Here is a homemade recipe you didn’t know you needed: purified water.

You likely have water on hand, but maybe you don’t exactly trust your source. You can use any of the three following water-purifying methods to clean the water you already have, to make drinking water for emergencies, or to get water on camping trips.

The various methods to make purified water each have their perks in removing contaminants found in water, such as particulates, bacteria, minerals, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, but none can be relied on solely to provide 100% “clean” water — if such a thing even exists in today’s world. However, they may come in handy in a variety of situations, even as an educational tool for children.

3 Ways to Purify Water at Home

1. Ionized Water

I learned about ionized water from Andreas Moritz’s liver cleanse program. Moritz claims that boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes causes it to become charged and saturated with negative oxygen ions. Because toxins and waste carry a positive charge, the ionized water attaches to them and discharges them from the body. Boiling also kills 99.9% of bacteria. This method, however, will not get rid of dirt and other solid matter in the water. Moritz suggest consuming ionized water while it is still hot (like tea) by storing it in a thermos flask and taking a few sips every half hour all day long.

2. Solar Still

A definite feature on an outdoor survival TV segment, the solar still is a more wilderness-apropos solution to cleansing water, but you can also try it at home. This distillation-type purifying system only works if you are in an area with plenty of sun.

First, find a bowl that has a wide and flat bottom surface – this could be a large bowl, a type of pot, etc. Place a weighted cup or jar in the center of the bowl. The height of the cup or jar should not exceed that of the bowl. Fill the bowl with the water you want to purify. The cup or jar should be weighted down and thus not floating. Meanwhile, the water should not be poured so high that it enters the cup.

Next, tightly cover the pot with plastic wrap. Place a rock or heavy object on top of the plastic wrap over the spot where the cup is. The rock will lightly press down on the center of the plastic wrap, but not so much that the rock touches the cup.

Let the contraption sit in the sun. The sun will evaporate the water, but the water will be unable to escape and will collect along the surface area of the plastic covering, and will eventually travel in the direction of the weighted part with the rock and drip into the cup. This can take days to take place, so be patient!

3. Filtration System

Make a homemade filtration system with layers of grass, rocks, charcoal, and sand. Poke holes into a bottom of a large container. Next, start layering filtering substances into the container, starting with a layer of grass wedge, cloth, or gravel. Then, add a layer of charcoal, followed by a layer of sand. Pour water into the top of the container, and retrieve it from the bottom with a collection container. Pass the water through the filter numerous times. Strain before consumption.

This filtration system is not to be used alone. While the sand removes some bacteria and the charcoal can remove some chemicals, it is not thorough enough to deem impure water safe to drink, unless you are in an emergency situation.

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