How to Remove Chlorine in Drinking Water?

Are you bothered by the swimming pool taste or smell of your tap water? You’re not alone. Chlorine disinfection is common, but luckily, getting rid of it is possible. ¹

The main ways to remove chlorine are letting it evaporate (stand or boil), filtering it (especially with activated carbon or reverse osmosis), or neutralizing it with chemicals like Vitamin C or specific tablets. Each method varies in speed, cost, and effectiveness.

Chlorine does a great job keeping our water safe from harmful bacteria on its way to our homes. ² But once it reaches your tap, you might prefer water without that chemical taste or potential health concerns. Let’s explore how you can easily improve your water quality.

How to Remove Chlorine from Drinking Water Naturally?

Worried about adding more chemicals just to remove one? There are natural ways to dechlorinate your water¹, using processes that don’t require filters or additives.

The simplest natural methods are evaporation (letting water sit out) or boiling². Both allow the volatile chlorine gas to escape into the air, leaving your water chlorine-free without adding anything.

Dive Deeper into Natural Methods

Natural chlorine removal relies on chlorine’s tendency to turn into a gas and leave the water. Here’s a closer look:

Evaporation (Off-Gassing)³

This is the easiest method, though it takes time. ³ Chlorine gas is lighter than air and wants to escape.

• How it Works: Just leave tap water in an open container (like a pitcher or wide bowl) exposed to air. ²
• Timeframe: It usually takes several hours to a full day (around 24 hours) for most chlorine to dissipate naturally. ⁴ Warm water speeds this up slightly compared to cold water left in the fridge.
• Pros: Completely free, requires no equipment, simple. ⁵
• Cons: Slow, not practical for large amounts or immediate needs, water might taste a bit flat afterwards because dissolved air also leaves. ⁴ Doesn’t remove chloramine (a more stable disinfectant sometimes used instead of or with chlorine).

Boiling

Heating the water significantly speeds up the chlorine’s escape⁴. ²

• How it Works: Bring water to a rolling boil for about 15-20 minutes. The heat forces the chlorine gas out quickly.
• Timeframe: Relatively fast removal (under 30 minutes), but you need to wait for the water to cool down before drinking. ²
• Pros: Quicker than simple evaporation, also kills other potential pathogens.
• Cons: Uses energy, requires cooling time, not practical for daily drinking water needs for most people, can make water taste flat. Doesn’t effectively remove chloramine (would need hours of boiling).

Here’s a quick comparison:

Method	How it Works	Time Required	Pros	Cons
Evaporation	Chlorine gas leaves	Several hrs – 24 hrs	Free, simple, no equipment	Slow, impractical for large amounts, flat taste, no chloramine removal
Boiling	Heat forces gas out	15-20 mins + cool	Faster, kills pathogens5	Uses energy, cooling time, flat taste, inefficient for chloramine6

Personal Story Placeholder: I remember my grandmother always kept a pitcher of tap water on the counter. I thought it was just room temperature water she preferred, but she explained it was to let the ‘pool taste’ go away.

How is Chlorine Removed from Drinking Water Generally?

Beyond just letting water sit, how else can chlorine be tackled, maybe more efficiently? Filtration and chemical neutralization⁷ are the other main approaches used. ⁶

Filtration, especially using activated carbon filters⁸ (common in pitchers, faucet filters, and reverse osmosis systems), effectively adsorbs chlorine. ^{7 8} Chemical neutralization uses substances like potassium metabisulfite⁹ or Vitamin C to react with and eliminate chlorine.

Dive Deeper into Filtration and Neutralization

While natural methods work, filtration and chemical methods are often faster or more comprehensive.

Filtration

This is probably the most common and practical method for homes.

• Activated Carbon Filters¹⁰: These are the workhorses for chlorine removal. Carbon has a huge surface area that traps (adsorbs) chlorine molecules as water passes through. You find these in:
  • Water filter pitchers
  • Faucet-mounted filters
  • Under-sink filters ^{7 9}
  • Refrigerator filters ⁸
  • Whole-house filtration systems (Point of Entry – POE) ¹
  • Pros: Very effective (often >95% removal), improves taste/odor significantly, relatively affordable options available, can remove other contaminants too.
  • Cons: Filters need regular replacement, effectiveness depends on flow rate and filter quality, basic carbon doesn’t remove everything (like minerals or fluoride). Special catalytic carbon is better for chloramine.
• Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems¹¹: These multi-stage systems usually include carbon pre-filters (removing chlorine to protect the RO membrane) and post-filters. ⁴ The RO membrane itself removes a vast array of contaminants, including dissolved salts (like chloride, discussed later) and heavy metals.
  • Pros: Extremely effective purification, removes chlorine and many other contaminants, provides high-quality drinking water. ^{10 4 5}
  • Cons: More expensive initial cost, produces wastewater (brine), removes beneficial minerals (some systems remineralize), usually installed under the sink (Point of Use – POU).
• Other Filter Types: Ceramic filters and KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) media can also help reduce chlorine, often used alongside carbon.

