The short answer
During a typical boil-water advisory, brush your teeth with commercially bottled or properly boiled water. A dishwasher is generally suitable only with a sanitizing cycle or a final rinse of at least 150°F. Showering may be allowed if no water is swallowed, but follow the local notice. First confirm that the notice says boil water. Do-not-drink and do-not-use advisories require different actions, and boiling may not make the water safe.
Start here
- Confirm whether the official notice says boil water, do not drink, or do not use.
- Save the issuing authority, affected area, issue time, and latest update.
- For a boil-water advisory, choose commercially bottled water or prepare clear tap water at a rolling boil for one minute.
- Keep checking the issuing authority until it formally changes or lifts the notice.
The advisory type comes first
Germs may be present. Use commercially bottled water or properly boiled tap water for consumption.
Chemicals or toxins may be present. Use bottled water for drinking and cooking. Boiling will not make it safe.
Contact may be dangerous. Do not use tap water for any purpose and follow the issuing authority's instructions.
If it is a boil-water advisory
Do not boil water that smells of fuel or chemicals or is subject to a chemical, toxin, or radioactive contamination notice. Use bottled water and follow the responsible authority instead.
- If water is cloudy, filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter, or let particles settle and draw off the clear water.
- Bring clear water to a full rolling boil for one minute. Above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes.
- Let the water cool and store it in clean, sanitized containers with tight covers.
Common household uses
Use commercially bottled or properly boiled water. Do not use unboiled tap water.
Often permitted if no water is swallowed, but local instructions control. Consider a sponge bath for babies and young children.
Use it only if it has a sanitizing cycle or its final rinse reaches at least 150°F. Check the manual.
Wash and rinse normally, then sanitize for at least one minute in a separate basin using the CDC bleach dilution and air-dry completely.
Use bottled or properly boiled water, including after an ordinary pitcher or refrigerator filter.
Often allowed during a boil-water advisory. Follow the local notice when it gives more protective instructions.
Do not forget connected appliances
Do not use water or ice from a refrigerator, freezer, ice maker, beverage dispenser, or another appliance connected to the affected line. Ordinary household filters do not replace the boiling procedure.
After the advisory ends, follow the issuing authority's instructions for flushing plumbing, replacing filters, discarding ice, and cleaning connected appliances. Those steps vary by event and system.
Wait for the official end
Clear-looking water, restored pressure, improved weather, or the passage of time does not end an advisory. Keep using the current procedure until the issuing utility or government agency formally lifts or changes it.
What changes this answer
General guidance becomes a personal decision through these details.
Its type, authority, affected service area, issue time, update time, and any more specific instructions.
Germs can be addressed by boiling. Chemicals, toxins, and radioactive material require a different water source.
Babies, weakened immune systems, open wounds, pets, and water-using medical devices may need specific guidance.
Elevation, safe heat, storage containers, dishwasher temperature, filters, ice makers, and connected appliances.
Where this guidance stops
- This general guide does not replace the current notice from the responsible utility or government agency.
- It does not make chemically contaminated water safe and does not identify the contamination source.
- Seek specific clinical or public-health guidance for water-using medical devices or individual medical needs.
Sources
Consequential guidance is checked against the linked source material.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drinking Water Advisories: An Overview. Updated March 4, 2024. Checked September 4, 2026.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency. Updated September 19, 2024. Checked September 4, 2026.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing Crypto at Home During a Boil Water Advisory. Updated July 7, 2025. Checked August 29, 2026.
- National Weather Service. After a Hurricane. Checked August 29, 2026.
General information, not advice tailored to you or a guarantee of safety. You are responsible for decisions about your safety. Follow current directions from local authorities. Read the safety disclaimer.