An active carbon made from the branches of Japanese oak trees, binchotan charcoal is an ancient technique where small branches are selected based on maturity to ensure sustainability. These branches are then placed in a high temperature kiln with no oxygen and slowly burnt over several weeks to turn the branches into carbon. The binchotan is now made up of thousands of small and large pores that are highly adsorbent. The extremely porous structure allows the binchotan to adsorb impurities from water, air or clothes in our wardrobes. These impurities are now stuck to those pores, rather than in the water, air or clothes.

The extremely porous structure allows our Binchotan Charcoal to adsorb impurities from water such as chlorine, heavy metals and other impurities in the water that affect the taste and softness of our drinking water. The Charcoal also adds healthy minerals such as magnesium and iron into the water which is not only healthy for our bodies but also gives the water a more mineral flavour - the way nature intended water to taste.

Adsorption is the process where atoms or particles are drawn out from a substance and gather on the surface of another material. Absorbing is different in that it combines two materials whereas adsorption sticks to the surface. Think of it this way: red wine absorbs into paper towel; paint adsorbs onto a wall. Once the impurities from your water adsorb on to the Activated Charcoal Sticks they stay, as you keep using your Binchotan Charcoal with new water more impurities adsorb on to the Charcoal and you will notice after many uses (approx 2-3 weeks pending on frequency of use) that the Charcoals effectiveness diminishes, at that point in time simply revitalise the Charcoal sticks by boiling in water for 10 mins, dry them out and place them into your water jug for another month. Do this for every month for 3 months. 

Water that comes from our taps can often contain impurities that affect taste and quality. Due to the highly porous nature of binchotan charcoal, these impurities are adsorbed into the sticks resulting in water that is better tasting, purer and with a softer texture. Tap water comes to our homes after being treated to ensure it is safe for drinking. To remove pathogens like viruses and bacteria water is treated with chlorine, fluoride (to prevent tooth decay) and ammonia for further disinfection. These chemicals, whilst perfectly safe can leave an unpleasant taste. Water is the single most vital thing we need for healthy living so improving the taste of water to encourage us to drink more in a sustainable way is very, very necessary.

Certainly. ILMA™ Binchotan Charcoal Water Purifier Sticks are a safe and effective way to purify water or capture moisture in

damp environments like wardrobes. In fact, kids who don’t love the taste of tap water often love the taste and the science behind Binchotan Charcoal once they find out, so we encourage our customers to teach young ones about how wonderful this natural water purifier is and the science behind how it works.

Quality Binchotan Charcoal from the Kishu province of Japan is incredibly durable and will last for 6

months, however its effectiveness in filtering your water will noticeably decrease after 3 months of use. To get the best use out of it, we recommend boiling your Binchotan Charcoal Sticks for 10 minutes every 2-3 weeks to remove the impurities it has adsorbed and disposing after 3 months.

Once you’ve had 3 months use of your Binchotan as a water purifier, it will have reached it's lifespan as an effective way to remove impurities. This doesn’t mean it needs to be thrown out; the carbon is a great way to fertilise your plants or veggies. Simply break it up by hand or wrap in paper towel and hit with a rolling pin. Strew across a soil in a garden bed or pot and lightly water it. Your Binchotan Charcoal Sticks can also make a great Shoe Deodoriser, simply dry them out in the sun and place them in your gym shoes.