Chemical Neutralization ^{6 5}

This involves adding something to the water that chemically reacts with the chlorine, rendering it harmless.

• Potassium Metabisulfite / Sodium Metabisulfite¹²: Often used in brewing or commercial applications (sometimes called Campden tablets). Very effective and fast.
  • Pros: Quick, potent. ⁴
  • Cons: Adds chemicals (sulfites) to the water, requires careful dosing, not typically preferred for home drinking water.
• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid / Sodium Ascorbate)¹³: A popular, non-toxic option. Reacts quickly with chlorine and chloramine.
  • Pros: Safe, effective for both chlorine and chloramine, readily available (powder or tablets), chemical-free approach (using a vitamin).
  • Cons: Need to add it to water (slight taste possible, ascorbic acid can lower pH slightly), cost of Vitamin C. Used in some shower filters.

Personal Story Placeholder: When I first got serious about my aquarium hobby, I learned the hard way about chlorine. Simple tap water could harm the fish. That’s when I first discovered dechlorination drops, which often use chemicals similar to those mentioned.

How Do You Remove Chloride from Drinking Water?

Wait, isn’t chloride¹⁴ just another name for chlorine? Not quite. While related, they are chemically different, and removing them requires different methods.

Chloride (Cl⁻) is the negatively charged ion form of chlorine, often found naturally as salts (like sodium chloride). ¹¹ Removing it usually requires advanced methods like Reverse Osmosis (RO)¹⁵ or distillation, as typical carbon filters¹⁶ are not effective against dissolved salts.

Dive Deeper into Chlorine vs. Chloride Removal

Understanding the difference is key to choosing the right water treatment. ¹²

What’s the Difference?

• Chlorine (Cl₂): The element used as a disinfectant gas or in compounds like hypochlorite. ^{13 14} It’s reactive and primarily targeted by evaporation, carbon filters, and specific neutralizing agents. Its presence is mainly due to water treatment.
• Chloride (Cl⁻): A stable ion formed when chlorine gains an electron. ¹¹ It exists naturally dissolved in water, often combined with sodium, calcium, or potassium (salts). ¹⁵ High levels can come from saltwater intrusion, road salt runoff, or industrial waste. ¹⁵ It affects taste (salty) and can be corrosive but isn’t a disinfectant itself.

Methods for Chloride Removal

Because chloride is a dissolved mineral salt (an ion), simple methods that work for chlorine gas won’t work.

• Reverse Osmosis (RO)¹⁷: This is the most common and effective home method. The semi-permeable membrane blocks dissolved salts like chloride, letting purer water pass through. RO removes a high percentage (>90%) of chlorides.
• Distillation¹⁸: Boiling water and condensing the steam leaves dissolved salts like chloride behind. Highly effective but slow and energy-intensive for large amounts.
• Electrodialysis (ED): Uses electricity and membranes to separate ions like chloride from water. More common in industrial or large-scale applications.
• Ion Exchange¹⁹: While technically possible using specific anion exchange resins, it’s less common for general chloride removal in homes compared to RO, partly due to the need for regeneration and potential impact on water chemistry.

Contaminant	Chemical Form	Primary Source	Health Concern	Common Removal Methods	Not Removed By
Chlorine	Cl₂ / HOCl	Water Disinfection	Taste/Odor, potential byproducts	Evaporation, Boiling, Carbon Filter, RO, Vitamin C	Basic Sediment Filter
Chloride	Cl⁻	Natural minerals, contamination	Salty taste, Corrosion (at high levels)	Reverse Osmosis, Distillation, Electrodialysis	Carbon Filter, Boiling, Evaporation

Personal Story Placeholder: I once lived in an area with noticeably ‘hard’ water that also tasted slightly salty. A water test revealed high levels of total dissolved solids, including chloride. A simple carbon filter didn’t change the taste much, but later installing an RO system made a huge difference.

How Do You Get Chlorine Out of Water Fast?

Need chlorine-free water right now, without waiting hours for it to evaporate? What are the speediest options?

The fastest ways to remove chlorine are using chemical neutralizers like Vitamin C or dechlorination tablets, or by using a quality water filter (Activated Carbon²⁰ or RO) which works instantly as water flows through. Boiling also works relatively quickly (15-20 min) but requires cooling time.

Dive Deeper into Fast Removal Methods

When time is critical, these methods deliver quick results.

