Real questions from parents, answered honestly. No judgment, no sales pitch — just what I'd tell a friend.
“We just had a baby and I’m suddenly worried about everything in our water. What should I do first?”
Deep breath — you’re already ahead of most parents by even asking.
Start with your ZIP code in the water quality tool. It checks EPA records in about 5 seconds and shows if your area has any violations. If violations show up, a filter is a must. If your water looks clean on paper, keep in mind the EPA doesn’t test for PFAS, microplastics, or pharmaceutical residues.
For a new baby, I’d get the Clearly Filtered pitcher ($90) at minimum — it removes PFAS, lead, and 365+ contaminants with zero installation. If budget allows, the AquaTru ($475) is the gold standard for countertop reverse osmosis.
“Is the Brita we’ve been using for years actually doing anything?”
Yes — it makes your water taste better by reducing chlorine and some sediment. That’s genuinely useful.
But the standard white Brita filter doesn’t remove PFAS, lead, fluoride, microplastics, or most of the contaminants parents worry about. The blue Elite filter adds lead removal, but still skips PFAS and fluoride. I wrote a whole Brita review with the details.
Short version: Brita is fine for taste. If you want actual contaminant removal, you need something more.
“We rent and can’t install anything under the sink. Do we have options?”
Plenty. Every filter I recommend is renter-friendly — no plumbing, no landlord permission needed.
The Clearly Filtered pitcher sits in your fridge like any pitcher. The AquaTru sits on your counter and plugs into a standard outlet. Even the AquaBliss shower filter screws on in 2 minutes with no tools.
Renting is actually why I started with countertop options — we rented for years before buying.
“Do we really need an air purifier? We don’t live near a highway or anything.”
Indoor air is typically 2–5x more polluted than outdoor air — that’s from the EPA, not a filter company. Cooking fumes, cleaning products, pet dander, dust mites, and off-gassing from furniture all add up.
If anyone in your family has allergies, asthma, or you have a baby or toddler on the floor all day, a HEPA purifier makes a real difference. The Levoit Core 300S is under $100 and covers a large room.
Not essential for everyone. But if you’re already thinking about it, it’s worth it.
“My 2-year-old screams every time I try to put sunscreen on. Help?”
Stick sunscreen is usually the move. Less mess, faster application, less drama. Thinkbaby makes a stick version that’s the same mineral formula as their cream.
Other tricks: let them “help” by rubbing it in themselves, apply before getting dressed so it’s just part of the routine, and skip the face fight by using a wide-brim hat plus a UV shirt for most coverage.
The goal is some protection consistently, not perfect coverage with tears.
“How do I know your reviews aren’t just paid ads for whoever gives you the biggest commission?”
Fair question — I’d ask it too.
I gave Brita a 5/10 and Berkey a 4/10. If I were optimizing for affiliate income, everything would be 9/10 with a buy button. The Brita review doesn’t even have an affiliate link on the Brita itself — I don’t earn anything from that product.
I also recommend free things constantly: check your water quality (free tool), read your city’s water report (free), and sometimes the honest answer is “your water is fine, save your money.” My full process is on the About page.
“If you could only buy one product from everything on your site, what would it be?”
Clearly Filtered pitcher. Under $100, removes PFAS and lead, requires zero installation, and the filter lasts about 4 months.
It’s not the absolute best filter (that’s AquaTru), but it’s the best value for what most families actually need. The Clearly Filtered gets you 90% of the way there for a fifth of the price.
“I’m pregnant and just found out our city has PFAS in the water. How worried should I be?”
Worried enough to act, not enough to panic.
PFAS exposure during pregnancy has been linked to low birth weight and other concerns in research, but the key word is “exposure” — you can significantly reduce it with filtration. Get a filter that’s tested for PFAS removal: the AquaTru or Clearly Filtered are both excellent options.
If you want more context, I wrote about water safety during pregnancy. The short version: filter your drinking water, and you’ve handled the biggest exposure pathway.