How to make distilled water from home in a few easy steps

From tap to purified water, there are nine types of water. Each has its own set of pros and cons in comparison to each other.

Distilled water is one of these nine types. And despite what you may think, yes, you can drink distilled water. While it can be purchased, you can also make distilled water at home.

Whether you're using it to drink or for your household appliances, follow these simple steps to make distilled water.

What is distilled water?

Distilled water is a type of purified water. Through distillation, minerals, salt and organic materials are removed from the water, according to WebMD.

During distillation, boiling the water takes out its impurities and creates steam. This steam converts back to its liquid state through cooling and becomes distilled water.

Is distilled water safe to drink? Here's what to know about purified water

How to make distilled water

You can buy distilled water at grocery stores and other places, but you can also make it at home.

To make distilled water at home, you need:

• A large pot and its lid

• A bowl that is smaller than the pot

• Ice

• Water

Fill your pot halfway with water. Place an empty bowl inside of your pot. The bowl should be smaller than the pot and should float in the water (not touch or sink to the bottom of the pot).

Turn on your stove's burner to medium heat and let the water boil. Then place the lid upside-down over the pot and fill the top with ice.

This will create condensation as the steam from the boiling water hits the ice-cold lid. The condensation will begin to drip into the bowl, leaving you with distilled water. Continue the distillation process until you get your desired amount of water.

Allow for the bowl to cool before removing it and pour the distilled water into a container for storage.

Want to know more? Here's how distilled water is different from boiled or filtered water

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Distilled water: Here's how to make your own at home