Water purifying tablets
We have briefly reviewed the use of iodine and chlorine tablets for cleaning and purifying water whilst you are travelling abroad in remote and exotic locations, or for places and countries where there is no proper water treatment facility. Where you can access clean, untampered bottled water we always recommend you use this first. Remember to always check that the seal of the bottle is intact and unbroken so that you can be happy that the bottled water is direct from the supplier not something someone has made up locally!
With regards to the use of iodine and chlorine tablets, you should be aware that these are short term solutions only and you should certainly not use these methods for your drinking water for a prolonged period as it could damage your health.
Iodine tablets
Iodine tablets are often the most recommended form of simple chemical treatment of heavily contaminated water, due to their effectiveness at dealing with various stomach-upsetting water micro-organisms, including the notorious Giardia. This Lifesystems pack contains 50 iodine tablets which is effective for treatment of up to 50 litres of water.
They are very cheap to buy (normally under £5) and are very useful for emergency situations. They cannot, however, be considered for long term water treatment for health reasons. I used iodine tablets during my volunteer experience infrequently, when I needed clean water to brush my teeth with and also to drink on the relatively rare occasions when I did not have access to bottled or treated water. Any unpleasant taste and colour can be removed by using the neutralising tablets described below.
Chlorine tablets
I personally have never used chlorine tablets as a method of purifying water whilst travelling, but again they offer a cheap solution to treating water in situations where you do not have access to clean water. Again these tablets work by killing the water borne bacterial-organisms which can make you ill if they are not removed by water treatment.
Chlorine tablets can be used over a longer time period compared to iodine, and can be used to make water safer for drinking, to wash fruit and vegetables and to brush your teeth. This Lifesystems pack contains 75 tablets which is suitable for treating up to 75 litres of water. Chlorine tablets are easy to use and economical, especially if you are looking at a longer term solution.
Neutralising tablets
These Lifesystem neutralising tablets are useful for removing the unpleasant tastes and smells of iodine and chlorine from water that has been treated by either of these two chemicals. If you are considering purifying untreated water with either iodine or chlorine tablets to make it safer for drinking during your volunteer trip then these
neutralising tablets are probably a must if you would prefer to avoid the fairly strong chemical taste and odour that can usually accompany such treated water. This pack contains 75 tablets which makes it suitable for treating up to 75 litres of water. Again these tablets are usually cheap and priced under £5.
If you have used any of the water purifying tablets listed on this page and would be happy to give us your view, please contact us here explaining which tablet you are talking about please.