I have to have distilled water to do daily sinus rinses. I read some forum responses saying you could find it in Italy, but they were from several years ago. I’d just like to confirm that I’ll be able to buy it in Rome, Venice and Florence. Thanks!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16321 posts
Any store that sells washing detergent will have distilled water (it's widely used by Italians for clothing pressing irons). It's also sold in all pharmacies, but at a much higher price.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8141 posts
I've had no trouble buying gallons/4L in Target-like stores in bigger cities. I can't speak specifically to Florence. You also want to look in the housewares section of "supermarkets" for ironing water. (Be careful not to buy Lavender-Scented ironing water.)
I'll note for your comfort that I usually travel with a (rather small) water-boiler (120/240 V.) hot-pot. In China, I bought bottled drinking water, and boiled it (twice) in the hot-pot. I felt very safe with that, and boiled water is discussed in some printed instructions for sinus rinses. I do use distilled gallons at home.
Posted by
Los Angeles by way of Providence and Rome
638 posts
Grocery stores have it near the laundry supplies. Very cheap too.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
It sounds like this will be easy. Tim, I like your hotpot idea. I had a terrible time finding distilled water in Mexico, and I ended up paying a small fortune for it, so I’ll order a hotpot from Amazon. Thanks, everyone!
Posted by
New Orleans
1228 posts
If you plan to plug that hotpot in while in Italy, make sure that it is correct electric voltage for Italy, or you bring a (rather heavy) plug-in voltage converter.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8141 posts
Well, I bought (as noted) a switchable, dual-voltage pot while in Germany once, but I lost it. So now I have a Kenwood JK060A, made in China, and maybe from Amazon, I don't remember. It's rated 650 Watts. Because it only takes a few minutes to boil, I don't worry too much about my (more than I can carry) stable of adapters. 0.45L/0.8 pint water capacity.
After all, a thermoplastic "zip cord" SPT #18 extension is rated for 10 Amps, which would be 1200 Watts at 120 Volts. And those dime store extension cords are pretty flimsy. I was NOT talking about a U.K. kitchen tea boiler, capacity two liters and a separate power base.
Because it's a resistance heating device, it actually could use a cheezy lightweight "diode" voltage converter. But all I need is a coin to turn the 120 .... 240 dial on the bottom. I wrote "Check Voltage" on the lid, to remind me that it might be set "wrong".
Posted by
New Orleans
1228 posts
Thanks, Tim. I was unaware that dual voltage hot pots are available. I sometimes travel with a dual voltage small hairdryer, and am glad to know about the hot pots.