Here at IBG, we really enjoy turning on the faucet and having clean water come out. We also really love showers and a nice, cold drink filled with ice. If you’re anything like us, you probably do as well! There are so many countries, including many we’ve been able to raise funds for, where readily available clean water is not a given but a luxury. We’d really love clean, usable water to continue to be a part of our everyday lives and with that in mind, here’s 5 different ways we can all cut back on water usage in our homes while going about our everyday activities.
Running a washer with only half a load of clothes still takes the full amount of water in a standard washer. Also try to avoid the permanent press cycle which can add up to 5 gallons of water to a normal wash. Investing in new, energy saving clothes washers is also a big help; front load washers that are New Energy Starrated use less water and less energy per load than standard washers.
2. Use a pan to wash fruits and vegetables.
Instead of running fruits and veggies under the faucet to clean them, fill a large pan up with water and rinse them. Also, once the items are washed, reuse the pan water for your household plants.
3. Be mindful of shower and bath times.
Even just a four minute shower uses approximately 20 to 40 gallons of water. When running a bath, be sure to plug the tub up before turning the faucet on so as not to immediately lose any water down the drain. Once the tub is plugged and water is turned on, then adjust the water to the desired temperature.
4. Don’t keep the sink running while brushing your teeth or shaving.
This is probably one of the simplest yet most effective ways to make a difference in daily water usage. Just think about how much unused, clean water escapes down the sink during those 2-5 minutes while brushing or shaving.
5. Turn off that hose!
When washing a car, as much as 150 gallons of water can be saved by turning the hose off between rinses. If your home has a sidewalk or driveway to sweep, also consider using a broom to sweep the pavements instead of hosing them down. Washing a sidewalk or driveway with a hose uses close to 50 gallons of waterevery 5 minutes.
For more tips on conserving water, check out these articles from eartheasy.com, wateruseitwisely.com and EPA.gov.
Do you have any water conserving tips to add to our list? Let us know in the comments!
