The average family consumes and wastes nearly 100 gallons of water each week. Imagine how much this adds up to per year and across millions of households! Saving water is the need of the hour; scores of people from around the world do not have access to clean water. Global warming and climate changes are also rapidly depleting Mother Earth’s supply of fresh water which we so take for granted. So try and make these 33 easy ways to save water at home a way of life, after all; there won’t be a tomorrow if there is no water.
Tips to save water in the bathroom
- If you live in a cold country it might take some time for the hot water to start through the faucets. So try to catch the cold water instead of letting it run down the drain. You can use a bucket to do save the cold water. You can then use that collected water for watering plants or washing the car or for other useful things.
- Replace regular showers with low flow showerheads and save nearly 230 gallons per week.
- Shower for less than 5 minutes each day.
- Keep the water off when shaving, brushing or soaping/shampooing. This can save nearly 8-10 gallons of water per use.
- Avoid tub baths-they use up tons of water (70 gallons as against 20-30 gallons of a short shower). If needed, only fill the tub to 1/3 rd of its capacity.
- Flush the toilet only for solid waste.
- Replace older toilets with water saving ultra-low-flush models that can help you save hundreds of gallons of water. Look for the WaterSense® mark which indicates water saving toilet models.
- Another easy way to save water at home is to detect and fix leaks immediately. To know if your toilet tank is leaking, put some food color in the tank water. Leave the toilet unused for an hour then check the toilet bowl. If the water in the bowl is colored, it indicates you have a leak. Get it fixed immediately.
- Repair dripping showerheads which can waste nearly 3000 gallons of water each year.
Tips to save water in kitchen
- Use a sprayer or short bursts of water when hand washing dishes. Use very limited detergent so the amount of water needed for rinsing is less.
- Do not run the dishwasher on small loads. Run it only at the end of the day or when you have a full load capacity. As far as possible, use the dishwasher only once or twice a week and hand wash rest of the time. When using the washer-set the machine on short/water saving cycles.
- Scrape/clean the dishes first by pushing leftovers with a spoon/fork in the waste bins. This will cut down on amount of rinsing water needed. If you are planning to wash dishes after a few hours, soak them with little water so that the leftover food does not harden requiring more water later for washing.
- Defrost frozen food with the microwave or plan ahead first and keep it outside to let it thaw instead of using hot water for defrosting. This is another of the simple and easy ways to save water in the house.
- Rinse veggies and fruits in a pan. Use the saved water to water the plants. This method can save gallons of water.
- Run garbage disposal on alternate days to save nearly 25 gallons per week.
Tips to save water around the house
- Repair leaky faucets and save nearly 25 gallons of water per day.
- Wash full loads of clothes-saves up to 100 gallons per week. Use energy saving and water-saving washing machines. Look for the EnergyStar® labels on washing machines if replacing older models; these tend to use up to 50% less water and electricity.
- Use minimal detergent.
- Collect washing machine water in a utility sink which can later be used for flushing the toilet bowl or for running the garbage disposal.
- Try and hand wash several smaller items together such as socks, underwear, handkerchiefs etc. This is one of the easy activities to save water around the house which can be done while bathing.
Tips to save water in the garden and outdoors
- Water your lawns only in the cooler hours of the morning. This will help reduce evaporation.
- If using sprinklers, go for the soaker hoses or drip irrigation ones which save more water than other models like mist producing sprinklers.
- Set the sprinklers so that they target the lawns and gardens and not your sidewalk or driveways.
- Different plants need different quantities of water-learn these things so you avoid watering unnecessarily. This is one of the easiest ways to save water in and around the house.
- Avoid using chemicals and fertilizers unnecessarily. They increase the plant/soil’s need for water.
- Keep grass trimmed to 3 inches height. Avoid closed cropped grass as taller grass has better moisture retention.
- Plant only native or local plants which need less water compared to other exotic varieties of plants. Group together similar plants based on their watering needs.
- Use mulch, chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel around the roots as it helps decrease evaporation thereby reducing the need for watering. This can save nearly 200 gallons of water per month.
- Report all leaky pipes, faucets outside the home.
- Avoid washing patios and balconies.
- Do not allow kids to use the hose and waste water.
- Cover up the pool to prevent evaporation. This will also keep your pool cleaner and reduce the need to add chemicals.
- If washing the car at home, use a bucket and mop. Rinse with as little water as possible. Do not keep the hose running when washing the car. If possible, find a carwash that uses recycled water for washing cars.
Bear these 33 easy ways to save water in mind and start saving 100’s of gallons of water each day.