3 Ways To Separate Salt From Water - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Separate Salt from Water PDF download Download Article Desalinate water at home with our guide Co-authored by Meredith Juncker, PhD

Last Updated: April 4, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Basic Evaporation Experiment
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  • Making a Distiller
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  • Alternative Methods
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  • Video
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  • Expert Q&A
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This article was co-authored by Meredith Juncker, PhD. Meredith Juncker is a scientific researcher based in Brookline, Massachusetts. Currently working as a Senior Patent Technology Specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Meredith is able to leverage her expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology. She received a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, focusing on proteins and neurodegenerative diseases. She went on to work as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 341,650 times.

How do you get the salt out of saltwater? For centuries, this question has baffled sailors stranded at sea and students stranded at science fairs alike. The answer is simple — evaporation. When you cause saltwater to evaporate (either naturally or with artificial heat), only the water forms water vapor — the salt is left behind. With this knowledge, it's fairly easy to separate salt from water with the sort of ordinary materials you might have at home.

Best Ways to Separate Salt from Water

To remove salt from water, boil it in a pot until all of the water has evaporated and only the salt is left behind. If you want to save the water, make a distiller by offsetting a lid on the pot and putting a bowl underneath it to catch the water.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Performing a Basic Evaporation Experiment

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  1. Step 1 Heat water and add salt to make saltwater. 1 Heat water and add salt to make saltwater. It's easy to see the principles of evaporation in action by performing this simple experiment. To start, all you'll need is a little ordinary table salt, some tap water, a saucepan, a little black construction paper, and a stove. Add a few cups of water to the pan and place it on a hot burner. Wait for the water to heat — it doesn't necessarily need to boil, but the hotter it gets, the more quickly it will dissolve the salt.
    • The reason hot water is best for dissolving salt (and other chemicals) has to do with the motion of the molecules making up the water. When the water gets hot, the molecular motion increases, running into more salt molecules and making the bonds easier to pull apart.[1]
  2. Step 2 Add salt until it no longer dissolves. 2 Add salt until it no longer dissolves. Continue adding small spoonfuls of salt and stirring to dissolve them. Eventually, you'll reach a point at which the salt won't dissolve anymore, no matter how hot the water is. This is called the water's saturation point. Turn the stove off and let the water cool slightly.
    • When water reaches its saturation point, it no longer has any ability to dissolve salt at a molecular level — so much salt has dissolved that there is no longer any chemical potential for the water to pull apart new salt crystals.[2]
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  3. Step 3 Spoon the water onto dark construction paper. 3 Spoon the water onto dark construction paper. Using a spoon or ladle, pour a little of your saltwater over a dark-colored piece of construction paper. Place this paper on a dish to avoid having it soak through to the countertop or work surface below. Now, all you need to do is wait for the water to evaporate. This process will be slightly faster if you leave the paper somewhere the sun's light can hit it.
    • Don't waste your leftover salt water — there are tons of things you can use it for. For instance, you can use it to poach an egg, boil potatoes, preserve spinach, and even help you peel nuts![3]
  4. Step 4 Wait for salt to form. 4 Wait for salt to form. As the water evaporates, it should leave behind miniature salt crystals. These should look like small, shiny, white or clear flakes on the surface of the paper. Congratulations! You've just separated salt from water.
    • Feel free to scrape a little bit of salt from your paper to season your food — it should be perfectly safe to eat. Be careful not to get any paper shavings in your food, though!
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Making a Distiller

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  1. Step 1 Start boiling a pot of salt water. 1 Start boiling a pot of salt water. The simple experiment above showed how to get the salt from water, but what if you want to keep the salt-less water, too? Distillation is the answer. Distillation is the process of heating substances with different boiling points to separate them, then collecting the condensation, which should be relatively "pure". In this case, we'll start by making a few cups of saltwater (see above for directions) and heating it to a boil on the stove.
  2. Step 2 Set a lid on the pot offset. 2 Set a lid on the pot offset. Next, find a lid for your pot (it doesn't necessarily have to fit perfectly). Balance the lid on the pot so that part of it is hanging over the rim. Try to arrange the lid so that the portion hanging off of the edge is the lowest point on the lid. Watch as condensation forms on the bottom of the lid and starts to trickle down it.
    • As the saltwater boils, the water (minus the salt) will turn into steam and rise out of the pot. As it hits the lid, it will cool slightly and form liquid condensation (water) on the underside of the lid. This water doesn't contain salt, so all we need to do is gather it to have salt-free water.
  3. Step 3 Let the water collect in a bowl. 3 Let the water collect in a bowl. Since water runs downhill, the condensation on the underside of the lid will naturally gather at the lowest point of the lid. Once enough condensation gathers here, it will start to form drops and fall. Place a bowl under this spot to catch the drops of distilled water as they fall.
    • If you like, you can also run a long, skinny metal or glass object (like a stirring rod or thermometer) from the bowl up to the lowest point on the lid — the water should run down this object into the bowl.
  4. Step 4 If necessary, repeat. 4 If necessary, repeat. As the salt water in the pot boils, more and more distilled water should gather in your bowl. This water will have most of its salt removed. However, in some situations, a small amount of salt can remain. In this case, you may want to perform a double distillation — boiling the distilled water you gathered in the same way as you boiled the salt water to remove any lingering salt.
    • Technically, this water should be safe to drink. However, unless you're sure that both the lid for your pot and the bowl you collected the water in (and the skinny metal or glass rod, if you used one) are clean, you may not want to do this.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Using Uncommon Methods

