Distilled water for diluting products?

C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
Do many of you use distilled water when diluting a product?
Not for washing, but for the mixes we sometimes make up from concentrated products.
Examples:
Woolite & water
DP 4 in 1 or ONR Quick Detailer
Window cleaners
APCs for various uses

That's just some examples and isn't meant to be all inclusive.

I use water from the faucet and have never noticed any bad effects from doing that, but not having used distilled water, I don't know if I am missing out on some benefits.
 
I don't think that it is required, but I always use it anyways. It is very cheap to use. Soaps, etc. always work better and you use less product in "clean" water, so I think it is the best choice. At least for me. Also, it is heavily dependent on how "hard" your tap water is. At 69 cents a gallon, it's a no brainer for me. I want to make sure that the products that I'm using can perform to their maximum potential and not lose some of their effectiveness due to crud in the water.

A guy on Autopia was having streaking problems with the new OID (concentrate), and couldn't figure it out. Problem? Tap water to mix with. Mixed it with distilled water and no problems.
 
CharlesW said:
Do many of you use distilled water when diluting a product?
Not for washing, but for the mixes we sometimes make up from concentrated products.
Examples:
Woolite & water
DP 4 in 1 or ONR Quick Detailer
Window cleaners
APCs for various uses

That's just some examples and isn't meant to be all inclusive.

I use water from the faucet and have never noticed any bad effects from doing that, but not having used distilled water, I don't know if I am missing out on some benefits.
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Charles I never use anything other than distilled water.

In the summer I run a dehumidifier and it has a tank on it that holds a couple gallon.

I need to empty it every 24 hours or it will shut off when full.
I wash out our empty milk jugs and fill them with distilled water.

I always have several gallons on hand my wife uses it in the steam iron we never buy distilled water.

Would our city water do harm????

I doubt it but why use the water that is loaded with lime and chlorine when I can get all the distilled water for free.:)
 
The water from the tap seems to be of good quality in my area.
Water spotting after a wash is not a problem at all.

The cost is not a big factor since so little would be used, but...... It would mean another gallon jug on the shelf. Probably a couple, since I wouldn't want to ever run out. :notme:
 
just a guess on my part but the ph is probably more favorable using the distilled water, more neutral. if this matters, i don't know, i do know it's cleaner no contaminates, which can't be a bad thing.
 
Our tap water has sci-fi creatures in it being a coastal area. Water filter for coffee water and bottled water for drinking or mixing with hootch.

YES, distilled water for the items that require dilution.
 
Yes, distilled water for detailing products to be diluted, and Dr. Bronner's liquid soaps for hand washing and shower use.

Filtered water for coffee and tea. :)
 
I think it depends on a few factors such as the quality of your tap water and what products you are diluting:)
 
Fishpimp said:
I use soft water because it takes less mixing ratio for concentrated products..
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Interesting comment.
Do you mean that because of the soft water you use ratios other than what the manufacturer's recommend?

I guess it kind of makes sense that if the product works better with better water, you might need less of it. :dunno:

My thought would have been to use the same ratios with distilled water and expect better results..
Actually, I have no complaints with the results using tap water so I'm still on the fence with the water thing.
I think I might try to find a water testing kit and see just how good/bad our water supply really is.
 
Fishpimp said:
I use soft water because it takes less mixing ratio for concentrated products..
Click to expand...

I'm not sure either why you would change the ratios because of the quality of the water:idea usually recommended ratios are assuming you are using quality water not very hard water. :hmmm:
 
Soft water vs. hard water.. I had to find an article for the basic reason for my comment. Of course it says nothing from a car solution aspect but read into it... I'm not crazy... I'm not crazy..but then again maybe I am.

