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I have had a few empty spray bottles that I use to spritz stamps after coloring with markers (for a watercolor technique) or to spray water on a craft sheet to mix with Distress inks/paints, etc. These bottles were bought for this purpose and are the 2-3 oz size. One I got at the Container Store for taking things on a plane and the other is a Judikins mister, or was it Ranger? About 2 ounces or so.
Anyway, my problem is that even though they've never had anything in them but water, the water smells bad when I spray it! Like musty or moldy! The water is clear - it LOOKS fine, but it smells bad! It smells if I unscrew the spray thingie and smell it, and it smells if I spritz it and get some on my hands.
So does plain tap water "go bad" just sitting in a spray bottle? Those of you who do techniques with water like this - do you fill your water bottle every time?? I just can't figure it out. I do have a sensitive sense of smell, so it's not going to drive anyone out of the house, but it drives me crazy!! Any advice??
__________________ ~ Susan - Celebrating 19 years as an SU demo! Grammy to Anna 15, Elizabeth 14, Nora 12, Abigail 12, Kendall 10 , Isaac 10, Evan 7, and Hudson 3 with me in my avatar Proud to be SCS Fan Club Member since the beginning!
Water can go bad. I would be tempte to fill them with vinegar and spray that through a couple of times or even bleach. And then rinse thoroughly and let air dry fully and you should be ok.
I will be honest. I tend to use left over bottled water or filtered which is probably overkill. HTH
Absolutely water can go bad!! I store water for when the water gets shut off unexpectedly. Every so often I refill these water containers 'cause if I don't the water starts smelling bad!!
I have a couple and one I keep a 50/50 solution of water and rubbing alcohol. Water will go bad and start to smell so rubbing alcohol will kill bacteria that will make it smell bad. You can also use about 2 drops of chlorine bleach (plain chlorine bleach - not for colours or scented or with extra cleaners) in 1 litre or you can boil your water. It will keep longer but it should be change out every so often. And you need to clean the spray bottles thoroughly too.
Tap water has all kinds of stuff living in it. That's why cities put chlorine & such in it. But it has a shelf life especially after it's opened. That's why I ONLY USE DISTILLED WATER for crafting. ( Not bottled drinking water.) I use it for spraying, cleaning, and concoction making. I make my own stamp cleaner and various color mists using distilled water and I've never had any problems with any of them.
Dea
Wonderful tips in here and glad to see the subject mentioned. I use the Judikins mister since it is the only one I could find with a really fine mist. I did find out the misters DO go bad after a while too. Thanks for all the tips on the water!
How interesting! I guess I always use mine up fast enough before the water goes bad, because I never have that problem - and my paid job involves having a good sense of smell. But with no running water in my attic, my mister bottles get used a lot, so I suppose they never sit long enough.
Nancy, the Tim Holtz/Ranger mini-misters are really fine! I had bought a spray from a big-name stamp company many years ago, and it wasn't fine enough and put me off using it for anything other than wetting my watercolours. But someone here recommended the Mini-Misters to me and I now have a dozen of them.
How interesting! I guess I always use mine up fast enough before the water goes bad, because I never have that problem - and my paid job involves having a good sense of smell.
Now I'm intrigued - what's your paid job?
Last edited by PikkuLilla; 02-16-2014 at 01:28 AM..
Just to clarify the bottled drinking water I use is leftover from when we have been out and got caught without our water bottles. I refuse to pay through the nose for water and then not use it. Otherwise we use the Brita filter bottles.
FWIW I had to clean out my mother's Keurig that stopped working because she wasn't using it enough and the water was going icky.
If you're looking for smaller mister bottles, SU has great ones - they're larger than the "mini misters" from Ranger, have a super-fine spray, and come 2 in a pack for (ummmm, don't have my catalog handy) cheap!
Thanks for all the advice on the bad water! I think I need to try some distilled water! :-)
__________________ ~ Susan - Celebrating 19 years as an SU demo! Grammy to Anna 15, Elizabeth 14, Nora 12, Abigail 12, Kendall 10 , Isaac 10, Evan 7, and Hudson 3 with me in my avatar Proud to be SCS Fan Club Member since the beginning!
I use water thats been through my Brita filter, and never have a problem. You do have to wonder what is in your tap water, for instance, my cat, in 15 years has never, ever drunk water from our tap. He always has fresh water down, but goes outside to drink from the pond/birdbath- even puddles and planter saucers. Since I bought a water filter, he will drink water from that!
I use water thats been through my Brita filter, and never have a problem. You do have to wonder what is in your tap water, for instance, my cat, in 15 years has never, ever drunk water from our tap. He always has fresh water down, but goes outside to drink from the pond/birdbath- even puddles and planter saucers. Since I bought a water filter, he will drink water from that!
Some bottled drinking water is actually just city water from Columbia, SC. I don't know which brands or how widespread the distribution is.
I have a water filter on my kitchen facet and it really makes a difference in the taste and its shelf life. My cats get nothing but filtered water. They deserve only the best. And if you don't believe me, just ask them!
Dea
I'm not sure which brands of bottled water come from Columbia either, but I live in Columbia & our water always gets high ratings. I've never had a problem using tap water in my misters!
I also use distilled water for anything I dilute or keep in bottles. I read somewhere that water does have all kinds of things in it and can grow stuff. LOL My water bottles used to get green inside, just like a fish tank.
I agree with everyone's answers and am not sure if this will help or not since I haven't tried it on water bottles. But, I have found that if I have a peculiar odor in the house via garbage/trash, or spilled mishaps...even though you clean...I put a plastic bag full or a pan full of the cheapest kitty litter that I can find. I wouldn't do this for containers that you will use for food...but if it is an ordinary container....I would try the kitty litter. I put it in the bottom of my garbage pail before putting the bag in and it does make a difference because it gathers any moisture and deodorizes. Couldn't hurt to try...oh but if you have cats...keep it out of their path or that could be disastrous.
My other suggestion would be to put it opened and dry in a ziplocked bag of rice. It works for damp cell phones.....and recently my camera. I thought that it was destroyed...but after a few days in a closed bag of rice...it is fine. Good luck!
Chlorine will kill the ickies but they can still grow back. If you are concerned the chlorine will affect what you use the water for, leave the lid/sprayer top off for a day or two which will allow it to evaporate. That's what you do before using tap water for fish tanks as they cannot tolerate the chlorine. Of course, more stuff from the air may get in the bottle so I hope it works.
I use a faux chamois to clean my stamps and I keep it damp in a ziplock food container. Boy does that get stinky after a while! Fortunately, I have lots so I just get a new piece every so often. I've tried cleaning them and it never works. Fortunately, my stamps don't mind!
__________________ RebeccaEdnie Mixed Media Artist, Paper Crafter, Jewelry Designer SCSDirtyDozenAlumni Www.Boxofchocolatescrafts.Com YouNeverKnowWhatI’mGoingtoMake
Weird problem with water mister bottle - advice?
