It's Easier Than We Expected To Make Distilled Water At Home

While you can certainly buy gallons of distilled water at your local supermarket, big-box store, or even drugstore, if you just need a little bit (really, any amount less than a gallon) or you have no way of reaching a store, it's actually quite easy to make in your own kitchen (unlike other types of water you'll find at the grocery store). First, you'll need a large pot with a lid and a glass bowl. The bowl should be able to float over the bottom of the pot, which you'll fill about halfway with water. You'll then place the lid upside down on the pot and set a few handfuls of ice cubes into the curve of the inverted lid (you might have to replace these a few times). Put the pot to boil on medium-high heat and keep an eye on it.

The boiling water will turn to vapor, react against the coldness of the lid, and cause condensation to form, which will then fall into the bowl. What you don't want is for the bowl of water to boil, so if you notice it starting to bubble, turn down your stove a bit. Once you're done, you can remove the lid (carefully, as it will have hot water on it) and let the bowl cool before removing. And voila! You've just made your own distilled water.

If you're just one of those people who likes to try things that sound cool (and making your own distilled water is definitely the coolest), you can follow the instructions above and then use your distilled water in all kinds of ways. One task you might not know you should be using distilled water for is watering certain types of plants, especially Venus fly traps. These plants specifically need water that's free of minerals, but all plants, including indoor herbs that are practically impossible to kill, would enjoy a drink of bacteria- and mineral-free water.

You can also wash your hair with distilled water, especially if your tap water is normally hard. Wet your hair with tap water and shampoo as usual, but when the time comes to rinse the shampoo out, use mineral-free distilled water to give your hair a healthy treat. Finally, if streaky glass and mirrors are your pet peeve, try cleaning them with a 1:1 mixture of distilled water and vinegar (or, if you have it, cleaning vinegar, which is different from cooking vinegar). You don't have to stop at your home, either — car windows, especially if you have a dog or two, can get notoriously dirty and dusty and would benefit from the distilled-water treatment.