Distilled water is significantly different from regular water in the sense that it has undergone a process of purification. As a result of this, distilled water often finds more uses, both residential and commercial, than its regular counterpart.
The biggest use of distilled water is for the purpose of drinking. Since this water is free of any organic or inorganic waste products, it is considered as the purest and cleanest alternative to naturally occurring spring water. Drinking distilled water ensures that the body does not have to work hard to eliminate unwanted materials along with promoting better assimilation of nutrients. This is the best form of water that can be used for cooking, especially preparing baby foods, so as to prevent water borne diseases from spreading.
Distilled water is the most favored form of water to be used in steam irons. This is because it is believed to reduce iron build-up, and increase the durability of the iron. Similarly, people generally prefer using distilled water over tap water in vehicle cooling systems as the ions and minerals present in tap water can result in internal corrosion of the engine parts. You can also use it to top off the lead acid battery of your vehicle, particularly if you have a humidifier to take care of. Tap water tends to diminish its effectiveness.
Distilled water is an ideal choice while cleaning things like the screen of your flat screen TV or your computer monitor. In case tap water is used for these cleaning purposes, you will end up leaving ugly marks on the screen. As against this, distilled water will give you a completely clean look.
The steam engine boilers make use of distilled water as it does not result in any kind of mineral build-up that can severely reduce boiler efficiency; However, if your boiler is made out of cast iron or other corrosive metals, then distilled water will make just as much damage (if not more) than using regular water. Since, it does not contain the chemicals that are usually found in tap water, it is often used in household aquariums. However, it is important to add some supplements to this water as it lacks proper chemistry to sustain an aquarium ecosystem.
The sea water is desalinated by making it undergo the process of distillation and is then used as a coolant in nuclear powered ships. The ship crew also uses this water for drinking purposes. Additionally, most of the beverage manufacturers make use of distilled water for preparing various drinks so as to maintain a high quality of taste and purity.
Finally, distilled water also finds its use in the medical domain. Water purified through distillation is used during surgical procedures to prevent infections. Owing to the same reason, wounds are also cleaned and washed by it.
