Water-Saving Tips You Can Do in Your Home

December 17, 2019

If you haven’t seen the multiple news reports or seen the multiple social media posts regarding the state of the world – then you quite possibly have been living under a rock! The world is in the middle of a climate crisis and people need to step up in terms of living a more sustainable lifestyle. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to change your entire way of living around but instead, start taking some minor measures and adapt your lifestyle to preserve resources. The smallest things can make a huge difference when you look at it in terms of sustainability. If each person on the planet started being more sustainable with the littlest of changes; then the world would be more sustainable.

Let’s Dive In

One resource that has cause for concern in terms of wanting to preserve resources is something that all living creatures require; some live in it, some drink it, some gain their energy and nourishment from it – its water. Fresh water is starting to become cluttered with plastic and other debris which leaves it unfit for human consumption, dangerous to marine life and even contaminated for other living creatures such as land animals and plants.

That is why it is important to save on water whenever and wherever you can. You don’t have to adjust your lifestyle to stopping activities and habits done with water – it simply means you can employ some water-saving tips at home.

So what are some of the best water-saving tips you can do in your home? Let’s find out together!

Water-Saving Tips

Household Chores:

• Save laundry day for when you have full loads of clothes instead of using your washing machine each or every other day for a couple of pieces.
• Invest in a high efficiency washing machine that provides a deeper clean without using a large amount of water.
• Choose a laundry detergent that is free of dyes and chemicals as the contaminated water has to drain out somewhere! That place is usually a water treatment plant but sometimes its rivers, lakes and ponds.
• Only run your dishwasher when you have a full load of dishes to conserve water.
• Turn off the tap when washing dishes and wait to rinse them off when you have a full sink washed instead of letting the water run while you are washing them.
•  If you use a garbage disposal appliance; compost whatever you can to recycle the food leftovers before running the garbage disposal to flush them down the drain!

Household Maintenance

• Fix or replace any leaky faucets in the house – sinks, bathtubs, showers, hoses, etc.
• Ensure that your garden hose is turned off when not in use to prevent leaking water.
• Insulate your water pipes to allow for a faster heating time and prevent having to run the water for longer periods of time waiting for hot water to come out.
• Check over your toilet and fix any potential leaks. You can use a small trick of food coloring in the toilet tank. Choose a bright color and wait 30 minutes. If you see the water becoming colored; then you have a leak which is wasting water.

Gardening and Outdoor Activities

•  Consider investing in a sturdy container to collect rainwater that can be filtered through a screen and then used to water your gardens (beds, planters, etc.). You can also use this water to wash your car and other fun toys. Depending on the level of filtration; you could even consider filling up your children’s wading pool with this water.
• Use an adjustable nozzle on your water hose to prevent an over usage of water.
• Invest in an adjustable sprinkler head so you can control the amount of water that is used on your lawn and gardens. Click the link to learn about adjusting a sprinkler head.

Hygienic Habits

• Time your showers to conserve water and limit soaks in the tub to once or twice a week instead of every single night.
• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth instead of letting the water run.

Food Prep

• Use a strainer to wash off vegetables to rinse more volume of produce at one time instead of running the tap to wash off each individual piece.
• Have a bottle of boiled or bought drinking water in the fridge to prevent having to run the tap to cool the water to the right temperature for drinking.

Conclusion

Part of lowering carbon footprints is looking at how much water you use. Water conservation is needed today and every day in every single household across the globe. Like we’ve discovered, you don’t need to drastically change your lifestyle; just simply live it a little more sustainably.

If each person practiced even a couple of the outlined water-saving tips in their home – the amount of water that can be saved for the future generations is astounding. After all, don’t we want to leave a healthy planet for our children, their children and so forth? All it takes is a little bit of care for Mother Nature and her inhabitants.