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How do you get rid of the deposits in tap water when boiling it to prepare formula?

I live in London and use cold tap water to boil to prepare the formula for my baby.("Breast is best people - please don't start - do you think we don't do it for fun?) The problem is that there is a white deposit that is formed on the water surface just after it is boiled - is it the same stuff as scaling in other gadgets and if so isn't it harmful to the baby? How is it possible to get rid of this? Or is it better to use bottled still water?

Public Comments

1. I'm not sure, if you are concerned use bottled water or buy a water purifier and see if that is better. FYI I formula fed my daughter and breastfed my son no judgement will pass my lips, I remember being up at midnight sterilising bottles and making formula, not fun! Hope that helps
2. It's not safe to boil your baby's milk. I kills all the nutrition in the milk that the baby needs. It also makes hot spots in the milk. The best thing to get is a bottle warmer.
3. yes it's better to use distilled water, distilling is when they boil it, and the steam rises into a tube that drains into another container, and this process leaves all the hard mineral deposits in the original container since these deposits are too heavy to be carried into the steam. I believe they then also run the distilled water through filters to further purify it. You can buy a home distiller, or you can get a filtration system (do they have the Brita water pitchers in UK?) We used a simple Brita pitcher when our little man was small. You replace the filters every couple months, we pay $15 for 3 replacemnents, the pitcher itself was about $25.
4. Apparently it hasn't killed too many people. Boiling brings out impurities like lime and other solids. Don't worry about it, especially since you have boiled the water and killed anything bad that might be living in it. Also just a thought - When will it stop? Millions of people drink that water every day and you are worried about it the instant you have a baby? Seriously, people all over the world drink water with parasites and other creatures in it and don't get sick. This is because their system is used to the things they ingest and their bodies have adapted to them. So do you want to spend a fortune buying bottled water until your kid is an adult or are you willing to take a chance like the million other people that are your neighbors.
5. Living in London means you have hard water. The white flakes are just calcium carbonate deposits, the same as limestone. The other main formation is scum, again just impurities that will do no harm but are created by bubbles and soap. Simply double rinsing should solve this problem. Bottled water is almost identical, some of it is the same, as tap water. Mineral water contains the same impurities as hard water and spring water simply hasn't had some of the chemicals, like fluoride, added. If you boil the water and let it stand in the bottle for 2 minutes before making the mixture most of the impurities escape with the steam (chloride, fluoride, etc).
6. About twice a month I clean the kettle to remove the deposits from it. I use about 1/2 cup of vinegar and fill the kettle the rest of the way with water. Bring it to a boil. Empty it out and run clear water through it. Sometimes I have to use a cloth to get rid of the rest. I find if the kettle is clean the water in the bottles is clearer. In Canada it is best to use tap water because the bottled water industry isn't regulated as strictly. I'm not sure what it is like in England. Hope this helps!