Filters are great for physical particles—sand, rust, microplastics. But they miss bacteria and viruses unless they’re fancy (like a UV or reverse osmosis filter). Boiling catches everything biological. It’s the low-tech Terminator.
Trade-off: boiling uses energy and tastes flat (because dissolved oxygen escapes). Fix that by pouring it back and forth between cups to re-oxygenate. Or just add lemon—who cares about oxygen?
Also, boiling won’t handle saltwater. You’ll just get hotter salty water. For that, you need distillation—boiling and capturing steam. That’s a whole other article.
So, does boiling water kill bacteria? Yes, gloriously yes. It kills them like a Sunday church bell kills silence. Just remember: 1 minute for most germs, 10 for spores, and don’t forget to let it cool before you gulp it like a roasted cheetah huffer.
Final thought: boiling saved humanity from cholera and dysentery for centuries. It’s the hero we don’t celebrate enough. Next time you boil pasta, give a little salute to the steam—it’s doing overtime on bacteria duty.
Now go fill that kettle. And maybe wash your hands first. You know who you are.
