Reverse Osmosis 101: An Easy Guide To Answering “What is RO?”
We’re perfectly aware that “Reverse Osmosis” (or “R.O.”) is kind of a daunting-sounding prospect. You might’ve skated through high school on C+ grades in most sciences because of your liberal arts, business, or almost-literally-anything else major.
We’ve got you.
Mastering this takes as long as reading this article will. And what’s the last Buzzfeed quiz you took? You have the time for this, probably. Even those of us who pursued a career in science had to suffer through the seemingly-unending inferno of Organic Chemistry. The human brain just isn’t built to always get this kind of thing, and even if you know exactly what it is, the time you’re going to spend reading this article will be worth your while, and if it’s not, please message us on Facebook or Instagram, because we are professionals, ready to answer questions, and help you on you and your family’s health journey.
It’s worth the effort, though, even if you’re renting (and it’s whatever year it is, so it’s very likely that you’re renting, and that’s okay, and if not, *amazing work*).
Okay, so now that we’re past all that, have you ever had a dress or a suit tailored? That’s pretty costly and you usually only wear them a few times. Now, imagine that you’re paying a relatively low amount to have a suit tailored that you wear every day. Now imagine that your body is comprised of roughly 60% suit. You’re going to want to tailor the H-E-double-hockey-sticks out of that suit.
Here are some steps you can take to kick that bottled water addiction once and for all.
4. Think About The Environment (We Know, We Know)
Feel free to skip this step if you already know all this, but we would honestly be remiss if we didn’t address this particular bonus of empowering yourself to take control of your water intake. We know that everyone tries their best to do their part for the environment, but let’s say you’re at a music festival, a business conference, school, your gym, or even where you work: that’s not always an option. There’s really no way around the fact that people in the U.S. alone contribute greatly to these stats, that really speak for themselves:
— People in the U.S. purchase almost 30 million water bottles every single year. Only one in six is recycled. It’s going to take *at least* 1,000 years for those to decompose, while the very safety measures meant to protect us individually are hurting the planet’s health in general. We’re not asking you to change your religious or scientific perspective here, this is just a fact.
That’s two million tons of water bottles per year.
— It takes three times the volume of water in a bottle to create, package, and market that product alone. This eats up eco-space, as well as an insane amount of fossil fuels on a daily basis. That’s about 17 million barrels of oil per yer, which is what it would take to fuel about one million cars. It also wastes energy.
— According to Healthy Human Life, every single second, 1,000 people open a water bottle in the U.S. We throw away 35 billion empty water bottles per year, which would mean really great things if this was a worldwide phenomenon, countless countries have water crises they deal with every day, and even some major cities in the U.S. still do. No matter how many amazing sitcoms we put out into the world as Americans, we’re still only less than 5% of the earth’s population.
— Water bottles look kinda like jellyfish, which is pretty much the easiest kind of fish to consume if you live in the ocean and you are not a whale (and if you are a whale, congratulations on reaching this article, please become president). So over 700 species of marine life accidentally eat plastic on a regular basis.
Here’s a Reality GIF™ that shows what the ocean looks like because of plastic pollution somewhere on earth:
reddit.com // /u/emanresUlanigirO
— Americans drink bottled water more than they do milk, or even beer (beer!) every single year. It has just surpassed soda as America’s #1 drink, which, okay, sure, good for us, but not good for the sustainability of our planet.
Okay, that’s enough of that. We think you get where we’re coming from at this point. And if you’ve reached this page in error, out of curiosity, or because that “enlightened” member of your family told you to read this because “you’d be surprised,” then we promise the rest is just all information.
3. Okay, So Here’s Where To Start With Proper Water Filtration (In One Sentence… Kind Of)
Summarizing it, water filtration with Reverse Osmosis (R.O.) is a way to protect yourself and your family from any of the seemingly-insane-amount of toxins that can be found in normal, everyday water supplies across the world and country. (For more on those, we have this article on Brita filters that you should also probably read, since you’re already kind of far down this very-worthwhile wormhole, and for once, at least, it’s not on Wikipedia, look at all the colors, what a good day.)
In one sentence: Reverse Osmosis uses the same water-exchange process that happens when you brine your turkey for Thanksgiving, only it has a “no ins and outs” policy.
R.O. brings molecules in and out of whatever is immersed in the water, like a brine, only instead of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme (and other Simon & Garfunkel lyrics) + a turkey, it’s a filter + water, and it has a “no ins-and-outs” policy that is very strict. So strict, in fact, that it doesn’t let anything but water molecules in. This is one of the main drawbacks for a lot of people, as they are missing out on nutrients, but they’re not nutrients that you can’t find in almost anything else in a very, very easy way that you’re probably already doing.
Some potentially great nutrients that Reverse Osmosis filters out, but that can be solved by taking a multivitamin every day, are Potassium, Calcium, Iron, and Manganese. Check your bottles, most multivitamins worth their weight will take care of all of these in one fell swoop (that tastes like a sour gummy if you’re living your best life).
And while a whopping 10% of women suffer from iron deficiencies, this is also helped by a multivitamin “for women,” as well as eating legumes, grains, nuts, or green veggies, which, again, if you’re reading this, you’re probably already all over. (You can also eat meat, by the way, which most people have at least once a day.) It’s never too early or too late to get started on that summer body (this is applicable year-round source: the Instagram of everyone who goes outside).
2. Replace Your Filters (We Have A Subscription For It)
Since we operate on a “replace your filters regularly” basis (again, see this article on what happens when you don’t replace even your Brita filters regularly) we have a subscription model which will allow you to replace your filters all the time. Think of how much you pay for an internet connection, all of your streaming subscriptions, and that one $30 subscription you keep forgetting to cancel after that initial 15% off because of that podcast you love, and then think about what kind of impact they have on your life.
Factor water into that equation. Clean water is the most important substance you can choose to pay for. You don’t need more custom underwear or audiobooks than you do clean water. That’s just science.
1. Stick With Your System
Even if it’s not us, stick with your system. The absolute most important part of filtration is that filters get dirty, and that you need to replace them. The same way that Captain America’s shield doesn’t always stand up to his greatest foes even though it’s now made of Vibranium, the strongest fictional metal in the universe (these nerd references end now, we promise), the shield protecting you and your loved ones from potential water-borne toxins needs replenishing “on the regular.”
Even if after you read our article about how Brita filters don’t do as much as you think they do, and you’re somehow still using one, read the directions and use it as directed. “Good enough” is never good enough when it comes to the substance that is the most basic building block of life. Take it as seriously as you do your health, because they are one-in-the-same.
Water filtration systems, much like any crucial relationship in your life, are built on trust, so do your research (pick the right suit, and then, of course, the right tailor), stick with your system, replace your filters, and test your water whenever you can. You wash your fruits & vegetables, you mop or vacuum your floors, and you scrub your body; so do the same for the inside of your body.
If you need more info or want to hear it directly from a human being who you can ask direct questions to, that’s no problem! Message us at jane@thegoodforco.com or on Facebook & Instagram. We love hearing from you, and since these filtration systems are tailor-made, we’re expecting to hear from you. It’s part of our DNA as a company.
We hope to hear from you soon. Be well and happy hydrating!