters come in a jug, faucet, or sink-mounted (under) the sink, which allows you to purify the water directly from the tap – everyone chooses what they like best.

How to clean tap water without a filter – method 4

If there is no filter and boiling water is also not possible, then use special disinfecting tablets or drops.

This method is still used in camping or areas where there are big problems with drinking water. It can be iodine tablets or chlorine tablets, which can be bought in a store of goods for tourism.

You need to throw the tablet in the water at the rate of 1 tablet per liter of water and stir it to dissolve the tablet completely. Then let her “work” for 30 minutes. The water should be at room temperature – if the water is cold, it’s better to leave the pill in it for an hour.

The only disadvantage of this method – the taste of the water becomes sour. To weaken it, you can add a pinch of salt. But, you should agree that it is better to drink sour water than dirty.

And one more thing: pregnant women, people over 50 years, and with thyroid disorders should be careful with water purified by such tablets, and it is better to consult a doctor.

How to clean tap water with the sun – method 5

There is another very interesting way, which is often used on the African continent.

Take a wide bowl or other dishes, put a heavy cup in the center, and pour water into the bowl itself – the cup should not float. Cover the bowl with cling film, put a weight on top of the cup, and the bowl in the sun. Under the influence of sunlight, the water will evaporate and fall in the form of purified condensate into the cup.

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Written by Emma Miller

I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and own a private nutrition practice, where I provide one-on-one nutritional counseling to patients. I specialize in chronic disease prevention/ management, vegan/ vegetarian nutrition, pre-natal/ postpartum nutrition, wellness coaching, medical nutrition therapy, and weight management.

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