Before you use your dehumidifier water on your plants, consider that the water can pick up metals from the inside of your dehumidifier.
It’s also possible that your dehumidifier has mold and mildew within the water tank.
You can however use dehumidifier water on plants you don’t plan to consume.
Before you water your entire garden, you should do a small test on your garden to see if your plants react well to the dehumidifier water.
Below you’ll find out how a dehumidifier collects water and alternative uses for dehumidifier water.
Let’s get started.
Is Dehumidifier Water Good for Plants?
Dehumidifier water is not safe to drink, but it can be used on plants you don’t plan on consuming.
Dehumidifier water can contain mold, fungi, and bacteria that the condensate collects through the dehumidification process.
The metals from the condenser coils can also leach into the water, making it unsafe for edible plants.
Feel free to use dehumidifier water on your flowers, house plants, lawn, trees, or any other plants that you don’t plan on consuming.
Before you water your entire garden with dehumidifier water, it is a good idea to water only a section of your garden for some time.
Observe if the plant thrives, if not, then you want to avoid using your dehumidifier water on your plants.
Keep your dehumidifier’s water tank clean and give your dehumidifier a thorough cleaning every year to keep it working in optimal conditions.
Be aware that dehumidifier water is also demineralized, which means that it won’t have any minerals that plants can use to grow.
It can be used on carnivorous plants that like demineralized water but for most other plants it will lack the nutrients they require.
How A Dehumidifier Collects Water
A dehumidifier draws in warm air that passes through cooling coils. The coils use condensation to collect moisture from the air.
The moisture that is collected then drops into the dehumidifier’s water tank. The dehumidified air is then exhausted back into the room.
Through this process, the water that is collected is distilled.
The issue with using the dehumidifier water on your plants or drinking is that it has to pass through parts of your dehumidifier’s internals as well as the water reservoir.
The water tank may have mold or mildew that isn’t able to be seen by the naked eye.
It also has to pass through the internals of your dehumidifier which can be difficult to clean if you aren’t able to reach them.
Alternate Uses for Your Dehumidifier Water
- Pouring it down the drain: The simplest option would be to pour it down any drain in your home. Whether it be inside or outside, pouring it out is a great way to rid of dehumidifier water.
- Down the toilet: Before you flush your toilet, add some dehumidifier water to aid the flushing process. This way you’ll save some tap water and repurpose your dehumidifier water.
- Steam iron: Steam irons require water to create steam, and your dehumidifier water is a great source.
- Aquarium: Another use is putting it into an aquarium. Do be thorough in testing the water for any contaminants to avoid harming your fishy friends.
Final Thoughts
While the water from a dehumidifier is considered “Grey water”, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find use for it.
Whether you use it for your non-edible plants, aquarium, flushing your toilet or for cleaning, you’ll be able to recycle your dehumidifier water.
If you plan to use it for plants, then test out a section of your garden for a week or two and then see how your plants react to the dehumidifier water.
If they seem like they’re thriving, then you should have no issue using dehumidifier water on your other non-edible plants.
