If you have a glass of water in the evening, will you drink the remainder in the morning? I do. All of the time. It never once occurred to me to even question the safety of day old water until I saw an article on treehugger questioning just that. I mean, who knew this was even an issue to worry about?
Turns out, it is pretty safe…overall. It begins to get an off-flavor because of the carbon dioxide that changes the pH balance in tap water. Plus, microorganisms start to grow as soon as you take a sip and introduce your saliva into the mix. Over the course of a couple of days, neither is likely to cause you much trouble health-wise. It only takes about 12 hours before the taste is affected, though.
I’m still in the camp of waste not, want not. I have been drinking little microorganisms this long without trouble, so I am going to press on. But seriously, have you ever even given it a second thought before now? There’s a ridiculous amount of things to get worried about and worked up over if you let yourself, eh?
~Mavis
Carla says
Yes I drink water that is a day old. It seems like we are so paranoid now compared to my growing up.years. Mostly I think it is ridiculous.
Mavis Butterfield says
I know, right? Who even thinks this stuff up.
Jen Y says
People who have too much free time. If you have enough free time to worry about day old water, you need to get out & find something more productive to do.
Tracy Sch says
I do it all the time. If I feel it’s unsafe, I will water my plants before I dump it down the sink. I agree we are going a bit overboard with “safety” issues. Some things are very serious and others…eh… Using common sense while reading these types of articles is key.
I enjoy your editorials on these issues Mavis, I find the articles and your thoughts informative and thought provoking.
Thank you!
Sherri P. says
If it tastes off, I water my plants in the greenhouse window over the kitchen sink. I don’t worry too much about stuff like this. We are becoming a society of germaphobes.
Tami Mitchell says
I never even thought about it until you said something, but I don’t. It doesn’t taste good and drinking water is enough of a challenge for me without it tasting off. But I don’t toss it – it ends up in the dog’s bowl:)
Laurel says
so silly… people drink water that is more “contaminated” than that all over the world! I will drink it if it still tastes ok, otherwise I have a little bucket by my sink that we dump old water in from cups the kids leave around or the last of melted ice cubes in a cup or even iced tea remains and I water plants with it. 🙂
Lisa Millar says
I also never stopped to think if there was a potential problem drinking my ‘leftover’ water!
Life is too short and since I have never had a problem, I am unlikely to add it to my list of worries!
Like other commenters most unused water will go into plants esp. during summer. They don’t mind either! 🙂
David The Good says
I usually just pour it into my plants and let them drink it.
Gina says
If people are that nervous about it they could use the leftover water for their flower beds or potted plants, then the water still wouldn’t be wasted.
Amanda says
My husband is really picky about only drinking fresh water, preferably cold from the fridge. For me, if it’s closed in my water bottle I’ll drink it up to three days old(I wash my bottle pretty frequently), if it’s out on the counter it tastes a bit… dusty? more than about 8-12 hours old. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, just taste preference.
Vicki says
Oddly enough, I think it tastes better if it sits a while to let some of the chlorine dissipate. Sometimes I drink a little and let it sit. Sometimes I just get a fresh glass and let it sit. Normally, though, it always sits, whether I drink some or not. If I have any left, it waters plants or goes in the dogs’ bowl. Neither of them mind, and I’m sure the dogs have worse organisms in their mouths than is in the water. But in fairness, they do get fresh each morning – I just refill during the day if I have any left that I don’t want to drink. It’s so weird how life has changed. I used to drink out of the hose all the time when I was a kid – now I panic if my grandsons want to drink from the hose while we’re filling the pool.
Amanda says
Definitely better if the chlorine gets aired off! Some places are worse than others for that.
Emily says
I usually have a glass of water (with lime juice) at the ready at home at all times, including overnight. I just keep topping it off until a gnat dies in the water overnight or it seems like time to get a new glass. I have absolutely no issue drinking day old water.
Ginger says
I’m drinking leftover water right now, actually! I fill a large glass lidded Starbucks tumbler with filtered ice water before bed and set it on my nightstand to sip on through the night when I wake up and if there is any left in the morning, I drink that before getting anything else. Never considered that it could be unsafe to drink. I kind of think that’s a stretch, honestly.
Sandra says
I have no issue with “day old” water. On the broader issue of “germ phobia,” it is necessary for those who are immunocompromised or have immunocompromised family members to be “germ-phobic.” I would not want anything I prepared to make myself or someone else sick.
