She didn’t know.
If you love noodles, be careful: the water from the tap might not be as safe as you think.
Felicita Vidrine (@mind.body.mama on TikTok), a creator who makes content about wellness and motherhood, posted a video that went viral. In the video, she explains why using hot tap water is dangerous. At the time of posting, the video had over 26,000 views. (Via)
What can hot water do?
Vidrine starts the video by asking, ‘Did you know you shouldn’t use hot tap water for cooking?
‘I had no idea,’ admits Vidrine. ‘I’m sure I’ve spent 30 years using it to boil water for spaghetti faster.
The main reason was to avoid lead poisoning. ‘Hot water dissolves lead in pipes faster than cold water,’ he explains. “Hot water is more likely to contain lead particles.
The other reason has to do with the hot water tank.
“The tank is made of metal. It can rust and break down, contaminating the hot water with heavy metals. The water can become contaminated and bacteria can start to grow.
‘The solution is simple, but a bit tedious,’ says Vidrine. ‘Just cook with cold tap water and let the stove or oven heat the water. If you need to boil water to make spaghetti, use an electric kettle’.
At the end of the video, he says ‘Cheers’. In the video’s caption, Vidrine expresses even more amazement.
‘Yoooo, it seems like a lot of people know this, but I had no idea,’ she writes, followed by tags about wellness, travel and home cooking.
Does anyone else use lead pipes?
People had mixed feelings about Vidrine’s advice.
One person wrote, “You don’t have lead pipes anymore,” and added an emoji of an empty eye. This feeling was shared by many people.
Another said, “She is the plumber’s wife. She says it’s not true, that all new homes are lead-free.”
“I don’t know why I said lead. The main reason is the disgusting water heaters…”. Vidrine replies. ‘I bet your plumber husband knows something about that!
Other users agree.
‘I was explaining this to my friend the other night and it doesn’t matter if you have lead pipes or not,’ said one woman. ‘Do you really want the water from your water heater getting into your food?
Explaining the real problems
Vidrine made three videos to answer questions about the danger of lead pipes today.
In the first video, Vidrine responds to a comment that there are no lead pipes in her home. The video starts with Vidrine talking to the camera. Behind her, a Google image shows how water heaters are cleaned.
“Very good,” she says. “I know I said the first reason is lead, but I actually meant the first reason I was going to say. The real reason is that your water heater is disgusting.”
He then shows pictures of hot water tanks being emptied. The old water bucket is dirty and rusty. “Disgusting,” he insists.
And when I say ‘your water boiler’, I mean everyone’s water boiler,” says the text on the screen.
Vidrine’s public service announcement
Vidrine’s second video is similar. He responds to another comment about lead pipes, this time with an article from the Colorado power company.
At first, he says sorry and says he didn’t mean to imply that lead pipes are people’s “main concern” when it comes to hot tap water. Then Vidrine talks about lead.
“Many people still have problems with lead in the pipes in their homes,” Vidrine says, and leaves the screen for viewers to read the article.
It’s about a 2017 public service announcement (PSA) by Jimmy Luthye titled “Don’t Drink and Cook with Hot Tap Water.” Lythe says the same thing as Vidrine: hot water can contain metals from old pipes or lead. Finally, he tells people to do something to make sure the water they drink is clean. (Via)
Vidrine then returns on screen and says lead is a problem for some people. “But the most important thing – I have another video, you can watch it – is that your water heater is disgusting.
The EPA agrees.
Vidrine’s fourth and final follow-up is a short reply to the plumber’s wife’s comment.
“Hello again, sorry to bother you,” Vidrine says in front of another article. “But one more,” she says, letting the screen show the background.
Behind Vidrine is a question and answer on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. “Why can’t I use hot tap water for drinking, cooking or making a bottle? (Via)
The EPA says that hot water contains lead more quickly than cold water. The EPA advises readers to never use hot water for these activities.
‘EPA says so,’ says Vidrine, turning back to the screen, ‘Goodbye!
Is hot tap water bad for you?
According to Rochelle Bilow of The Spruce Eats, cooking with hot tap water is more dangerous than cooking with cold or room temperature water. She spoke to the CDC and Ben Montross, the director of Vermont’s drinking water program. They both confirmed that the danger is real. (Via)
“Warm water contains more minerals, metals and contaminants than cold water,” Montross explained. “Even good minerals like calcium can affect the taste of water. Dangerous substances, such as lead, can be very harmful, especially to children.”
The article recommends only drinking cold tap water and regularly cleaning taps and other appliances.