We all understand the importance of staying hydrated, given that our bodies use water for essentially everything they do. As a measure of general health, vitality of skin, body temperature and overall functionality, the benefits of drinking water are obvious. But not all water is equal – if you’re drinking from the tap at home, you may notice variations in the taste or smell of your water, compared to other sources. This could be due to a variety of reasons such as hard water, the quality of the pipes in your home or local water treatment plant procedures.

Despite the ability of city water systems to remove most harmful toxins from tap water, mineral content, chlorine and other factors can affect the taste, often in unpleasant ways. Simply put, poor quality water tastes bad. And it’s a primary reason why homeowners and renters alike buy whole house water filtration systems. Home water filtration is an easy solution that doesn’t involve spending hundreds of dollars a year on bottled water, contributing to a $30 billion annual consumption problem in America. 

Why does water taste better at night?

Believe it or not, water doesn’t change flavor when the sun sets. Ever notice that water tastes a little different after it’s been sitting out for a while? For instance, you might put a glass of water on your nightstand before bed, perhaps remembering that drinking water first thing in the morning will help boost digestion and kick your metabolism into gear. Only in the morning, the water tastes stale, missing a familiar flavor.

So what happened? There’s a scientific reason for the shift in taste. To start, tap water contains chlorine, which is added to the water supply to kill bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause illness. If you commonly drink water from the tap, you’ve likely gotten used to the hint of chlorine flavor in the water. But when you leave water in an open container overnight, the chlorine evaporates into the air over time. The absence of the slight chemical sign of chlorination is often enough for humans to detect.

In addition to chlorine, carbon dioxide (the air we exhale) can play a significant role in the taste of your glass of water. When left to sit out for hours at a time (such as overnight), the carbon dioxide blends with water molecules to form carbonic acid, leading to a more acidic (lower pH) flavor to your drinking experience.

Why does cold water taste better?

There is a distinct difference between the experience of drinking room-temperature water and that of drinking a cold glass of water. The colder temperatures tend to make the sensitivity of our taste buds a bit sluggish, including perceptions of sweetness. If you’ve ever had a room-temperature can of soda, you may remember that it was exceptionally sweet, even a bit tart. That’s because we’re generally accustomed to having cold soda, where our diminished taste isn’t overpowered by the sugary syrup concoction, the movement of molecules accelerated by warmth.

Likewise, the temperature of your water has a significant effect on the taste. Drinking ice cold water is a brisk experience without much distinct flavor, while warm water affords an expansion of flavor for the various minerals and other elements in the liquid. Colder temperatures inhibit the speed of molecular movement, so flavor is more subtle.

Water filters balance taste, smell, wellness

Short-term solutions for making your tap water taste better range from adding a slice of fresh fruit or a dash of fruit juice – even a cinnamon stick has been recommended by do-it-yourself blogs. 

Although many people prefer bottled water, over 69% of commercial plastics end up in landfills – hardly an encouraging statistic at a time when we all need to do our part to reduce the momentum of climate change.  A more affordable, safer and more ecologically helpful solution is the home water filter. 

By using a home water filtration device, you’re helping the environment in potentially significant ways. Compared to bottled water, a home water filter is an obvious economic choice for clean, drinkable water. And if you’re just getting started in home water filtration, or you’re simply looking for a convenient way to make your water taste better, ProOne’s Water Filter Pitcher is an industry-leading filtration device with a convenient pitcher container most suitable for families and individuals. It fits easily in the refrigerator, and removes compounds and chemicals such as zinc, chlorine, and hydrogen sulfide which can significantly improve the taste and smell of your drinking water. 

Offering a 54-oz filtered water storage capacity, ProOne’s Water Filter Pitcher is made from BPA and BPS free food grade materials, and includes a removable fruit/vegetable infusion tube. It is independently lab tested and proven to reduce/remove 200+ contaminants including fluoride, chlorine, chloramines, VOCs, bacteria, pharmaceuticals, lead and heavy metals, while leaving in beneficial minerals in tap water.

Once you learn how to make tap water taste better, there’s no limit to the savings you can enjoy, free of damaging environmental impacts from single-use plastics. 

 Learn more about your water filtration options at ProOneUSA.com