How To: Screw Brita—Filter Your Water Using Fruit Peels & Rubbing Alcohol Instead

Drinking water is important, but bottled water and water filters are usually pretty expensive. You can make your own filters for your Brita pitcher to save some money, but what if you don't have one?

Recent research from the National University of Singapore has found that fruit peels make frugal yet effective filters and are good for absorbing a variety of pollutants from water. The method will provide a cheap, simple and accessible way for people in rural areas to get clean drinking water.

The study was performed using peels from apples and tomatoes, and the researchers plan to test other kinds of fruit from different parts of the world. The peels are soaked in a rubbing alcohol solution, then dried out. When the peels are completely dry, they can filter a container of water in a few hours.

You can read more about the study on Mother Nature Network. To add credibility to this, just look at what your Brita filters are made of. They may have activated carbon in them, but what you probably don't know is that it's made from coconut shells.