5 Perfectly Painless Water $avers
Save money and water around the house with a few simple steps
With water bills rising and many water tables going down, it makes eco-sense and dollar cents to conserve. Here are five painless ways to get started.
1. Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
Save water and money, and still have ample water pressure, with a low-flow showerhead, which can slash bathing-water consumption 50 to 70 percent. The devices are simple to install and start at around $8. Many styles and features are available, including flow-adjusting dials and a pause button.
2. Turn Off the Tap While You Brush
Don't let your water dollars -- and one of nature's most precious resources -- run down the drain. Just turn off the water while you brush your teeth. The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of two gallons a minute, according to the EPA's WaterSense initiative. That means you'll save up to 8 gallons of water a day per person.
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3. Water Your Yard in the Morning
The best time to water outdoors is in the morning, both to reduce water waste and to promote healthy flora. Morning air is cooler, so less water is lost to evaporation than during the middle of the day. If you water in the evening, you run the risk of promoting fungi and bacterial diseases.
4. Use a Pro Car Wash
It may surprise you, but commercial car washes use water more efficiently, typically using 45 gallons of water per car. Home washers typically use between 80 and 140 gallons. Commercial car washes must also drain their wastewater into sewers, versus simply running it across your driveway into the land.
5. Fix That Leak
Don't ignore that dripping faucet or leaky pipe joint. One faulty faucet wastes 3 gallons of water per day, reports the U.S. Geological Survey. So get a pipe wrench and tighten those seals, replace old and worn hardware, and call your neighborhood plumber if you need help. Every drop really does add up.
2. Use water that you washed dishes in to mop floors , just add a little of the cleanser you want to use on the floor after dishes are done . If not mopping floors use the water to water plants or gardens , even the compost pile. The soap won't hurt the plants and it will keep the bugs away .
3. Time the kids showers . I set a timer and when they have had the water on for 10 minutes I tell them "water off" . They get in the shower faster and waste less water because they have learned not to turn the water on until they are ready to get in it .
4.Use soaker hoses , even make your own out of old hoses by poking holes with a nail and cap the end for watering gardens instead of sprinklers .
5.Put a water tap splitter on the tap and hook up two hoses , you won't use more water , just split where it goes between the two hoses .
6.When my husband shaves he plugs the sink , shaves and then I put the water in the garden or compost pile . The hair is a good bug deterant and so is the soap he lathered with .
7.Only do full loads of laundary , if I don't have enough whites for a full load I will wait a few more days and go to each bedroom and gather them all into one load .
8.Girls use the same towel . 2 girls , one towel , since they are small they don't get it too wet that it can't be used twice . Less laundary , less water used .
9.If you have gutters , set up a barrel to catch the water with a screen on top to keep out mosquitos . Use the water for plants and gardens . If no gutters use buckets and after rain stops dump them into a barrel .
2. Don't wash your hair every day. It is better for your hair and keeps your shower shorter. This obviously only applies to people with long hair.
3. Fill up the sink or use a basin while doing the dishes. It is amazing how much water you save if you wash the dishes consciously.
4. Do the laundry less frequently. Americans are obsessed with cleanliness, but if the shirt doesn't smell and doesn't have a stain, you can probably wear it a few more times before washing it, same with your pants. In other words, you do not need to throw something in the hamper after it has been worn once. Wait until it is actually dirty. You'll be surprised how much less frequently you will have to do the laundry, and who doesn't want that?
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Guess what it needs a good washing.
Think green, I start with 1 gallon of water with a car wash soap, not dish
washing soap. One 5 gallon of clear rinse water. I start at the top with my soap bucket, washing a section at a time, then rinse immediately. A shaded areais best. After going over the entire car I am ready to use my chamois
to dry the entire vehicle.
Next the tires and rims, using the balance of the original soap bucket. To rinse I use the remainder of the rinse water in the 5 gallon bucket, pour
into a spray bottle, to rinse the wheels. Oh to rinse the car I use an empty
small coffee container to dip and rinse from the 5 gallon bucket. Next water
from the spray bottle is used along with a microfiber cloth takes care of my
windows. Add a little dressing if desired. Finished.
For info onthe chamois or microfiber cloths just e-mail me anytime. Until
next time, Dress for Success from wheel to wheel.
Gerardo Rocky Owens
314-621-5711