Water is something that our bodies need to survive, but water also plays a large role in everything we do each day. Seventy percent of the earth is covered in water. With only three percent of it being clean enough to use, it’s very important that we find ways to save on water at home.
Out of all our utility bills, water is usually the most affordable. However, conserving water can lower this bill even more. Let’s take a look at some very simple changes you can make to your daily routine to help save water in your own home.
1. Save water from the tap
When you wash your face, do the dishes, brush your teeth and wash your hands, there is water that is going down the drain. While you need some water to perform these tasks, there is likely a lot that could be saved.
Here you have our two tips to save water from the tap
- For example, you can turn the water on to wet your toothbrush. While you are brushing, there isn’t really a need to be running the water the whole time.
- In the shower you have the option of getting wet and then turning off the water. This gives you time to soap up without wasting a bunch of water.
2. Take care of leaks
You might have a faucet in your home that provides a constant drip of water throughout the day. Also, you may be aware of a leaky pipe somewhere in your basement. Or you may have neglected these issues up until now because they aren’t damaging anything.
What you might not realize is that these occasional drops can actually add up when it comes to your monthly or quarterly water bill. You can save a few dollars periodically by getting these issues taken care of. Depending on what the problem is, these repairs might not cost you a dime. It might be as simple as tightening a loose connection.
3. Shorten your showers and baths
In the cold winter months many people like to take a hot shower or bath after a long day. A shower or bath can also be a very relaxing time to unwind. Your average bath will require approximately 100 liters of water. Showering is only about one third of this amount.
Showering can help you save money and water. You just have to make sure that you’re in the shower for a reasonable amount of time. You shouldn’t be in there long enough to drain the hot water tank.
In order to help on this, there are low-flow shower heads that you can purchase which will help you conserve water while still getting you nice and clean. The real goal should be to shower or bathe in about 5 minutes.
4. Address toilet flow
Don’t forget that your toilet is not your trashcan. You don’t have to toss every tissue into the toilet and flush it. You can waste up to 35 liters of water with each unnecessary flush. To solve this kind of issue, buy a garbage can in the bathroom for anything that isn’t related to doing your business.
If your toilet is very old, you might want to invest in a newer model that saves on water. If you can hear your toilet dripping inside of the tank in between flushes, you could have a slower water leak that is costing you money.
5. Invest in new appliances
The majority of the new appliances on the market are designed to be very energy efficient. Dishwashers and washing machines and two of the appliances in your home that use up the most water. If you’re nearing the end of life of these appliances, look for new models that are rating as part of the Energy Star program. You can usually find out how much water an appliance uses before making a purchase. Some washing machines use a half cup of water to get an entire load completed.
6. Don’t use your appliances for partial loads
If your washing machine or dishwasher isn’t completely full, try to put off running a cycle. You will save a ton of energy and water by waiting until later on in the day or until the next day.
This tips are also great ways to simplify your life. They might also help you on saving water with your appliances:
- If your appliance has an economy mode, switch over to this to use less water.
- If you’re smart with the amount of dishes and laundry that you make each day, you could get away with running these appliances once every three days or so.
- Try to reuse towels that haven’t gotten overly damp or dirty. You can reuse the towel from your shower for a couple of days if you hang it up to dry in between uses.
- You can wear the same sweater a few times in a row if you wear a tank top or t-shirt underneath it and it stays clean.
7. Use a water-meter
A water meter will provide you with a reading of how much water you are actually using over the course of a day, week or month. This will help you save money, but you’ll also learn a lot about how you can save water. A water meter can also be very useful if you are trying to determine if there is a leak somewhere in your home. Check the reading on the meter and refrain from using water for about two to three hours. If the meter goes up after this period of time, you are losing water somewhere.
8. Think about lawn care
Some areas of the country only allow you to water your lawn during a certain period of the day. This is designed to save water. Even if your state or down doesn’t control this, you should water early in the morning or late in the evening. This will help your lawn stay healthy, but you won’t be watering during a hot part of the day when the water will dry up quickly.
You can use energy efficient sprinklers to save time, water and money. If you want to be very smart with your water consumption, wash your car on the lawn. The overspray will water your lawn and prevent you from watering later on.
9. Change your diet
Grow, process and transport your food requires a lot of water. So, lowering on the food chain, eating more whole foods and wasting less food, helps on saving water. What’s more incredible is that you can do this from your home while you’re actually helping the environment.
10. Cleaning your home
If you use a lot of water to clean the interior of your home, you may want to look into some of the new cleaning products that are available. There are a number of different dry wipes and cleaning cloths that will prevent you from even having to turn on the faucet. You can also opt for a vinegar and water mixture with a dry cloth to conserve water. You can use this mixture to clean just about every surface of your home. It doesn’t require any rinsing, so you don’t need water other than what is necessary for making the cleaning solution. Not only that, you’ll usually end up using a much healthier cleaning product that is safer for both you and your family.
Finding ways to conserve water at home is actually a very simple process. If you pay attention every time that you turn a faucet on, you’ll likely come up with ways that you can conserve what you are using. Your bank account and the environment will thank you. Wasting water is something that a lot of homeowners do. This isn’t necessarily something that is intended to happen, but the convenience of having an endless supply of water in the home is something that is often taken for granted.