Table of Contents
If you use a dehumidifier in your home, you probably think to yourself that it’s a waste of perfectly fine water every time you dump the tank down the sink.
If you want to use dehumidifier water on your houseplants and have questions, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s find out whether dehumidifier water can be used on plants, and what else it can be used for.
How Does a Dehumidifier Collect Water?
Dehumidifiers have a few components that make them run: a fan, a motor, a filter, and freezing cold coils or metal tubes. Similar to an air conditioner, the dehumidifier will pull in air from the room it is in, filter out dust and large particles, and run the air around the freezing coils.
Dehumidifiers use these cold metal tubes to turn the vaporized water in your home into liquid droplets called condensate. The cold temperature of the tubes turns the water vapor into condensate water that dries the air over time and reduces the humidity levels of your space.
Then, it is deposited into a bucket or drained through a hose. Depending on how humid your room is, you may need to empty the bucket once a day, if not more often.
Can Dehumidifier Water be Used on Plants?
Dehumidifier water can definitely be used on pretty much all plant life including flowers, shrubs, trees, and grasses. This type of water is best used for carnivorous plants like spider plants and dracaenas since it is demineralized.
Carnivorous plants like demineralized water because they don’t tolerate the normal minerals that plants use for their growth. Instead, they need pure water.
Even though water from a dehumidifier is okay to use on plants you don’t intend to eat since it is demineralized, it won’t be as effective as other types of water that have the necessary minerals. It won’t go to waste on water-hungry plants, but it isn’t the absolute best choice for most plant life either.
What is Bad for Plants in Water from Dehumidifiers?
There are a few reasons why water from a dehumidifier shouldn’t be used on plants you intend to eat. There are microorganisms, microbes, heavy metals, and a buildup of contaminants that would be unwise to consume.
These additives make it unsafe to reuse water from a dehumidifier on edible plants or for any other consumable such as ice cubes or drinking water.
What Can Dehumidifier Water be Used For?
The considerable amount of water produced by a dehumidifier can feel wasteful if not used practically, so it’s only natural that you want to do something productive with what is collected.
Before you use your dehumidifier water for these purposes, you may want to add a very small amount of bleach, as it will kill off the bacteria in the water and make it a more effective cleaner.
There are a few ways to make use of the gallons of water collected by your dehumidifier. Let’s take a look:
Flushing Toilets
If you want to make use of the water collected from your dehumidifier while lowering your household water costs at the same time, using the water to flush toilets is a fantastic idea.
The quality of the toilet water you use doesn’t matter, so it’s totally safe to use potentially contaminated water from a dehumidifier. Since every flush uses gallons of water, you’re saving money and making a smart choice by reusing the water.
Cleaning
Perhaps the best use for water collected from dehumifying your home is for cleaning. It can be used to mop floors the old fashioned way with soap and a bucket, or in a steam mop that typically uses tap water.
This water is also well put to use for washing your vehicle. It will mix well with cleaning solutions so that you can scrub out that stubborn dirt, and you can use the rest for rinsing your car when you’re finished cleaning it.
Using this water to iron clothes is also a great idea, especially if the location you live has particularly hard water that can affect the functioning of your iron. Ironing with water from your dehumidifier will protect the equipment and help the environment at the same time through water conservation.
Watering Grass and Other Outdoor Plant Life
Another excellent use for water from a dehumidifier is using it to water outdoor plants and grass. People sometimes spend hundreds of dollars a year watering their lawns to compete with the Jones’ next door, but this way, you can achieve that rich green lawn without spending a ton of money.
It is also a great choice for trees, bushes, and flowery gardens that you would normally either pay to water or not water at all. However, since this water source isn’t exactly nutrient rich, you may see different results in your flower beds since water from dehumidification is pure and doesn’t have the minerals that many plant species use to flourish.
Humidifier
While it might sound counterintuitive at first, using water from dehumidification in a humidifier is a solid idea.
Some areas struggle with both humidity and dryness seasonally, so using the water collected from humid days on drier days just makes sense. Your dehumidifier produces clean water that is safe to be put back into the air from your humidifier.
Steam Iron or Other Steaming Equipment
Though steam irons, mops, and other equipment that uses steam usually mention tap water in the manuals, using water from a dehumidifier is just as good.
If you iron clothes with a normal iron or a steamer, or trust a steam mop for sanitizing your floors and surfaces, using leftover water from dehumidifying your home is a smart idea.
Water Plants That Aren’t Meant for Consumption
Water from dehumidifying your home can be used to water plants inside your home as well. When it comes time to empty the water tank on your dehumidifier, simply pour it into the soil of your houseplants instead of washing it down the drain.
Any type of houseplant will benefit from this method of watering, from ivy to flowers to succulents. Just make sure you don’t use it on cat grass or anything similar as this water shouldn’t be consumed even by your pets.
Outdoor Pool or Water Toys
Using this water source for some outdoor fun kills two birds with one stone. An outdoor pool for the youngsters can be partially or fully filled with water saved from your dehumidifier, but you can also fill water balloons, squirt guns, and all other kinds of summer water toys to lower your water bill.
Is Dehumidifier Water the Same as Distilled Water?
While distilled water is comparable to the water you get from your dehumidifier, it is not the same. Though many minerals are removed during the dehumidification process, it is not as pure as true distilled water.
What Are Other Sources of Water for Edible Plants?
Since the environmental protection agency may recommend against using water from a dehumidifier for consumables like vegetable gardens and bird baths, there are many other water sources to choose from for your edible plants.
Tap Water
Tap water is still a great option for plants since it contains important minerals like magnesium and calcium that help your plant live its best life. Plus, it is one of the most convenient water sources for plants at home since you can use as much as you need without going to the store, and it’s clean enough for use on any plant life.
Distilled Water
Distilled water is a top choice for consumable plants since it is totally pure and free from contaminants. This water source is good for food grade plants, since it doesn’t have bacteria or other contaminants that aren’t fit for consumption.
Filtered Water
To avoid the chlorine and fluoride in water sources like your hose, you can use filtered water for your plants. Whether or not you filter it yourself at home, your plants will thrive with this clean but mineral-rich water source.
Bottled Spring Water/Drinking Water
Spring water is one of the best water sources to use for your edible plants since it is clean, healthy, and pure. Your plants will love a nice soak from drinking water, as long as it’s not sparkling! The nutrients contained in drinking water make it a top choice for plants, since it is as healthy for them as it is for the human body.
Rainwater
People who live in wet climates can make great use of their rainwater by using it to water all of their indoor and outdoor plants. It can be used on planters, trees and bushes, flower gardens, indoor houseplants, and more.
