In today’s world, we are always looking for ways to spend less and save more. With so many different avenues, many times we don’t know where to start first or how to begin the process. Well, how about starting at your very own home with something as simple as water reduction. Here’s how:
Shorter Showers: When my brother was younger, my mother would wake him up for school in the morning and he would get up and go turn on the shower. We would think he was in the shower and getting ready until the shower seemed to be lasting an abnormally long time. My mother soon discovered that he had turned on the shower and then crawled right back into bed, leaving the shower running. Though this was an effective trick to sleep a little longer, it definitely was not good for the water bill. Therefore, as relaxing as a long hot shower is (or an extra 15 minutes of sleep), keep in mind that time is money.
Turn the Water off while Brushing your Teeth or Washing your Face: In the past I was the worst person at doing this. (I also left lights on all around the house…I was obviously not very eco-friendly and frugal as a child). However, recently I have gotten much better. If you make it a habit to rinse your face or water your tooth brush and then just turn the water off while you scrub/brush, that can save water and money.
Use the Dishwasher and Make Sure It’s Full!: In case you needed another excuse for not handwashing your dishes, just know that it actually takes less water to use the dishwasher (if it’s full. Washing one dish in the dishwasher defeats the purpose).
Use the Fridge to Cool Water: When we moved houses about 2 years ago, for some reason the new sink seemed to take a really long time to get the water cool. I don’t particularly like drinking lukewarm tap water so I would turn on the water and wait for it to cool while I got out my glass or did other things in the kitchen. This is so wasteful. Therefore, keep a pitcher of water in your fridge so it is already cool. (If you already have a water filtration pitcher, then you are golden!)
Check for Leaks: A way to be on the lookout for leaks is by becoming familiar with your water bill. If it seems higher than normal and you can’t account for that, perhaps you have a water leak somewhere in your home. According to the National Sanitation Foundation, a leaky faucet can waste up to 1,000-2,000 gallons per year while a leaky toilet could lose 500 gallons in a day. A plumbing inspection could help to discover leaks both subtle and obvious.
Sweep, Sweep: If your driveway or sidewalk is dirty, sweeping it with a broom instead of spraying it with a hose is helpful. Though, it you live anywhere near fish flies, sweeping up dead fish flies may be futile if they are already stuck to the ground.
Get a new flapper: It’s the era of flappers, toilet flappers that is. You can purchase a new adjustable flapper for your toilet that will have your toilet use less water than normal when it is flushed.
Recycle used Water: Ew gross. Backwash. No, that’s not what I mean when I say recycle water. In college, I had to interview people about being ’green’ and one family said that they put a bucket in their shower to collect all the water that was used while they were waiting for the water to heat up. They then used that water to water their plants. I thought this was ingenious. You could also use that water to wash your car, wash your dog, wash your sidewalk etc….
