How To Store Distilled Water After Opening

Does Distilled Water Go Bad How Long Does It Last — Image: Lucky Belly

There is a lot of buzz around distilled water. If you are ane of those people who have taken a keen interest, a question you might have is 'does distilled water go bad?'

You might also wonder about the shelf life of distilled water if you've kept a canteen or 2 for a while now. You've come to the correct place—we'll tell you lot everything you need to know including how to check for quality and tips for storing your distilled water.

Does Distilled Water Go Bad?

Distilled water, like other types of water, does not go bad or spoil. However, environmental factors such as pollutants in the air and the process of packaging can profoundly affect the purity of water.

So, while your h2o volition not get bad, it tin become contaminated, making it unsafe to potable. Even if y'all plan to use distilled water for other purposes other than drinking, we doubtfulness that you would desire to apply contaminated h2o.

Proper storage goes a long way in keeping distilled water in its purest form.

How Long Does Distilled Water Last?

Distilled h2o will last indefinitely if it is stored correctly and no contaminants come into contact with the water.

Bottled distilled water unremarkably comes with a best-before date. As long as you lot have stored the water properly, information technology should however be proficient to use fifty-fifty past this date.

The good news is that you exercise non demand whatever special equipment or complicated methods of storing water. You lot can simply store it in the fridge or pantry away from direct sunlight, and of course, in a make clean container.

So, how long does stilled water really concluding? Well, if y'all are looking to use it in your home appliances, nosotros'd requite information technology well-nigh 24 months only if the water is for drinking, it is all-time to finish an opened bottle in a twenty-four hour period or at most a week for a larger canteen.

Of course, distilled water is best in its purest form and you can keep it this way past observing simple merely important storage procedures.

The table below gives you lot a quick snapshot of how long y'all can expect your distilled water to final.

Distilled Water Shelf Life

	Refrigerated	Pantry
Opened canteen of distilled water	nine-12 months	3 days-ane week
Unopened bottle of distilled water	2+ years	2+ years

At present, allow's talk a bit about how to tell if distilled water has gone bad.

4 Tips To Tell If Distilled Water Has Gone Bad

Distilled water has been stripped of minerals and contaminants and tastes bland. Then, but tasting the water alone might not be plenty to tell you whether information technology has gone bad.

Still, your senses are the best way to check the quality of your water. Use these tips to tell if your distilled water is good to use or needs to be tossed out.

1. Dark-green algae

A blue-green alga is a form of contaminant that forms when nutrient-rich water is exposed to direct sunlight.

Distilled water might not have nutrients or minerals but if you leave the canteen open, contaminants can make it and create the perfect weather for algae, specially if you store the water in the way of direct sunlight.

If you notice blue-green floating scums or sediments in the water, this is an algae infestation and information technology is time to discard the water.

2. Cloudiness

Make clean water should accept a clear appearance. Sure, you tin use cloudy distilled h2o in your abode appliances without worrying too much.

But, if you have taken to drinking distilled water, it is definitely not a good thought to consume water that looks cloudy. Cloudiness is usually a sign that pathogens or chemicals take contaminated the water.

3. Off smell

An off-smell on any food or drink is never a proficient sign and the same goes for distilled water. Sometimes, h2o tin pick up the odor of the bottle and you might mistakenly think that the water is not good to use.

For a more accurate judgment, we recommend that you lot pour some of the distilled water into a glass and take a whiff. If the water has a fishy smell, then it is time to toss it out and supersede it with fresh water.

four. Chemical taste

If the water smells off, chances are skilful that information technology also tastes bad. Pure distilled water does not have whatever distinct gustatory modality; this variety of water actually has a banal taste considering all the minerals take been stripped away.

So, if your water has a chemical gustation, it is probably no longer pure. The water might have picked up surrounding smells and contaminants in the air. Exposure to sunlight and oxygen will cause these impurities to interruption down, resulting in the h2o developing a strange chemic taste.

