Have you found a bottle of distilled water and you aren’t sure if it is bad or not? When people encounter such a situation, not many of them know what to do. Most of them go online and lookup for an answer to one simple question. A lot of people are worried that bad this type of water could damage the appliances. Therefore, today we are going to tell you everything you need to know about distilled water.
How to Store Distilled Water
The way you store the water has an enormous impact on the quality and lifespan. But still, the storing guidelines for plain and this type of water are pretty similar. The water shouldn’t be in contact with the sunlight and should be kept in a cool dry place. After you open the bottle, you must seal it tightly every time when not using it. Yet, there are certain differences between storing it for drinking and for appliances.
How to Store Safely?
The best suit for storing drinking distilled water is a glass container. However, any BPA-Free food-grade plastic bottle will do just great. Still, if you want to store bigger amounts of water, you will need a big container. But, you will also achieve similar results with a few smaller containers. If you store water in a plastic container, it won’t last as much as if it was in a glass one. In this case, you should change the water every couple of months.
How to Store for Appliances?
If you need this type of water for your appliances, avoid keeping it close to chemicals. Some chemicals you should avoid are gasoline, dry cleaning chemicals, and paint thinners. If you are looking for a long term solution, go for a polyethylene container. Still, you are not going to need it for storing just a couple of ounces. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the amount of water first.
Life of Distilled Water
This type of water is way purer than normal mineral water. Once the air gets to the water, the conductivity starts increasing. And after some time, some kind of contamination will definitely occur. Still, the contamination won’t be anything compared to the contamination of normal water. That is why the container where you store the water has a huge impact on its lifespan. If the bottle remains unopened, it will definitely last about 5 years, if not more.
| Unopened bottled distilled water | 5 years |
| Opened bottled distilled water (for appliance use) | 2+ years |
| Home-distilled water | 7 days |
Things That Affect Water Properties
Dozens of different factors can decrease the longevity of your distilled water. Therefore, a clean, dark, and cold environment play a big role here. Still, if you keep the water unopened it will most likely never contaminate. However, in order to use it, at some point you will have to open it. Thus, some of the crucial factors that have a huge impact are listed down below.
- Exposure to light
- The Storage Temperature
- Type of container
- Exposure to the air
- Contamination with the mouth bacteria
Does Distilled Water Expire?
This type of water does expire after some time. Still, it is not the water itself that makes the problem. It is the plastic bottle in which the water is kept. The main reason is that some chemicals and toxins dissolve from the bottle into the water. If your water is exposed to sunlight, that also shortens its lifespan. Also, after some time, the cap will lose its durability and will be more likely to fail.
How Long Does “Opened-Distilled” Water Last?
It could be really difficult to determine how long opened-distilled water lasts. For instance, the water stored in plastic bottles often doesn’t last too long. There are also certain types of metal containers that are not good for storing water. Therefore, the best type of container is a glass one. It is much better compared to the classic plastic containers. The glass ones are less likely to contaminate the water.
How to Know If Your Distilled Water is Bad?
Sometimes, a couple of days after opening the bottle, it may start smelling weird. It might also start changing the taste as well. Plus, you would notice that the color has started changing. If that happens, it is best to throw the bottle away. Still, if your bottle has been opened for a while, you may notice green algae growing. In this case, you must throw the bottle away as it isn’t safe to drink anymore.
A Few Words In the End
All in all, this type of water can be used both for drinking and for home appliances. It is quite more difficult for the water to get contaminated than for the mineral one. However, if not stored properly, the longevity will begin to decrease at some point. Another thing we have learned today is that the environment plays a quite significant role. Therefore, you should find a cold and dark place to keep your distilled water in.