distilled water alternatives

iammumtoone

I live in a very hard water area and have just purchased a steam cleaner. Reading the reviews it seems they don't last long in hard water areas therefore I can't use tap water.

I don't know where to get distilled water from and its probably expensive for the amount I will get through. Can I use bottled or filter water? The water doesn't need to be distilled as such just limescale free.

Thanks

Hobsons_Choice

Try using the water from melted ice after you've defrosted fridge or freezer. That's what I do (and I live in a fairly hard water area).

-taff

Filter water should be ok, but only if the filter is fairly fresh. A bottle of no frills cheap table water from the SMarket will do too.

iammumtoone

Hobsons_Choice wrote: »

Try using the water from melted ice after you've defrosted fridge or freezer. That's what I do (and I live in a fairly hard water area).

Thanks that would be a very good mse solution but I have a frost free freezer!

seabright

Halfords sell 5 litres for £2.50. How much do you need?

iammumtoone

seabright wrote: »

Halfords sell 5 litres for £2.50. How much do you need?

The tank holds 1 litre but I have no idea how long that will last. Thanks for the info I though it was more expensive than that.

Anne_Marie_2

I live in a very hard water area too and use bottled water in my steam cleaner, kettle and iron. All have been running absolutely fine. Prior to using bottled water, I went through 3 kettles in about 2 years using filtered water, still got limescale, albeit not so much. Bottled water has eliminated the problem totally. I get the large 19 litre size which you use on water coolers. You must be able to get them in the UK as we used to have them at work.

ditsykitchen

maybe get something like this from the supermarket? Not too expensive.

Seakay

or get a cheap filter jug and use it to filter your tap water?

Gingernutty

Deionised water would be your safest bet. Distilled water can still contains the minerals required for limescale.

Cool water from your boiled kettle is safer than tap water. The scale deposits in the kettle, not your iron.

Filtered water reduces the mineral content.

Mineral water is hard water. It's the minerals that produce scale.