Tips To Store Distilled Water

At present that you know how to check the quality of your distilled water, what does it take to store your water correctly?

1. Avoid direct sunlight

It is all-time to shop distilled water away from directly sunlight, especially if the water is in a plastic container. Sunlight will atomize the plastic and cause chemicals to leak into the h2o, making it unsafe to consume or use.

2. Utilize the right storage container

Your choice of storage container will make a large departure when it comes to preserving the quality of distilled water.

For larger quantities, we recommend storing in loftier-density polyethylene (HDPE) drums or tanks. Bank check that these containers are specifically food-course quality to ensure that your h2o stays pure for longer.

The reward of HDPE tanks is that they are non prone to rust, are bear upon resistant, keep the water cool, and protect water from lite exposure.

If you but have small quantities of distilled water, it is best to store it in glass bottles. Different plastic bottles, glass will non atomize and release chemicals into the water.

3. Keep containers tightly sealed

Whether you store distilled water in tanks or small bottles, y'all should always go along the container tightly sealed. This keeps contaminants abroad and ensures that the water stays pure for use.

4. Store away from odorous materials

Distilled water, like other types of h2o, picks up surrounding smells. This will not necessarily touch the purity of the water or make it unsafe to use in your appliances simply you definitely practise not want to deal with h2o that smells like gasoline or pigment.

To go along your distilled water tasting and smelling fresh, store it in a pantry away from items that have a strong odor such as paint or cleaning products.

5. Air-condition afterwards opening

The best location to store distilled water is in a cool, dark place. The refrigerator or pantry is a great pick. Just to be sure, refrigeration volition non extend the water's shelf life but storing the water away from direct sunlight is a certain style to proceed it pure for longer.

The Risks Of Consuming Contaminated Distilled Water

Most people use distilled h2o in household appliances and in automobiles to avoid corrosion of metallic parts.

There is nothing wrong with drinking distilled h2o but you should probably not practice information technology for the long term. This water lacks of import minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium. Not only does the water sense of taste banal; it likewise will not provide you with the minerals your body really needs.

Similar other types of h2o, drinking contaminated distilled h2o can have serious wellness consequences. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), drinking water with loftier amounts of chemical contaminants tin atomic number 82 to peel discoloration and problems of the nervous system. Consuming lower doses of chemically contaminated water over a long period can increase the hazard of cancer.

Drinking distilled h2o that has been contaminated by pathogens can atomic number 82 to symptoms such every bit diarrhea, headache, stomach pain, and fever. In severe cases, one may develop kidney failure.

If you find any signs of 'spoilage' such every bit algae, cloudiness, sedimentation, or an off-taste or olfactory property, be on the safe side and discard the water.

Can You Freeze Distilled H2o?

Can You Freeze Distilled Water — Image: Lucky Belly

Yous can freeze distilled water. The process of freezing distilled water is no different from that of freezing normal tap or purified h2o.

Some people also wonder whether distilled h2o freezes faster. Pure distilled water does not freeze any faster or slower than pure tap water. How fast water freezes depends on factors such equally the presence of impurities, which tiresome down the freezing process, the temperature of the freezer, the temperature of the h2o, and the amount of water in the container.

Freezing distilled water is actually quite easy and is just the aforementioned as freezing 'regular' tap or bottled water. Here's what you lot demand to practice:

Pour distilled water into plastic bottles
Place the bottles flat in the freezer
Let water to freeze for several hours

To defreeze, but remove information technology from the freezer and place information technology in the fridge or on the countertop if you need warmer water.

Summary

Distilled water might exist a bit unlike from normal water in that it does not comprise minerals and other impurities but that is where the differences end.

The h2o volition not become bad per se simply if non properly packaged or stored, distilled water will become contaminated and unsafe to handle. Freeze, refrigerate or store distilled h2o in a pantry away from directly sunlight to proceed your water fresher for longer.