Iron is a naturally occurring mineral that can be found in many foods. Some examples include spinach, water spinach, and dried seaweed. When consumed, it can be absorbed into your blood via your liver. As it passes through your body, it can also enter your water supply.
Because of this, it is important to know how to remove iron from water at home. Many people use steel wool or cotton filters as part of their routine water purification system. These are cost-effective ways to reduce the amount of iron in your drinking water.
We will not go into much detail about how to do this at home, but if you are interested in reading more about it then there are some great resources online. There are online tools that will measure and test your iron levels for you so you do not have to worry about going without these important minerals.
Contents:
Pour into a metal bowl and let cool
Once the water has cooled, you can begin removing the iron from the water. This process requires special equipment due to the fact that you must separate out the iron from the liquid, but not all steel water features require this!
Some do not process well with iron in their water supply. If you have a metal-only drinking water source, this is an easy way to remove iron from your water.
If you have tap or bottled water that does not have any processing done to it, it can still be processed. A great site to check is Waterforeman! You can buy a device or kit that separates out and removes iron from your water.
Wrap iron containing water in a paper towel and tape up the edges
While some water features such as diving wells or floatation devices are made of non-ferrous materials such as paper towels or vinyl chloride, others are, it is important to know how to remove iron from water technology wise.
A lot of these systems are designed with the user removing the iron and flushing the system with clean water after use. This is possible though if the system is not removed often!
Mostly these systems are sold as safety and convenience. Perhaps your next camping trip does not have a cell phone signal available so easily accessible phones do not come in very handy.
Drop iron containing water into a metal container
If you have the space to store a iron-based water, give it a try. It is expensive, but it reduces your risk of health complications such as anaemia and can be useful for cleaning iron fixtures and supplies.
We encourage people to simply avoid drinking water with iron in it, but if you want to reduce your risk of health problems such as anaemia you may want to add this to your list of alternatives.
An important tip: when buying a water container make sure that it is made from material that is resistant to rusting. Buying a metal container will prevent the container from turning black due to the iron in the water catching fire or being heated by an Iron chef cooking show contestant who forgot to put a lid on it.
Let sit for several hours or over night
After you have cleaned your slab of iron, the next step is to prevent water from re-infusing the iron into your water. This is where Do It Yourself Mitigation comes in!
Many people use filters to help mitigate this issue. A typical filter system will have rag-dolled up leaves or unscented chlorine resistant towels used to buffer the water during treatment.
These treatments work by forcing water to travel a limited amount before reaching the iron, where it can be removed.
Shake container to stir contents
After you open the container, the first step is to shake the water container. You can do this by using a standard bottle brush or removing the top.
Then, carefully pour a few cups of water into the container and stir well.
That way, the iron in the water can combine with the directions to stir it together.
You want to leave some space for bubbles to form so your iron gets distributed throughout the water. Make sure to always have a full water bottle or hydration device on you in case there is an emergency.
This process may take a few tries but once you get it, you will love how easy it is! Once you do this, go out and play! You will feel better playing with your water just from having this tool on hand.
Test pH of removed liquid and re-boil if necessary
A warning: When working with or around water containing iron, be careful. It can be harmful if it enters your body!
Because of its large molecules, Iron can readily enter your body through your skin or your drinking water. This is why it is important to test the pH of the water to make sure it is not too high or low.
When adding Iron to water, it is best to first test the pH of the water and add half of the amount needed. If the iron does not dissolve completely, then more can be added until it does.
This is because as it dissolves, its value will decrease slightly. When this happens, the tap will need to be replaced with fresh water so that new iron can bind with and remove from the water supply.
Filter through coffee filters or paper towels
When filtering water, make sure not toincludes steel or steel wool, alcohol, food products, or medications. These may introduce impurities into your water.
Only use filtered water to consume your coffee or tea. If you want to have something else in your drink, such as juice or soda, then use regular water for that reason.
When preparing the coffee or tea, make sure not to include any milk or other liquid ingredients. These may introduce other substances into the coffee or liquid.
When brewing your own coffee and using filtered water, remember that this may take longer than using boiled and cooled water directly.
Test again for iron content until gone
Once your baby is 6 months or older, it is time to try removing the iron from water for good. There are two ways to do this.
The first way is to use a bouillon cube. A bouillon cube looks like sugar solution, but it is actually made of mineral water mixed in with salt and potassium chloride.
The second way to remove the iron from water is to buy a hair dryer. Using a hair dryer on your baby’s head can be dangerous because it can lead to overheating and possible brain damage.
Arguing with the parents may also cause them to take even more steps toward child abuse, so we suggest you just leave it alone.