Does your water smell like a public pool? That’s chlorine. Municipal water systems use it to kill germs, which is great. But sometimes the smell is so strong you feel like you’re about to swim laps in your kitchen sink.
Here’s the twist: that “chlorine smell” is actually chloramine, a compound formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter. So a strong chlorine smell means something organic is in the water—and the chlorine is working overtime.
If it bothers you, let your water sit in a pitcher for a few minutes. The smell will evaporate. Or get a filter. Or simply pretend you’re at the Olympics, doing a backstroke in your cereal bowl.
