Here’s your cheat sheet: Unopened, properly stored bottled water? Good for two to three years past the printed date. Opened and at room temp? Drink it within a few days. Stored in a hot car? Garbage.
And if you’re staring at a bottle from 2015 and wondering if it’s poison, relax. Open it, smell it, take a tiny sip. If it tastes weird, spit it out. You’ll survive. I promise. Water is the most forgiving thing you’ll ever consume—except for that time you tried a five-year-old energy drink. Let’s not talk about that.
So, go ahead. Drink that old water. Or pour it on your houseplant. Either way, you’ve just outsmarted a bottle of liquid that’s probably older than your last haircut. You’re a hydration warrior.
