How to dechlorinate water for plants is a task that can happen at home with inexpensive and guaranteed to-work methods is a commonly asked question. The common water we use is probably chlorinated, and it can ruin your garden and flower arrangements very easily.
This is why it is very important to use dechlorinated water, so the chlorine does not fluctuate the pH of the plants, and the soil, and also does not hinder the growth in any way.
In this article, we will take you through the four ways to dechlorinate your water that surely works like magic.
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How To Dechlorinate Water for Plants at Home?
To dechlorinate water for plants at home you can keep the water in the sunlight, boiling the water, using dechlorinating chemicals and agents, and finally, by using filters that will strain out the chlorine when water is run through them.
Chlorine is thus used as a cleaning and purifying agent to remove some of those harmful substances and which is why it becomes a part of the water. This water unfortunately might not be very good for the plants and trees as the chlorine can enter the house plants through reverse osmosis.
The substance that is concentrated can be harsh on the plants and some might also argue that this chlorinated water is not safe for ingestion when used for edible plants and crops. Among many other things, this is a major concern which is why for garden and crop use, the water is dechlorinated.
– Use Sunlight
The first way to dechlorinate your water is to put it in direct sunlight. You can put your water in any container used for watering plants like a can, a bucket, or a tub, and place it under the sun. Make sure that the sun is a source that is coming in a direct way so that the evaporation would take place at a faster pace.
The sunlight will dechlorinate water by evaporating it with some water. This process is commonly known as off-gassing and requires at least 12 to 24 hours for results, this is how the water will become distilled.
The only negative side of this method is that the sunlight may not be able to evaporate all sorts of chlorine. If the water contains a high level of chlorine, it will take more hours to off-gas the chlorine through sunlight.
In addition to this matter, you must also take the measure and know that sunlight will evaporate some types of chlorine very well and cannot work with other types. As a result, you will have to check and see what type of chlorine is in your water and whether the sunlight alone can be used to get rid of it.
– Boiling the Water
The second most used way of dechlorinating water is by boiling chlorinated water. This is one of the most potent ways of getting rid of chlorine because it has a physical tell-tail sign. In short this is a faster method than relying on the water to be purified through the sunlight.
The common water that comes into our taps is not highly treated water. It goes through some testing and filtration but that only removes the largely harmful substances, that would be trapped in the water, and may cause some harm. Common tap water may contain many different nutrients that can cause problems if ingested in a larger amount. Some of these nutrients may be chlorine and fluorine with bacterial and viral species.
When chlorinated water is boiled, the chlorine residues tend to collect on the surface of the water. If the water were colored before due to the present chlorine, the boiling would also remove the color as well, and through the surface, they will surely evaporate.
The only thing that you will need to look after is the time and the energy that will be used for boiling the water. If it is a couple of gallons of water, this will surely take you a long time to boil and store the water. Nevertheless, when you do not have any other way available and the sun also seems to hide behind the clouds, you can surely use the water boiling method to get rid of the chlorine in it.
– Use Dechlorinating Chemicals
You can also use dechlorinating agents to get rid of the chlorine in your water; note that this is another cheap and guaranteed to-work tip for dechlorinating water because most of these chemicals come in cheap like ascorbic acid, sodium thiosulfate, and sulfur dioxide. If you do not want to get separate chemicals, you always have the option to buy a commercial de-chlorinator that is a mixture of a few chemicals, and then you can surely use it and get rid of the element.
You can tell that your water is chlorinated if it is hazy and milky in color, it forms white residues on the top when boiled, and it smells like chlorine. If all of these signs are not obvious, you can use a water pH water testing kit to be sure. As a result, to mix these chemicals, you will get the pure form of water and you will also see that the color and texture have changed.
Ascorbic acid is the cheapest available dechlorinator agent. In five gallons of water, a teaspoon of ascorbic acid will neutralize the chlorine. The pouring and measuring instructions for other dechlorinating agents come written on the box. It is up to the type of dechlorinating agent you use and whether it adds a taste to the water or not.
– Use Filters
The last method for you to dechlorinate the water is by using water filters. This may be a little more expensive than the other three ways of dechlorinating water because this requires some material and fittings.
The filters come in all sizes and shapes and also price points, and the quality would determine the result that it would leave at the end. So you can have your pick from the lot according to your needs, and you will need a hose or a water source nearby where the filter will be set up.
Once it is set up, the filters will get rid of all the chlorine and also the other substances in the water. You will need to change the filters every few months depending on the level of expelling substances in your water.
But this method ensures a very high percentage of successful dechlorination and if you are looking for a hands-off way, this may be the one for you. Once the filter is set, you only need to turn the hose on and you will have dechlorinated water on tap. It is important to know what sort of water you are ingesting and whether it is safe or not to drink or for general-purpose use, meaning just because it is not pure, doesn’t mean it is safe.
FAQ
1. Is Distilled Water Dechlorinated?
Yes, distilled water is dechlorinated among many other things. It is commercially the purest form of water as it goes through several rigorous processes and screening tests. This ensures that the water is free from unwanted chemicals and life forms like bacteria and viruses.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked about how you can easily dechlorinate your water for plants at home by using the sunlight, boiling the water, using dechlorinating chemicals, or using filters, but in case you missed anything, here is a quick review:
- You can dechlorinate water for plants by keeping the water in the sunlight, boiling the water, using dechlorinating chemicals, and using water filters.
- Sunlight will evaporate the chlorine from the water in 12 to 24 hours and the process is called off-gassing.
- When chlorinated water is boiled, the chlorine residues tend to collect on the surface of the water.
- The cheapest dechlorinated agent present is ascorbic acid and it neutralizes the chlorine even if a teaspoon of it is added to five gallons of water.
This water also changes its color and in some cases odor. This is because chlorine has a very noticeable smell and color if present in a considerable amount. We hope that the article was helpful to you and that now you can successfully dechlorinate your water for your plants or personal use. Happy gardening!
