8 Ways to Make Your Water Use More Sustainable

Introduction

Water is one of our most precious resources, and it’s also something we use a lot of. The water that comes out of your home’s pipes could have been used by dinosaurs, which is pretty cool! But on a more serious note, we should all be taking steps to make sure that the water we do use is being used responsibly. Luckily for you, there are many ways to do this all around your home! Here are some easy ways to conserve water at home.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.

While brushing your teeth, turn off the water while you brush.

Do this same thing while washing your face, shaving and washing your hands.

If you have a bath or shower, turn off the water while shampooing and conditioning.

Turn off the water while washing dishes.

Wait until you have a full load of dishes before running the dishwasher.

You might be surprised to learn that running your dishwasher is the most energy-efficient method of cleaning dishes. The hot water and mechanical action that a dishwasher provides makes it much more effective at removing food particles than hand washing. It also uses less water than hand washing, which means less energy is required to heat that water as well.

However, if you’re not using a full load (or are using one with just a few pieces of silverware), then it’s better to simply wash them yourself in the sink. This will save you both time and electricity—and if you’re drying them afterwards with a towel instead of an electric dryer or air dryer, it’ll even save water!

Only use your washing machine and dishwasher when they are full, or close to full.

Don’t waste water using your washing machine or dishwasher when it’s not full.
Use cold water to wash full loads of clothes, and make sure you use the right amount of detergent.

It’s important to only use your washing machine and dishwasher when they are full, or close to being full. This will help reduce both water and energy usage.

Turn your shower off while you lather up.

Many of us grew up being told that it was important to turn off the water while we’re rinsing. Though this may have seemed like a chore, it’s actually an easy way to save water and energy. The next time you step into your shower, try turning off the faucet when you first step in soaping up and turn it back on when you are finished with your shampoo and conditioner. You’ll be surprised at how much less water is used!

If you want to take things one step further, look for a low-flow showerhead that uses between 2.5 – 4 gallons per minute (gpm). These are available at hardware stores or online retailers like Amazon for as little as $10. Showerheads can also be easily replaced if yours has been leaking or clogged over time due to calcium buildup—just make sure that your plumber knows what kind of pipes he/she will need before replacing the head!

Insulate your pipes so you don’t have to wait as long for hot water, and you waste less of it.

Insulating the hot water pipes in your home is an easy way to reduce heat loss and save money on heating bills. It can also help make sure that you always have enough hot water when you need it, because insulating helps prevent them from cooling too quickly.
There are several different ways to do this: insulating with foam pipe insulation; installing heat tape; or doing both. Installing both types at once will help ensure that the temperature inside your walls remains consistent over time and doesn’t drop below 50 degrees F (10 C) during winter months which would cause all sorts of problems like burst pipes or frozen pipes (which isn’t good).

Collect gray water from showers and sinks, then use that water to flush toilets and to water plants.

One of the easiest ways to reduce your water use is to collect gray water from your shower and sink drains. You can then use this water to flush toilets, or you can use it to water plants. You can collect rain barrels and store the collected water for future use.

To save even more money on watering plants, consider using soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems instead of sprinklers.

Get a rain barrel to collect water from gutters, and use that for plants in your yard.

A rain barrel is a great way to collect water from your roof, or from the gutters. This can be used for plants in your yard, or even as drinking water if necessary (though it’s not recommended).

If you have an existing garden and would like to grow more food, consider installing a rainwater harvesting system that collects water off of your roof and stores it in barrels or cisterns. It’s important that you keep these containers clean so they don’t become breeding grounds for mosquitoes!

Water your lawn and garden more efficiently by using soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems instead of sprinklers.

Watering your lawn and garden more efficiently by using soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems instead of sprinklers.

Soaker hoses are thin, flexible plastic hoses that have holes in them so water can leak out slowly. Drip irrigation systems use a network of small tubes that deliver water directly to the roots of plants instead of spraying it onto the leaves. This helps the plant take up more moisture because it’s not evaporating as quickly as it would if you were watering with a sprinkler.

Soaker hoses work better for plants that need less water (like some grasses) while drip irrigation systems work better for plants that need more water (like certain types of flowers).

You can conserve water at home in many ways!

If you want to start saving water at home, there are a few easy things you can do.

Turn off the tap before brushing your teeth. This is a small change but it makes a big difference!
Wait until you have a full load of dishes before running the dishwasher. This will help save energy and keep your machine working for longer too!
Only use your washing machine and dishwasher when they are full, or close to full. Not only will this save energy—it’ll also mean less water usage overall which is great news for everyone!
Turn off the shower while you lather up instead of leaving it running while you soap yourself up—this can save significant amounts of water over time!

Conclusion

There are so many things you can do to reduce the amount of water your household uses every day. You might have found a few on this list that you’re already doing, in which case—you’re on the right track! Keep up the good work, and keep looking for new ways to conserve. If this is all new to you, don’t worry; there are plenty of easy-to-follow guides online that can walk you through any of these tips if you want to learn more about a particular one. And don’t forget: it takes time and practice to ingrain some of these changes into your daily life. However, we hope this list has given you some ideas on what little changes can add up to make a big difference in the end.