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  1. Step 1 Use reverse osmosis. 1 Use reverse osmosis. The methods above aren't the only ways to separate salt from water, they're just the most convenient for most people working at home. It's also possible to separate salt from water with other methods requiring specialized materials. For instance, a technique called reverse osmosis can remove salt from salt water by forcing the water through a permeable membrane. This membrane acts as a filter, permitting only water molecules to pass through and keeping dissolved contaminants (like salt) out.[4]
    • Reverse osmosis pumps are sometimes sold for residential use but are also often used for recreational purposes like camping. Pumps can be somewhat expensive, usually running several hundred dollars.[5]
  2. Step 2 Add decanoic acid. 2 Add decanoic acid. Another way to separate salt and water is via chemical reaction. For instance, research has shown that treating salt water with a chemical called decanoic acid is a reliable way to remove the salt. After adding the acid and heating slightly, then cooling, the salt and other impurities precipitate (that is, solidify and sink to the bottom). When the reaction is complete, the water and salt sit in two completely separate layers, making it easy to remove the water.
    • Decanoic acid is available from chemical supply stores — usually around $30-$40 per bottle.
  3. Step 3 Use electro-dialysis. 3 Use electro-dialysis. Using the power of electricity, it's possible to remove particles like salt from water. This is done by submerging a negatively charged cathode and a positively charged anode in water and separating them with a porous membrane. The electrical charge of the anode and cathode essentially "pull" dissolved ions (like those that make up salt) toward them like magnets, leaving relatively pure water.[6]
    • Note that this process does not necessarily remove bacteria or other contaminants from the water, so further treatment may be needed to get drinkable water from this method in the wild. Recent research has been promising, however, suggesting new techniques that do kill bacteria as part of the process.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question How can salt and water be separated when in a solution? Meredith Juncker, PhD Meredith Juncker, PhD Scientific Researcher Meredith Juncker is a scientific researcher based in Brookline, Massachusetts. Currently working as a Senior Patent Technology Specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Meredith is able to leverage her expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology. She received a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, focusing on proteins and neurodegenerative diseases. She went on to work as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Meredith Juncker, PhD Meredith Juncker, PhD Scientific Researcher Expert Answer You can separate salt from water in solution via evaporation (if you don't need the purified water) or distillation (if you'd like to keep the purified water). Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 9 Helpful 15
  • Question How can I design a distiller for salt separation from water? Meredith Juncker, PhD Meredith Juncker, PhD Scientific Researcher Meredith Juncker is a scientific researcher based in Brookline, Massachusetts. Currently working as a Senior Patent Technology Specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Meredith is able to leverage her expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology. She received a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, focusing on proteins and neurodegenerative diseases. She went on to work as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Meredith Juncker, PhD Meredith Juncker, PhD Scientific Researcher Expert Answer The easiest and least expensive way would be to use the pot method described in this article. You can also use a laboratory distillation apparatus if you have access to one. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 18 Helpful 18
  • Question Can I use a funnel to separate salt from water? Community Answer Community Answer No, because it is a homogeneous mixture. You need to use heat and evaporation in order to separate salt from water. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 27 Helpful 68
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Tips

  • You can also use a solar still which doesn't need a stove at all. All you need is a hole in the ground, some plastic wrap, rocks, and a small bowl or cup. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
  • Don't use seawater unless you have to. In addition to salt, it can also contain minerals, organic matter, and other contaminants that can make it harder to purify completely. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Be careful whenever you're boiling water on the stove. If you need to touch the hot pot or pan, be sure to use an oven mitt or a towel to protect yourself. Thanks Helpful 14 Not Helpful 16
  • Don't drink saltwater if you're lost in the wilderness. Our bodies need more water to get rid of the salt than the water actually provides, so salt water can make someone even more dehydrated.[7] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.pearlk12.com/cms/lib/MS01810570/Centricity/Domain/429/2018-19%20separating%20mixtures%20powerpoint.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/phaseeqia/saltsoln.html
  3. ↑ https://www.npr.org/2011/11/29/142903042/cracking-the-poached-egg-code
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quy_Mg87Tsk
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbDRTQl2oPU
  6. ↑ http://www.thermopedia.com/content/721/
  7. ↑ https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-qa-why-cant-people-drink-seawater

About This Article

Meredith Juncker, PhD Co-authored by: Meredith Juncker, PhD Scientific Researcher This article was co-authored by Meredith Juncker, PhD. Meredith Juncker is a scientific researcher based in Brookline, Massachusetts. Currently working as a Senior Patent Technology Specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Meredith is able to leverage her expertise in biochemistry and molecular biology. She received a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, focusing on proteins and neurodegenerative diseases. She went on to work as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo. This article has been viewed 341,650 times. 137 votes - 68% Co-authors: 27 Updated: April 4, 2025 Views: 341,650 Categories: Water Experiments Article SummaryX

To separate salt from water with a basic evaporation experiment, start by putting a few cups of water in a pan and placing it on a hot burner. When the water heats up, add teaspoons of salt at a time, stirring them in as you go, until the salt no longer dissolves. Next, turn the burner off and allow the water to cool slightly. Then, spoon the water onto dark construction paper and wait for the water to evaporate. As the water evaporates, it should leave behind miniature salt crystals. To learn how to make a distiller to separate your salt from your water, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Meredith Juncker, PhD Co-authored by: Meredith Juncker, PhD Scientific Researcher 137 votes - 68% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 27 Updated: April 4, 2025 Views: 341,650 Anonymous

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"The best part that helped me with my project was the part when I had to collect the water that fell from the top. I..." more Becky Doherty

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"Thanking you so much for providing this helpful information. You saved my butt for the science fair!" Aurora Adedoyin

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