A cold glass of water can be very refreshing on a hot day.
However, drinking it loudly involves an entirely different set of mouth muscles than drinking a mixture with lots of ice in it.
Unfortunately, as soon as there is ice involved, most people just can’t seem to keep from crunching.
When you drink water quietly, you’re not only being more polite to your friends and family but also keeping your own noisy chewing habits under control.
Ways On How to Drink Water Quietly
If you are someone who enjoys the silence that accompanies sipping instead of slurping, here are some tips on how to drink water quietly without embarrassing yourself or annoying the other people in the room:
1. Sip Instead of Gulp
In general, men tend to drink larger beverages than women, so they are more likely to drown out the silence with their loud gulping noises.
If you’re worried about your volume level, don’t let a huge mouthful of water pass through your lips at once.
Instead, try taking small sips and then breathing quietly between each one.
This will stretch out your drinking time and give you some rest between noisy chomps for you to control the urge to chomp on ice when biting down is no longer an option.
2. Avoid Using Glasses
While glasses can make it easier for people to drink fluids without spilling, it’s impossible not to crunch when chewing down if there’s ice in the glass.
If possible, try to avoid drinking out of a glass with ice in it.
If you have ice in your drink, see if you can discreetly transfer the ice to another cup or bowl so that you aren’t chewing on it directly.
3. Disguise The Noise
If water is too difficult for you to sip quietly, use a straw as an alternative. You’ll still get hydrated without crunching!
4. Take Smaller Sips
Some people just like really cold drinks and won’t consider any other way of enjoying them–even one that doesn’t involve clattering teeth or noisy gulps.
You don’t need big mouthfuls of water or large cubes of ice when enjoying a refreshing beverage; smaller sips and crushed ice will do the trick just as well.
5. Slip In Some Drink Mix
If you are someone who loves to drink cold beverages, try adding a flavored mix or some freshly squeezed lemon juice to a tall glass of water before mixing in ice so that you can still taste the flavors but reduce your crunching noises dramatically.
6. Don’t Be a Show-Off
If you’re at a party with lots of chatter and people talking, don’t be tempted to chomp away loudly to get attention.
Just ignore them when they ask why you’re eating an ice cube; it’s not very nice (or polite) to tell everyone how thirsty you are.
After all, if you really need to drink right now, you should be allowed to do it in peace.
7. Be Mindful of Your Surroundings
If you’re at an event where many other people are drinking, don’t talk about how thirsty you are as if everyone can hear your chewing noises.
You never know who has sensitive ears and might feel annoyed by the sound of crunching ice. Randomly chomping on a cube could cause them to think that you aren’t aware of their presence or social situation.
Plus, not everyone will be willing to listen to how thirsty you are–it’s kind of gross (and nosy). Maybe try talking about something else instead…
8. Chew A Piece of Gum
Just when you thought it was safe to slip into a movie or get together with friends, you realize that there’s going to be an ice cube crunch competition.
Maybe the other people in the room really like ice cubes and have no problem chomping away.
If this is likely (and if you can’t just sit quietly during the entire film), try chewing on a piece of gum instead.
You’ll still be able to stay hydrated but not feel self-conscious about your noisy chewing habits.
9. Change The Temperature
Instead of drinking ice-cold water in front of others without a care in the world, change the temperature setting so that your drink is lukewarm instead.
If this isn’t possible, explain that you’re unable to drink at the moment due to a sudden bout of nausea.
It might not be as socially acceptable, but you’ll find that it’s easier on your ears.
10. Don’t Give In
If you really have a problem with noisy water drinkers in your life and ‘just can’t stand it,’ then maybe you should avoid spending time with them altogether.
While this isn’t always possible, if certain people drive you crazy with their incessant chomping habits, or even just make you feel self-conscious about your own chewing habit (or lack thereof!), then stay away from these individuals, at least while they’re enjoying a frosty sip.
Remember that we all have different preferences and personalities; some people love to chew their water, while others are more private or reserved.
Everyone has different styles.
11.Don’t Invite Yourself
If you’re someone who drinks cold water and wants to show off your skills, resist the urge to invite yourself along with a few close friends when they order something that will make lots of noise.
You’ll find that most people won’t be thrilled if you start chomping down on ice cubes (especially since they can hear it).
Instead, get excited about how great your drink is and talk about its special qualities–there’s no need to cause a scene by making loud noises as well.
After all, it’s not always polite or appropriate for everyone else involved in the conversation to have to deal with your chewing sounds.
Plus, it’s just not a good idea!
12.Have Your Drink Ready
If you’re used to eating ice cubes and have little control over the noises that you make when doing so, try having your drink ready before others are done talking.
It might be embarrassing or uncomfortable if someone else says something while you’re in the middle of chomping down on an ice cube (especially if they aren’t aware of how much noise they create!).
Ensure that your glass is within reach at all times during social situations–it could save you from making a bad impression on people who are more sensitive to their surroundings.
Try ordering water with lemon instead; this will help mask any ice cube-related noises and go well with any food you’re consuming.
13.Consider A Straw
Many people chew on ice cubes because they feel the cold water has a ‘cleaner’ taste.
This might be true, but it doesn’t mean that anyone will appreciate the sounds that come along with drinking something so refreshing.
If you prefer your drinks to be served at room temperature, consider ordering an alternative beverage–such as lemonade or iced tea.
Instead of causing those around you to cringe in pain and fear in anticipation of hearing your noisy chewing habits, just sip away in silence like everyone else.
After all, there’s no rule saying that you can’t drink out of a straw 🙂
14.Be The Host
If you’re the host of a party, and you know that some of your guests have noisy chewing habits, consider keeping the glasses on ice.
This may be helpful for those who have plenty of water to drink during their stay–they can just take their glass directly from the mini-bar.
Sometimes it might not be possible to change if too many guests are staying over, but do what you can!
15.Don’t Be Embarrassed
No matter how hard we try, we will always make noise while eating or drinking something with our mouths.
And even though these tips (taken together!) will help minimize your chances of making other’s ears bleed when they hear noises similar to peeling an apple with a cheese grater, except that you’ll still make some sounds.
Don’t be embarrassed if you’re caught making these noises–instead, rejoice.
After all, it’s not every day that I get to serenade someone with the sound of me eating ice cubes 🙂
16.Keep Your Hands Occupied
If this is really an issue for you and your family members, try coming up with ways for everyone to keep their hands busy while drinking cold water or chewing gum (or other snacks).
This will help reduce unwanted noise from those at nearby tables in restaurants or coffee shops.
Final Thoughts On How To Drink Water Quietly
Above are some of the best methods on how to drink water quietly that I would highly recommend.
I hope you enjoyed this article and feel confident to drink water in public without all the guilt! If you have any other questions, please let me know.