When it boils down, the major difference between hard and soft water can best be seen while doing household chores. Hard water is to blame for dingy looking clothes, dishes with spots and residue and bathtubs with lots of film and soap scum. Even hair washed in hard water may feel sticky and look dull. Hard water can take a toll on household appliances as well, using up more energy. The elements of hard water are to blame for all of these negative factors, as soap is less effective due to its reaction to the magnesium and calcium. The lather is not as rich and bubbly.
Chore-doers will love using soft water, as tasks can actually be performed more efficiently with it. Soap will lather better and items will be left cleaner. Glasses will sparkle and hair will look healthy. The shower curtain will be scum-free. Clothes and skin are left softer. In addition to time, this can also save money, as less soap and detergents will be used. Since appliances have to work less hard, soft water can also prolong the life of washing machines, dishwaters and water heaters. Energy bills are noticeably lower when in households with water softeners. In a time of rising energy costs, this is something to think about.
 
Fishpimp said:
Soft water vs. hard water.. I had to find an article for the basic reason for my comment. Of course it says nothing from a car solution aspect but read into it... I'm not crazy... I'm not crazy..but then again maybe I am.

When it boils down, the major difference between hard and soft water can best be seen while doing household chores. Hard water is to blame for dingy looking clothes, dishes with spots and residue and bathtubs with lots of film and soap scum. Even hair washed in hard water may feel sticky and look dull. Hard water can take a toll on household appliances as well, using up more energy. The elements of hard water are to blame for all of these negative factors, as soap is less effective due to its reaction to the magnesium and calcium. The lather is not as rich and bubbly.
Chore-doers will love using soft water, as tasks can actually be performed more efficiently with it. Soap will lather better and items will be left cleaner. Glasses will sparkle and hair will look healthy. The shower curtain will be scum-free. Clothes and skin are left softer. In addition to time, this can also save money, as less soap and detergents will be used. Since appliances have to work less hard, soft water can also prolong the life of washing machines, dishwaters and water heaters. Energy bills are noticeably lower when in households with water softeners. In a time of rising energy costs, this is something to think about.
Click to expand...

I totally agree that products work better and more efficiently with better water, but it doesn't change ratios that are mfg recommended. When it does change it, for example is for those who have really hard water and find that their car wash doesn't give enough suds or lubrication and then they tend to use more than the recommended ratios :inspector:
 
Poorboy said:
I totally agree that products work better and more efficiently with better water, but it doesn't change ratios that are mfg recommended. When it does change it, for example is for those who have really hard water and find that their car wash doesn't give enough suds or lubrication and then they tend to use more than the recommended ratios :inspector:
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Ok point taken... Hhhhhmmm let me go think about this....
 
Poorboy said:
I totally agree that products work better and more efficiently with better water, but it doesn't change ratios that are mfg recommended. When it does change it, for example is for those who have really hard water and find that their car wash doesn't give enough suds or lubrication and then they tend to use more than the recommended ratios :inspector:
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I stand corrected. Thanks Gurus..

Distilled water is not hard or soft. It is any water that has been past through a distillery which removes any ionic compounds such as Na or Ca in the water and therefore can not be defined as hard or soft water. It is 99.9% pure H2O
 
FWIW, Most recent test data from our water department.

Chlorine: 1.44 mg/l
Nitrate: 3.08 mg/l
Hardness: 125 mg/l or 7.37 gr/gal
Ph: 8.85
Fluoride: .99 mg/l

Didn't mean much to me, but I'm sure someone here can interpret the numbers.
All I know is that it looks, tastes and smells fine and seems to work good for washing or bathing. That's about all you can ask of water I guess. :)
 
Another interesting store water fact.
In the same section as the distilled water, they have purified water.
Same price, 69 cents/gallon.
The distilled water said it was "steam distilled", the purified water said it was purified by "reverse osmosis".
I don't really understand much of any of it, but I do remember reading that there will be quite a little difference between distilled water, water from reverse osmosis, softened water and filtered water.
The tap water sounds better all the time. :D
 
CharlesW said:
Another interesting store water fact.
In the same section as the distilled water, they have purified water.
Same price, 69 cents/gallon.
The distilled water said it was "steam distilled", the purified water said it was purified by "reverse osmosis".
I don't really understand much of any of it, but I do remember reading that there will be quite a little difference between distilled water, water from reverse osmosis, softened water and filtered water.
The tap water sounds better all the time. :D
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:rofl talking about water, the Poland Spring guy just came in to offer me a water cooler with Natural Spring Water ...i wonder where it rates :inspector:
 
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