You can’t get through the day without knocking back a few classes of water, but the consumption doesn’t stop there. Water is part of every meal. It’s also part of getting ready in the morning and all those bathroom breaks throughout the day. Add in laundry, dishwashing and lawncare and you can see how water is being utilize almost every single waking hour. It adds up. That is why you should be proactive when it comes to saving water. Not only is that good for the environment but also good for your savings.
Here are some smart ways that you can save on water starting today:
Don’t Use Your Toilet As A Wastebasket
Every flush of a toilet can use up to seven gallons of water. That is why you should use your toilet to flush tissues after blowing your nose. You might also consider investing in a low flow toilet. It gets the job done but only uses three gallons per flush. If you don’t want to make the switch, then fill up a plastic water bottled with sand and water to weigh it down. Then place it in your toilet tank. That will displace water for lower gallon use per flush. If you have room, then use two bottles.
Take Shorter Showers
A typical shower can use up to five to ten gallons of water. That doesn’t seem like a lot, right? Actually, that is five to ten gallons of water per minute. A fifteen-minute shower is a costly affair. If you can cut your shower time down to five minutes, then you really could be saving a lot. You should also look into low-flow showerheads. Very easy to swap out. Believe it or not, a partially filled tub takes up less water than a shower. Switch it up!
Turn of the Taps
Do you keep your bathroom faucets running while you are brushing your teeth or shaving? That is water literally and figurately going down the drain. It is the same idea behind turning off lights: If it is not being used, then turn it off. You should also start paying attention to how you use water in the kitchen. Do you let the tap run to wash fruit and veggies? A quick rinse is all you need.
Use Full Loads
Anytime you use your dishwasher or washing machine it should be for full loads. A dishwasher uses 25 gallons per cycle and a washer uses up to 35 gallons. They have to be used but they should be used efficiently.
Water Lawn When Needed
Automatic lawn sprinklers are great for keeping the lawn watered but you might discover you don’t need that watering as often as you think. With cooler temperature days or rainy days, there is no need for the watering. A good test is to step on your grass. If it springs back up, then it doesn’t need water. And when you do water your lawn, give it a deep soak. A light covering just gets evaporated in the sun and is wasted. You could even consider watering at night for deep saturation.
