How to Remove Dirt From Water

by platypus#1

17K811

Intro: How to Remove Dirt From Water

This instructable is on how to turn a glass of dirty water into a glass of clear water using simple household items. It doesn't commpletly clean the water but it is a fun hands on experiment for little kids.

STEP 1: Materials

What you will need:
An empty 2 liter bottle
A paper bag
Salt
Tape
Scissors
A table spoon measurer

STEP 2: Making It

Cut off the top of the bottle.
Place the top of the bottle upside down inside of the other half of the bottle.
Tape the top of the bottle down.
Cut the bottom of the paper bag off and put it inside of the bottle.

STEP 3: How to Use It

Poke a teeny tiny hole in the paper bag.
Pour 2 tablespoons of salt into the bag.
Pour a glass of water mixed with dirt into the bag.
The water should start to drip into the bottle way cleaner than it was when you poured it in.

STEP 4: Your Done!

Every time you use it you have to use new paper bags and salt. The water will be a lot cleaner, but not clean enough to drink. This is a really fun hands on experiment that little kids will enjoy.

9 Comments

2038989 6 years ago

Thanks platypus#1. This really helped with my 7th grade science experiment.

2038989 6 years ago

Is it normal table salt?

vanadium chrome 11 years ago

You could have tried by decreasing the widthe of the mouth of the bottle and filling on the top with gravel, sand and tissues.

vincent7520 11 years ago

charcoal would work very well too as a filter.
but watch aout germs and bacterias : I fear they're too smal to be blocked by paper filter (any paper).

ironsmiter 11 years ago

A coffee filter will work MUCH better.

Or if you want to teach the kiddies, try a LOT of pinholes in the bad, and fill it with clean sand.
That's part of how the Earth makes clean drinking water, so why not us too? :-)

platypus#1 11 years ago

Yeah I forgot to mention that you could use a coffee filter. All I had was paper bags.

randofo 11 years ago

What is the salt doing in this experiment?