How Long Does Alkaline Water Stay Alkaline?

When you’re new to the alkaline lifestyle, you may wonder, how long does alkaline water stay alkaline? First, the answer to this question is not simply a set number of hours since not all alkaline H2O is the same.To understand the answer to this question, you must first understand the types of alkaline water. Once you have that knowledge, you’ll know why it’s best to drink fresh alkaline water from an ionizer.

The Types of Alkaline Water

When it comes to alkaline H2O, there are three main types. Those are naturally alkaline artesian, ionized, and remineralized. Now, what is artesian? You’ve probably heard of the Fiji brand or have seen it at your local grocery store.

This artesian type is slightly alkaline because of its natural mineral content. Over time, the water absorbs minerals from the earth. Since the minerals are stored, artesian water retains its higher pH indefinitely. Similarly, remineralized H2O does the same.

People on well water are likely to see higher pH levels because of the presence of calcium and magnesium. It’s only natural for these alkaline minerals to boost pH. Only once these minerals get stripped does the pH drop. For instance, when reverse osmosis is used as the primary filtration system.

Now, ionized water is a completely different story. For example, a Life Ionizer produces freshly ionized alkaline water full of antioxidants. Because of this, when ionized water gets bottled or sits out in the open air, it will lose its antioxidant potential.

Additionally, you may notice a drop in pH. The key takeaway is that remineralized H2O is not the same as freshly ionized H2O. Beware of marketing that claims a mineral filter will replace an ionizer because that is untrue.

How to Retain pH and Antioxidants

The key to retaining pH and antioxidant potential is proper storage. Exposure to air, light, and heat will all degrade ionized water more quickly. For this reason, bottled ionized water does not offer the same benefits as H2O from an ionizer.

A double-wall vacuum stainless steel bottle is the preferred choice to maintain a higher pH for the maximum amount of time. When stored this way, you’ll be able to retain an alkaline pH with zero drop for several hours.

After several hours, you’ll notice an insignificant drop in ORP and pH of roughly 5 to 10%. And the good news is that the product will maintain these numbers for several days. When choosing your stainless steel tumbler, it’s best to stick with a trustworthy brand for the best results.

This way, you can bring ionized water from your ionizer with you on the go without sacrificing the benefits of drinking it. Plus, the double-wall insulation ensures that your drink remains cool for the entire day.

Conversely, the worst way to store ionized H2O is in thin-walled plastic bottles. When stored in this manner, there’s a noticeable drop in pH and ORP after just a couple of hours. After several days, you may notice 50% drops or more in pH and ORP.

Now imagine how long bottled ionized water has been sitting on the shelves or even in the sun. By the time you open the bottle, the product has lost most, if not all, of its magic.

Overall, the bottom line is that storage is one of the most important factors for retaining pH and ORP.

A Good Rule of Thumb

When you’re at home, it’s always preferable to drink freshly ionized water straight from your ionizer. However, when stored properly, alkaline water does stay alkaline for extended periods of time.

With that in mind, using a vacuum stainless steel bottle is always the preferred choice when traveling away from home by car. Additionally, it’s the preferred choice for ionizer owners who want to take their drink for the day to work.

In a pinch, a hard plastic bottle or mason jar will work to retain the pH of your drink for the day. In these instances, you may want to set your ionizer to a slightly higher pH to account for the slight pH drop throughout the day.

A vacuum stainless steel bottle is always the preferred choice when storing ionized water for multiple days. Otherwise, your drink may lose most of its value.

How long does alkaline water stay alkaline? Final Answer

The most important takeaway is that ionized water with a pH of 9 or above will stay alkaline for days no matter how you store it. The process of electrodialysis that creates both alkaline ionized and acidic ionized water ensures pH retention.

However, when stored improperly, there’s no guarantee that your ionized water will retain the pH it had when it left your ionizer. For example, if you set your ionizer to 10, then store your drink in a plastic bottle for several days, you may notice a drop of .5 to 1 pH points.

While this may not seem significant to some, there are ionizer owners who want to stick with a consistent pH level. The key is to know that ionized H2O won’t suddenly become acidic if stored improperly.

Also, it’s important to remember that ionized water benefits also relate to ORP, which is why it’s important to consider the ORP range of an ionizer. Since ionized water contains antioxidants, exposure to light and air will reduce the antioxidant potential.

Lastly, keep in mind that not all alkaline H2O is the same. Some companies will have you believe that adding minerals is the same as an ionizer. Don’t fall for this trick.

The Life MXL series makes ionized water with the highest concentrations of molecular hydrogen. Considering that molecular hydrogen is a powerful selective antioxidant, drinking your ionized water fresh is a wise move.

All in all, there’s more to consider than how long alkaline water will stay alkaline. Because of ionized water’s powerful antioxidants, the combination of pH and antioxidants is where the true benefits lie.