Can You Freeze Water Bottles?

Last updated on September 29th, 2022 at 09:39 am

During the hot summer months, a lot of time is spent outside. Whether you are working in a garden, around your home or simply enjoying the sunshine somewhere else, the weather can get really hot. 

And when it’s hot, it’s always refreshing to go to your refrigerator and pull out a cold water bottle. Especially if you work outdoors you want that water to stay as cold as possible. 

In order to help your water stay cold all day long with little effort, can you freeze water bottles?

You can freeze water bottles so that you can have cold water on hand all day long. Frozen water bottles will not expand so far that they will pop open. 

Freezing a water bottle will help you to enjoy cold water all day long so you don’t have to drink lukewarm water when it’s hot outside. 

Now, you may be asking the question, won’t the water in the bottle expand due to the frigid temperatures of the freezer? And you would be correct. 

The water will expand so when you are going to freeze a water bottle it is a good idea to make sure there is at least an inch or two of space left in the bottle. This will leave room for expansion in the water bottle and avoid bursting.

Plastic water bottles that you buy from a store will have enough air in them that they can expand in the freezer without breaking but if you are refilling water bottles be sure and leave enough space for thr water to expand. 

Some may worry about the chemicals of a plastic water bottle affecting the water during the freezing process but it is not proven that this happens. It is safe for you to drink water from a water bottle that has been frozen in the freezer. 

To thaw a frozen water bottle, you may have to let it sit for a while. Thawing could go faster if the sun is beating down on the water bottle but there is a better way. 

Just fill the water up halfway, freeze it and then fill it up the rest of the way with new water when you are ready to drink. The water will stay cold and you won’t have to wait too long for it to thaw.

Is It Okay To Freeze Water In Plastic Bottles? 

It is rumored that freezing water in plastic bottles could cause serious health issues. Is this statement true? Or is it ok to freeze water in plastic bottles?

It is ok to freeze water in plastic bottles. The real health problems come into play when you reuse a plastic water bottle over and over again because bacteria may grow.

We’ve all heard how you shouldn’t drink water out of a water bottle that has been in the freezer or been exposed to heat because the chemicals in the plastic coil contaminates the water and leads to cancer. 

Studies have shown that this is not true. 

Water bottles that have been frozen or exposed to heat do not cause cancer. It is safe to drink water out of water bottles that have been frozen.

However, water bottles that have been reused could cause some health issues. When a water bottle is reused, bacteria could begin growing in the water if the bottle is not cleaned and dried properly. 

Also if it is left in a warm environment these harmful germs can grow. These germs can spread to you when you drink out of the water bottle causing you to get sick. 

So, it is when bacteria gets in the water that you can get sick and not because the water bottle has been frozen.

Can You Freeze Full Water Bottles? 

Freezing full water bottles could lead to the bottle expanding when the water inside freezes solid. So, can you freeze full water bottles?

Full water bottles from the manufacturer should have enough room in them that they will freeze solid and not burst. However, if you refill a water bottle where there is no space in it then it likely will burst. 

You can freeze full water bottles, but sometimes it will cause so much expansion inside the bottle that the lid pops off. It is recommended you remove a little bit or even half of the water before freezing it if you are refilling bottles. 

By removing a little bit of the liquid inside the water bottle, you are allowing room for expansion. Doing this will help you not worry about the water expanding too much when it freezes to a solid state and the lid popping off. 

Try only filling up the water bottle halfway before freezing it. Then place it in the freezer. The next morning, fill the rest of it with new water. When you want to grab one for a drink, you won’t have to wait until it thaws all the way. 

You will have ice cold water all day long. You’ll be thankful when you start working outdoors in the hot summer sun and grab that cold bottle of water that has melted slightly into ice chunks for a cool and refreshing drink.

How Long Until A Bottled Water Gets Cold In The Freezer? 

Excited that you can put a water bottle in the freezer and enjoy cold water all the time, you may be curious how long it takes until the water gets cold?

Water bottles will need to be in the freezer for about two hours to become extremely cold. For freezing all the way, leave the water bottle in the freezer overnight.

When you put the water bottle in the freezer waiting for it to get cold, you will need to check on it periodically. After about an hour and a half you can start checking the water bottle about every 15 minutes or so to see if it is cold enough for your liking. 

If you want the water to be really cold, leave it in the freezer for about two hours.

If you want the water in the bottle completely frozen so it can gradually melt through the day, leave it in the freezer overnight. When you head outside in the heat you can just grab the frozen water bottle and go. 

If you don’t want to wait for it to thaw, only fill the bottle halfways like I mentioned before and then add more water in that morning. 

If you prefer it to thaw during the day outside, you will enjoy iced water that is cold all day long.

Final Thoughts

You can freeze water bottles. Water can get lukewarm if it is just refrigerated and then left out for the rest of the day. By freezing water it will stay cold for much longer and taste better throughout the day especially if you will be spending the day outdoors in the summer heat. 

It is safe to freeze your water bottle and is best to freeze them half-full and add in more water the day you will be drinking it so you don’t have to wait a long time for the block of ice to melt. 

It usually only takes a couple hours for a water bottle to get really cold but if you want to freeze it solid, leave it in the freezer overnight. So, you can freeze water bottles and enjoy having ice cold water to drink during the day.