Do you think you’re using too much water? Here are some tricks to cut down on the water consumption in your home.
Be conservative with your toilet
You use your toilet every day, and you may not think about how much water you’re using every time you flush. Of your home’s total water usage, your toilet accounts for 25% to 30%. First, you want to make sure you are only flushing what can actually be flushed. Anything else needs to go in the trash. Secondly, you can try what many call the “bucket flush.” You pour a gallon of water into your toilet all at once and it flushes on its own. This keeps your toilet from using more water than it needs to flush.
Do full loads of laundry
There are a lot of ways you can waste water with your washing machine. First, you only want to do full loads. Running the washer when it isn’t full is simply wasting water. If you can, adjust the water levels to match the size of the load you’re washing. Second, don’t use the permanent press setting until you absolutely have to. This cycle uses five additional gallons of water during the rinse cycle.
Be smart in the shower
First things first, don’t take a bath. One single bath can use up to 70 gallons of water, where a five-minute shower only uses 10 to 25 gallons. You can also save the water that runs out when you’re waiting for it to heat up. You can use that water to water plants, clean your car, or perform many “bucket flushes.”
Don’t let the faucet run
When you’re using water it almost any capacity, you shouldn’t let the faucet run. This means turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, rinsing the dishes, or cleaning vegetables. You can waste up to two gallons every minute when you let the faucet run.
Always check for leaks
Finally, you want to make sure you are checking for leaks. Your faucets, toilets, and water pipes all can leak, and those leaks can be hard to detect sometimes. Hiring a contractor to perform routine maintenance is a great way to catch a leak.
Follow these tips if you want to start conserving more water in your home. Not only will your water bill go down, but Mother Nature will be happy that you’re cutting down your waste.