10 tips on conserving water at home
One of the greatest ways of conserving our planet resources is by doing it with water. Water has many purposes in our lives so we use it for drinking, bathing, washing, gardening activities, etc. There are many easy ways of conserving water at home and it doesn’t need so much sacrifice from ourselves. In this article, we set out to present the best tips for doing it starting right now.
Of course, we probably ask ourselves why do we need to conserve water if over 70% of the earth is covered by it? The problem is that 97% of this water is found in the oceans and seas. That means that it can’t be used for drinking or for most of the industrial areas because it’s too salty. Only 3% of our water resources are fresh, but also, 2.5% of them are unavailable. They are stored in glaciers, soil, polar ice caps, atmosphere or are situated too far into the earth’s surface.
Water scarcity became a bigger problem over the years and it affects every continent. In 2019, Bloomberg published an article that says that 17 countries are at an extremely high risk of a water crisis. Most of the countries are situated in the Middle East, but this situation may escalate to other countries.
10 tips on conserving water at home
1. Turn off the water while you wash your hands, brush your teeth and shower
The most common mistake that we make is that we use unnecessary water while we take care of our hygiene. Most people don’t turn the faucets off while they are soaping their hands, body, and brush their teeth. While doing these activities you are using about 2 gallons of water per minute.
Brushing your teeth should take about 5 minutes, so you’re using about 10 gallons in total. You can drastically reduce this amount of water by just using it when you actually need it. So let the water running only when you wet your toothbrush and rinse your teeth.
The same goes for washing your hands and showering. Turn on the faucets just at the beginning, to wet yourself, and at the end, to get clean. While you are soaping, stop the faucets completely. In between these two processes, there are tens of gallons of water wasted. By stoping these bad habits you will save a lot of water and also money.
2. Use an economic shower head
A normal shower head consumes over 2 gallons of water per minute and the GPM flow rate can go as high as 6. Start thinking of switching these shower heads with more economical ones. There are plenty of options on the internet and physical stores that have a flow rate of just 1.5 GPM. They are not very expensive and usually, you can buy them at about 15-20 dollars.
As an example, just imagine that you are using water for a shower for about 10 minutes. With the normal shower head, you will use at least 20 gallons of water. But if you switch to the economical one you will not use more than 15. That’s a huge reduction, right? The changes are undoubtedly significant and beneficial for your home.
3. Don’t take long showers
The idea of taking a long shower after a long day is a very tempting one. Long and hot showers are very relaxing but they come with a cost. We were talking before about the 10 minutes showers that will make us consume at least 15 gallons of water and that’s pretty much.
For a proper and economical shower, five minutes should be enough. If you are used to the long ones start by decreasing the time minute by minute, until you reach the five-minute goal. You can also use a timer because we know that when you’re under the shower time can fly.
Also, if you are a fan of baths, it’s recommended to switch to a short shower. A half-filled tub will consume approximately about 35 gallons of water. The difference is huge between a bath and a short shower in terms of water usage and switching to showers will be very beneficial.
4. Buy a low-flush toilet
Investing in a low-flush toilet can be a very good idea for conserving water at home. The normal toilet that you have in your home consumes about 3.5 – 7 gallons of water per flush. The low-flush toilet concept is more efficient and it only uses 1.6 gallons per flush, which is a very big difference. The prices for a low flow toilet start from about 120 dollars.
On the market, you can also find dual flush toilets. Basically, these toilets use two buttons so you can flush different amounts of water, depending on your needs. Just like the low-flush type, the dual one is very effective. For both, the cost of repair and installation can be higher than for the normal ones, but it will prove their efficiency in time.
5. Turn off the water while you wash the dishes with the detergent
From the bathroom, we’re moving straight to the kitchen. In a house where there’s no dishwasher, there will be a lot of time spent on the kitchen sink. Lots of people have the habit of letting the water running while they’re washing all the dishes with the detergent. But the same rule applies here like in the first point of our list.
If the sink is full of dirty dishes then the water will run for maybe over 10 minutes, which means over 20 gallons of water. Turn off the faucets while you are cleaning the dishes with the detergent because that is a big waste. Use the water only if you want to soak them, before the actual cleaning, and at the end, when you rinse them. That will reduce the amount of used water by half.
6. Reuse vegetables and fruits water
Another great way of conserving water at home is by reusing it. A great idea to do that is with the water that you use to wash the vegetables and fruit water. Instead of letting the water flow in your sink, take a bow sink and collect it there. That water can be used now for other purposes, such as watering your flowers and vegetables.
You can also reuse the water if you boil some vegetables. Just let it cool after you’ve done the process of boiling and only after that you can reuse it. This water is full of nutrients that will help your plants and flowers grow in good conditions.
7. Wash your clothes only when you can fill a washing machine
You can conserve water at home even by doing laundry. Every time you think about washing your clothes make sure your machine tub will be full. The washing machine will use over 30 gallons of water per cycle, so you will waste a lot of water if you will only throw a few clothes in there.
By waiting for your laundry basket to be full, not only that you will conserve water. You can also save time, energy, and some money, by reducing the water and electrical energy. If we already talk about washing machines and you want to buy one, try to find one that is efficient. Even if it’s more expensive, over time you can see the results, as it doesn’t use that much water per cycle.
8. Check for leaks
If you discover that your utility bills are suddenly going up, then it is possible that you have a leak. First, you should check your water meter when you know that no water is being used in the house. If it’s still running then you definitely have a problem. But if it’s not running, check it again in one or two hours to make sure that the meter reading is still the same.
Don’t forget though that the leaks can occur on faucets and toilets while you are using them. So it’s better to call a plumber to check them when you have the slightest suspicion about the leaks. It will cost you some money, but after his intervention, you will be 100% sure that your water system is in good condition.
9. Use a rain barrel
If you’re living in a house, not in an apartment, using a rain barrel is a really great idea. The rain barrel is very popular, especially in small villages. By having a rain barrel you can collect water that is available for free. By collecting the rainwater you will save thousands of gallons of water and you will save it for using in the dry days.
The rainwater has more nutrients than tap water and its much better for your plants. Not only that you can use it for your plants, but also for some different house chores. You can wash your car, your vegetables, or even your dishes, the opportunities with the rainwater being endless in your household.
10. Water your lawn more efficient
When you water your lawn there are some effective ways to reduce the amount of it. Many of us tend to water the lawn every day, but it’s ok by not doing this so often. Start by reducing the number of days in a week when you’re doing this action. You may be surprised to notice that the lawn is staying green even if you don’t take care of it day by day.
Don’t forget that is better to water it when it’s cooler outside so the water doesn’t evaporate so quickly. That’s why during the summer days it’s recommended to do it in the morning or in the evenings. Try to not water the lawn on the windy days because it will also evaporate quickly. If you have sprinklers, set them up in a way that the water it’s not wasted on sideways. Also, don’t forget to turn them off on a rainy day.
Did you enjoy our article about conserving water at home? Then find out more about the eco-friendly lifestyle by going to our main section about it.
