There are two strong reasons why you should actively take care of water consumption in your home. Firstly, you want to pay less every month, and secondly, you want to help the global effort to conserve Earth’s water resources. Ideally, every household should apply the following 9 smart water management tips.
Opt for a shower instead of a bath
The age-old dilemma of whether a shower or a bath is better for your bathroom is easily solved in the context of water consumption: choose a shower. Filling a tub uses 2 to 3 times more water, so a walk-in shower is a logical choice for eco-aware homeowners.
However, you should avoiding taking long or power showers, as they waste tens of litres of water. The average shower time should be around 5 minutes. Further on, installing an efficient showerhead with various functions should help additionally reduce the water bill.
Learn to turn the water tap off
Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds is the best way to prevent contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus. However, you don’t want to waste water by letting the tap run for half a minute. While soaping your hands and rubbing them against each other, make sure the tap is in the off position.
Turn the water back on when it’s time to wash down the soap. The same goes for brushing your teeth, as you need water only at the end to wash your mount. In addition, the water tap should be upgraded every decade, as modern taps are significantly more energy-efficient than older models.
Aerated and low-flow taps save litres of water in the long run.
Use a fridge instead of cold water for cooling
We could all use a glass of cold lemonade in summer but instead of turning the tap and “letting the water run until it turns cold,” you should turn to your fridge. Fill a large jug or a water bottle with spring water and let it sit in the fridge overnight. If ice-cold water doesn’t suit your throat, then let the glass sit in the sun for 10 minutes.
Cooking water’s second life
If you like to eat a lot of pasta or you cook ready-made meals, then you are left with litres of “wastewater.” There is nothing wrong with this water, so it can be used for watering the garden or the lawn behind the house.
Moreover, the minuscule food leftovers will fertilize the lawn, making it more verdant. Needless to say, cooking water first needs to cool down completely before pouring it in the garden.
A large garden is both a privilege and a responsibility
Speaking of the garden, it is the most attractive section of your estate. However, you need to be responsible when maintaining it, as overwatering not only kills plants’ root system but it wastes water as well. If you wish to control the amount of water applied, installing a hose reel will help direct the nozzle to the areas that need water the most. Efficient watering is the smartest gardening tip you could get!
When to water plants
After you ensure that no drop of water is wasted when watering the garden, you need to time the watering perfectly. Watering the plants in the late afternoon or in the evening results in the inability of the ground to imbibe all that water overnight. Plants should be watered in the morning, so sunlight has a chance to dry the top layers of soil, preventing the root system from rotting away.
Fill the washing machine to the brim
Just like modern toilets, modern bathroom appliances use less water but produce the same or even better results. To further increase the energy efficiency of the washing machine, you should never let it run half full. Fill it, as well as the dishwasher in the kitchen always to the brim, so you use water responsibly.
Dry and reuse towels
The average towel gets dirty rather fast, so you are constantly tempted to throw it in the washing machine after a day’s use. The reason why towels only appear dirty is that you don’t let them dry. Get a large towel hanger or even better, a towel warmer, spread a wet towel on it, and see how it dries up after a couple of hours. The less frequently you wash towels, the more water you’ll save.
Invest in a new toilet
Replacing the toilet is probably the last thing on your mind right now because it’s working perfectly fine, or is it? Old toilets are quite inefficient, constantly leaking untraceable amounts of water. Upgrading your toilet will reduce the amount of water used for flushing the toilet without sacrificing efficiency.
Smart water management isn’t exclusively aimed at reducing water usage and protecting the environment. From modern taps to getting a hose reel, all of the tips listed above help your household save money. Who said saving the planet has to come at a personal cost!