Tanya says
I usually don’t but only because any unattended glasses of water usually end up with cat spit or cat paws in them! Any leftover water in the morning I assume kitty has gotten to and I either water plants with it or fill her bowl 🙂
Lauren says
I use a bottle, otherwise I wake up in the middle of the night to a cat drinking out of my glass. 🙂
tina says
Yes all the time. Drank out of the garden hose when I was a kid too. Still alive 😉
Lace Faerie says
Ditto!
Lizzie says
Yep…Ditto #2
Cathy says
I drink it. But then I was thinking the exact same thing that Tina was about the garden hose!
Shay says
I am so glad that you brought this up! I’ve been debating this for a long time and the article was an interesting read. My rule of thumb has always been, if it has been sitting out for more than 24 hours I dump it out. I always felt like I was psudo-paranoid when it comes to this sort of thing though, lol.
Deborah says
Years ago I was told that if the water’s tasting stale/flat, you just need to vigorously shake the bottle several times to re-oxygenize the water. I don’t know if it’s scientifically accurate or not, but I do believe it improves the flavor.
Crystal says
I pour myself a glass of water, and drink the whole thing right there at the sink, then reuse the same glass next time I want a drink. If there is more water in the glass than I want to drink right then, I pour it on the plants I have growing in the window next to the sink, and place the glass back next to the sink for next time I’m thirsty.
Nancy says
Wow….talk about a first world problem. Some people have too much time on their hands.
Every night, I take a glass of water with me to bed; it stays on my night stand covered with a tissue. We have cats so I know that if the tissue is moved, the cats got in my water…that is the only time I don’t drink the water and it goes outside on plants.
We live in California and water is a very precious commodity. We don’t waste a drop.
Mary Ann says
I stopped using open glassware for drinking water years ago because I would catch the cats drinking out of the glass when it was unattended. Instead, I have 3 sizes of plastic bottles with caps that I use throughout the day. A 1 liter that is my main drinking bottle, one that is about 12 ounces I use when I’m going to drive somewhere, and another that’s about 6 ounces I use next to my bed at night.
I never waste water, always either leave some in the bottom (or pour in fresh if it’s empty) and put it in the freezer. I fill it over the frozen water when I want to use that bottle and my water stays cold much longer! I clean them out with hot, soapy water every couple days when I empty one.
Jen Y says
I still drink well water from the garden hose (& lick the spatula when I make cookies!) – so I guess day old water is not too edgy for me!
Deborah says
Another licker! I love it!! 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Rebel.
Susannah says
I wouldn’t have a big problem with it, although I do like my water cold-cold-cold; hence, I usually get it out of a pitcher in the fridge. I do have an issue with what my dog did last night…we came home to a dark house and she immediately headed for her bowl, which I’d forgotten to pick up before we went out for the day. While fishing for the switch, I found myself wondering, “What’s that weird smell?” Lights go on and I see she’s gulping food from a bowl TEEMING with sugar ants, with a line to the bowl as thick as Mel Gibson et al lining up to fight the English in “Braveheart”! (And, yes, if anyone’s keeping tabs, I did claim in a comment from earlier this year that I had the darn things licked…so much for that illusion!) Blech!
Libby says
Nope! In our house a glass of day old water sitting out likely has a little bit of food at the bottom, has had a hand or toy dipped in it, or has been sipped by our dog. If it was mine sure, but I know better with with 3 little boys the house.
Pam P. says
On no… I drink from the hose sometimes!
Kathy says
I used to drink overnight water but I don’t now because I am taking chemo treatments and I’ve become a little paranoid about some things. I now get a clean glass and fresh water every morning and drink from it all day long. It’s just me here so I don’t have all that many dirty dishes anyway.
Another thing I have gotten super paranoid about is changing out my toothbrush. No toothbrush here ever gets a chance to get worn out. They are germ carriers and I can’t afford to introduce any germs in my body if I can help it right now. I was this way about toothbrushes for a long time though. My doctor used to tell me every time I went in to change my toothbrush if I had gone in with a respiratory illness or a fever of any kind. It stuck with me and I keep a supply of new toothbrushes on hand and try to remember the first of the month to change out toothbrushes.
Betty D says
Wow….When your poor who’s thinks about stale water….grin…we carried our water from a spring. Our drinking water/washing clothes/rinsing them/bathing/washing dishes and for chicken s came from that spring. It was a small spring and dad took a 55 gallon drum with bottom /top missing and put in the middle of the spring and it would fill up to a little over 1/2 way…we put our buckets in it to fill with water and carry up a hill . It was close to the house but a fairly steep hill. That was one of our many chores we had to do…Chop wood for heating the house. Grow a small garden etc.