Is it safe to use tap water on orchids?

Tap water's generally fine for orchids, though it depends on what's in your local water. If you've got really hard water with a ton of minerals or chlorine, that stuff can build up on the roots and leaves over time, which isn't ideal. Most people just use tap water and their orchids do great, but if you notice white crusty buildup on the roots or the plant's struggling, switching to distilled or rainwater might help.

Agreed on that. after 28 years running into all kinds of situations, i've learned that consistency matters more than perfection. i use tap water on my orchids at home and they're doing fine, but i did notice when i first got into them that my water had high chlorine content - you could smell it. let the water sit out overnight or even just a few hours before watering and most of the chlorine will evaporate. that's the easiest fix if your tap water's got issues.

the mineral buildup thing is real though. if your water is hard or your orchids start showing white crusty deposits on the roots or around the soil line that's a sign minerals are accumulating. distilled water works great for flushing that out periodically, or you can use rainwater if you can collect it. honestly on my morning runs i pass by peoples houses with gutters and remember how easy it'd be to set up a rain barrel lol. point is, tap water is fine as your main thing - just pay attention to what your specific water looks like and adjust if needed.

I've had good luck with tap water on my orchids over the years, but if your water sits for a day or two before using it, any chlorine tends to evaporate off, which I'd recommend if you're worried about it - I used to do this with a lot of my plants when I was still working with sensitive materials.