We all need water. OK, so you already knew that. But how much water do we really need? The truth is, not nearly as much as we use. From showering and watering the lawn, to even brushing your teeth, there are small steps we can take to cut back on water use. The best part is, none of these measures will impact your daily schedule or life (beyond saving you a few cents on your utilities bill).
1) Close faucet: There’s absolutely to need to leave the faucet running when you’re brushing your teeth. And yet, so many people do. It’s acceptable to use water to dampen your toothpaste and clean your toothbrush, but there’s no need to leave it on while you’re brushing. It’s just a complete waste of water.
2) Shorter Shower: As we uncovered in an earlier blog, the average shower is roughly 8 minutes. Cut your shower time by just a minute and you’ll save gallons of water every week!
3) Washing Dishes: When you’re washing dishes, don’t let the water run. Instead, fill one basin with washing water and the other basin with rinsing water. It’s just as effective and you’ll save a ton of water after every home-cooked meal.
4) Defrosting Food: Don’t use running water to thaw your food. It’s more efficient (and also safer) to defrost food in the refrigerator.
5) Ice Cube Conservation: If you drop an ice cube or have one leftover from your drink, don’t throw it away. Instead, use the ice cube to feed your houseplant.
6) Water-Free Soaping: When washing your hands, leave the faucet off when lathering. Don’t turn on the faucet until you need to wash the soap off your hands.
7) Wash Pets Outside: Is your pet due for a bath? If weather permits, wash your pet on your lawn. This way excess water won’t be wasted; instead it will be used to feed your lawn.
8) Bring a Bucket: Place buckets outside when it’s raining to salvage water that you can use on a later, drier day to water your lawn.