Why is it a bad idea to freeze water in a plastic container?

Freezing Water in Plastic

Here are answers that have been contributed:

• This is an Urban Legend. No credible evidence suggests that freezing plastic affects human health. Freezing actually works against the release of chemicals, since they do not diffuse as readily in cold temperatures.
  

• Make sure that you do not freeze the water in a NON-food grade plastic container if you plan to drink the water or if it will come into contact with food or drinks. There is a reason it is called 'non-food grade. In addition, the recommendation by manufacturers against reuse of water bottles was because of concerns about germs. Make sure you wash the bottles before reusing them.

• If you try to freeze water, juice, whatever in a closed plastic container without leaving room for expansion, your container will crack or burst. I fill plastic bottles or jugs with liquid, leaving plenty of room at the top for expansion, AND leave the lid off or very loose. Once the liquid is frozen, then you can safely tighten the lid.

• Freezing jugs of water and storing them in your freezer is actually an excellent idea. They keep the freezer from having to work as hard to cool the compartment if you don't keep your freezer space full. In the event of a power outage the chunks of ice can help prevent the loss of your food for a little longer. NOT indefinitely, but it does help for brief periods of time. My freezer lasted two days during a summer hurricane.

• Bottles with frozen water are also great for putting in coolers. They provide cooling, and as they melt, you have cold CLEAN water to drink. Combining loose ice and frozen jugs or bottles is what I prefer to use.

• See "Researcher dispels Myth of Dioxins and Plastic Water Bottles." This link will take you directly to a press release about this topic and the hoax e-mail. It is a webpage at the Johns Hopkins Blomberg School of Public Health website.

• To check out the validity of an e-mail rumour in the future, you can go to www.snopes.com and search on the item.
  

Answer

Use wax milk cartons if you do not plan to use the water for drinking or for any food contact. Cleaning milk fat from a container is difficult, and to get it clean enough to store water in causes the container to deteriorate. I do this for extra water in case of an emergency and also I have bottled water delivered to my door for my cooler and always order an extra one and keep it in the coolest part of the house. Using waxed milk cartons can also come in handy for your cooler if you are going camping.

First answer by Leslie. Last edit by Tapalmer99. Contributor trust: 34 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 271 [recommend question]

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