Chemical Neutralization

• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid/Sodium Ascorbate)²¹: Adding a small amount of Vitamin C powder or a crushed tablet to water neutralizes chlorine (and chloramine) almost instantly upon mixing. This is very popular for dechlorinating water for aquariums, brewing, or even treating bath water.
• Dechlorination Tablets/Drops²²: Products specifically designed for water treatment (like Campden tablets or aquarium water conditioners) work extremely rapidly, often within seconds or minutes, by chemically reacting with chlorine.

Filtration (Instantaneous Flow-Through)

• Activated Carbon Filters²³: Whether it’s a faucet filter, under-sink system, or whole-house filter, these systems remove chlorine as the water flows through them. ^{1 7} The water coming out of the filtered tap is instantly dechlorinated. This is arguably the most convenient ongoing fast method.
• Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems²⁴: Like carbon filters, RO systems provide dechlorinated water instantly from their dedicated faucet. The purification process happens on demand as you draw water.

Boiling (Relatively Fast, with Caveats)

• Boiling²⁵: While the process of removing chlorine via boiling takes only 15-20 minutes, the water is then too hot to drink. ² You still need to wait for it to cool, making the total time from tap to drinkable much longer. So, while the chlorine removal itself is fast, the practical application isn’t instantaneous.

Comparison of Fast Methods:

Method	Speed of Chlorine Removal	Practical Use Speed	Pros	Cons
Vitamin C/Tablets	Seconds to Minutes	Seconds to Minutes	Very fast, effective, Vitamin C is safe	Need supplies, may slightly alter taste/pH
Carbon/RO Filter	Instantaneous (flow)	Instantaneous (flow)	Convenient, ongoing, improves taste	Initial cost/installation, filter replacements
Boiling25	~15-20 Minutes	Hours (cooling)	Also kills pathogens, no equipment needed	Energy use, long cooling time, impractical

Personal Story Placeholder: For making iced tea quickly in the summer, I rely on my under-sink carbon filter. Waiting for water to sit out or boil and cool just takes too long when you want a refreshing drink now.

Does Vitamin C Remove Chlorine from Water?

We’ve mentioned Vitamin C²⁶ a few times now. Is it really an effective way to get rid of that chlorine taste and smell?

Yes, Vitamin C (in its forms ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate) is very effective at neutralizing both chlorine and chloramine in water quickly and safely. ¹⁶ It chemically converts them into harmless substances.

Dive Deeper into Vitamin C Dechlorination

Vitamin C has become a popular and scientifically supported method for dechlorination.

How It Works

• Chemical Reaction: Ascorbic acid (or sodium ascorbate) reacts rapidly with chlorine (hypochlorous acid, HOCl) and chloramine (NH₂Cl).
• The Chemistry (Simplified):
  • Ascorbic Acid + HOCl → Dehydroascorbic Acid + Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)
  • Ascorbic Acid + NH₂Cl → Dehydroascorbic Acid + Ammonium Chloride (NH₄Cl)
• Result: The chlorine/chloramine is converted into harmless compounds. ^{17 18} Dehydroascorbic acid is just an oxidized form of Vitamin C, and the amounts of HCl or NH₄Cl produced are tiny and generally don’t impact water quality significantly for drinking or bathing.

Forms and Usage

• Ascorbic Acid²⁷: The pure form of Vitamin C. It’s slightly acidic and might lower the pH of the water slightly, especially in water with low alkalinity (buffering capacity). ¹⁹ About 2.5 parts are needed to neutralize 1 part chlorine. ^{16 19}
• Sodium Ascorbate²⁸: A buffered (neutral pH) form of Vitamin C. It won’t significantly change the water’s pH. ^{19 20} About 2.8 parts are needed to neutralize 1 part chlorine. ¹⁶ Often preferred for neutralizing high chlorine concentrations or in sensitive applications.
• Application: Can be added as powder or tablets directly to water (drinking water, baths, aquariums). It’s also used as the filtering medium in some showerhead filters designed specifically to remove chlorine/chloramine from shower water.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Highly effective for chlorine & chloramine	Need to purchase Vitamin C
Very fast reaction speed	Requires adding something to the water
Considered safe and non-toxic	Ascorbic acid form may slightly lower pH
Relatively inexpensive	Dissolved Vitamin C degrades over a day or two
Improves water for skin/hair (showers)	Dosage needs adjustment based on chlorine levels
Doesn’t lower dissolved oxygen much	Can add a very slight taste (usually unnoticeable)

Personal Story Placeholder: I first tried a Vitamin C shower filter because the chlorinated city water was making my skin feel dry and itchy after showers. The difference was noticeable almost immediately – the chlorine smell was gone, and my skin felt much better.

Conclusion

Removing chlorine from your drinking water is achievable through various methods, from simple evaporation to advanced filtration like reverse osmosis or quick chemical neutralization with Vitamin C. Choose based on your needs and budget.

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