# How to date the jug so you actually rotate it > A marker on the jug outlasts a phone reminder. So you actually rotate the water instead of guessing. Part of the [Water](https://bordernest.com/silo/water.md) guides. A reminder in your phone fails the night the phone is dead, so a marker on the jug does not. Six months is a reasonable stretch if the room stayed cool, and sooner if the water smells off or the jug sat in heat. Pour the old water on plants or into the wash, then fill it again. Do this today: walk to your stored jug right now and write today's date on the side in permanent marker so the next rotation has a real anchor. ## Why marker beats a phone alert A phone reminder is only as good as a charged battery, and a charged battery is only as good as the grid behind it. A date written on the jug itself travels with the jug, so it survives moves, moves between homes, and the day you hand the jug to a neighbor. Treat the date the way you treat an expiration stamp on food, because the water is part of the same shelf-life mindset. ## How to set a rotation you will actually follow Pick a stretch that matches your storage spot. Six months works for a cool closet or basement, while three months is safer for a warm garage or an attic that bakes in summer. Write the fill date in a spot you will see when you grab the jug, not on the bottom where it gets hidden. When the date arrives, pour the old water onto houseplants or into a mop bucket so nothing is wasted, rinse the jug, and refill it from a trusted source. If you ever crack the jug open and the water smells flat, plasticky, or off, trust your nose and rotate early. ## Gear that makes the rotation easier A wide-mouth jug is easier to fill from a tap and easier to pour out without spilling, which means you are more likely to actually do the swap. A dark marker with a fine tip stays legible longer than a chisel-tip Sharpie on textured plastic, so the date does not fade into the surface. **Reliance: Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7 Gallon.** Leave room on the side for the date. Confirm the size on the Amazon page. If you do not know whether one jug is enough, start with How many gallons for one person at home. Keep the water jug out of a hot garage if the only cool corner is indoors, since heat shortens the safe window between rotations. Links here are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a commission. It does not change your price. Check the live listing before you order. ## Related guides - [Start with water, before you buy anything clever](https://bordernest.com/blog/water-hub.md): Your tap can quit without warning. A full jug in the corner beats a filter still in your cart. - [How to treat water you scooped from outside](https://bordernest.com/blog/how-to-treat-water-from-outside.md): A creek, a pond, or a rain barrel can all be made safer with the right order. You will learn settle, filter, then treat, and why the home jug still matters most. - [How many gallons for one person at home](https://bordernest.com/blog/how-many-gallons-for-one-person.md): Ready.gov prints one gallon per person per day, so a single 7 gallon jug covers one person for about a week and is a short start for a family. - [Water for a family of four, counted in days](https://bordernest.com/blog/water-for-a-family-of-four.md): Four people need about four gallons a day, so a single seven gallon jug covers under two days. The lesson is to count days, not bottles, and start with one dated jug on the floor. - [How to store water without giving up the closet](https://bordernest.com/blog/how-to-store-emergency-water.md): One jug on the floor, a date on the side, and a corner that does not bake in July. You learn the minimum that actually counts and the spot in a small apartment that keeps water drinkable. - [Where a water jug fits in a small apartment](https://bordernest.com/blog/where-a-water-jug-fits-in-an-apartment.md): A full jug belongs on the floor, spigot facing out, in a corner that stays cool. - [Grocery store bottles or one jug you refill](https://bordernest.com/blog/grocery-bottles-or-one-refill-jug.md): A case of bottles you already bought counts as stored water. A refill jug is easier to pour from at home, and owning both is a fine plan. - [Keep the water jug out of a hot garage](https://bordernest.com/blog/keep-stored-water-out-of-the-garage.md): A garage that bakes in July or freezes in January is a fine place for a shovel and a bad place for drinking water. The lesson is how heat and plastic quietly shorten the life of stored water. - [Containers that should not hold drinking water](https://bordernest.com/blog/containers-that-should-not-hold-water.md): A kitchen counter, a row of empty jugs, and the quiet rule that only drinking-water containers store drinking water. Students learn which plastics to skip and why a clean-looking bottle can still ruin a supply. - [Extra water for a pet, on top of the people](https://bordernest.com/blog/extra-water-for-the-pet.md): Ready.gov lists pet water on its own line, so add what the animal already drinks on top of the people gallon. The trick is to store water you would actually let them drink on a normal Tuesday. - [Water for a baby or an older adult at home](https://bordernest.com/blog/water-for-a-baby-or-older-adult.md): Formula and a person who cannot lift a full jug change the setup. The gallon is still where you start. This is not feeding or medicine advice. - [A weekend of stored water before any filter](https://bordernest.com/blog/a-weekend-of-water-before-any-filter.md): A weekend plan to put real water in the house before chasing a filter. The lesson is simple: stored water beats a clever gadget every time. - [Sawyer MINI or LifeStraw: pick the job, then the filter](https://bordernest.com/blog/sawyer-mini-vs-lifestraw.md): Two small filters, two different jobs. The Sawyer MINI pushes water from a pouch into a bottle; the LifeStraw is the straw you drink through. Pick the one the person using it will actually figure out under stress. - [Tablets for the water you did not store yet](https://bordernest.com/blog/tablets-for-water-you-did-not-store.md): A kitchen counter with an empty jug and a bottle of tablets side by side. Students learn that tablets treat water already in a container, so they only cover the gap when stored water runs out or never got filled. Open the HTML guide to see today's Amazon listing. Prices are confirmed on Amazon. This is not medical, legal, or emergency-service advice.