23 easy ways to save on your water bill

Not only is water a resource we should conserve, it’s a utility you pay for unless you live in an area where you have your own well. There are a lot of ways you can save on your water bill. They may not all be things you’re willing to do or that work for you practically, but that’s okay – any improvement helps.

Showering and bathing

Showering accounts for about 30% of the total water use in most households. This is an area where you can really cut down on water use.

1. In the shower, only run water when you’re standing under it. Turn it off while you’re lathering hair, conditioning hair, shaving or soaping up. You’d be surprised how much this saves over time.
2. Consider using a leave-in conditioner so you don’t have to spend a couple of minutes’ worth of water rinsing out conditioner.
3. Try waxing, depilatories or electric razors to avoid using water for shaving.
4. Use a water conserving shower head and faucets.
5. How full does the tub really need to be for your bath? The truth is, you can get clean with just a small puddle in the tub followed by another small puddle for making sure all the soap is rinsed away. Use a cup to have a stream of water for rinsing.
6. At the sink: set up your routine so you can use cold water first. That way you don’t waste the water that runs while you’re waiting for hot water. For example, brush teeth and rinse your toothbrush in cold water before washing your face in warm.
7. Do you really need to shower as often as you do? Sponge baths can replace at last half your showers. If you feel like you splash water everywhere doing it at the sink, do it in the tub or shower: just run short busts of water and use a cup to rinse soap.
8. Don’t run the water while you’re brushing your teeth or washing your face. Even turning it off just a few seconds here or there really adds up.
9. Don’t put bricks inside the toilet tank, but do put weighted plastic jugs in there. This will displace some water and cause your toilet to use less water each time it flushes.
10. Only flush when it’s needed. Opinions differ on what constitutes “needing” to flush, but I think we can all agree there’s no point in flushing a little piece of toilet paper you used to dab at a shaving cut. It’ll go down the next time someone flushes.
11. A water saving toilet can be awesome, but some brands are better than others. It’s a false economy if you have to flush several times compared to a regular toilet. Sometimes the plastic jug trick can actually work out better.

In the Kitchen

1. Again, install water-saving faucets.
2. Don’t use the dishwasher – a small sink of soapy water will get the dishes just as clean (cleaner, in my opinion).
3. If you do use the dishwasher, only run it when it’s full. Buy a water-saving model if possible. Don’t rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
4. Scraping dishes just after use reduces the time needed for washing, however you go about it.
5. Instead of running the tap until water gets hot, heat water in a tea kettle.
6. Keep drinking water in the fridge so you don’t have to waste lukewarm water waiting for the faucet to put out the cold stuff.
7. Do you really like ice? I find I’m perfectly happy to drink water and soda straight out of the fridge. Give it a try. The less ice you use, the more water you save.

Laundry savings

1. Do you really need to wash clothes every time you wear them? Unless you have a sweaty job, the odds are most of your clothes can be worn at least twice before starting to look or smell at all like they need a wash. Some fabrics do better than others – you might be surprised how many wearings you can get from some of your clothes.
2. If you worry about them not smelling fresh-laundered, apply a light gardenia fragrance right to the fabric, just a dot here or there. When it reacts to your body heat, it’s amazing how much it smells like fresh laundry.
3. Always load your washer to full capacity. Don’t cram stuff in; just avoid doing loads that are significantly smaller than it can handle.
4. Do some pieces of laundry by hand – especially delicates and undies. Not only can this save water (especially since these are articles of clothing that need washed more often than the rest), but it can make them last longer.
5. If you’re buying a washer, look for one that boasts low water consumption. I can attest firsthand this will really, really make a difference on your bills.

Re-using Water

In any room of the house, it’s a great idea to reuse water where you can. For tasks where you’d normally run water (rinsing veggies, for example), use a dish of water instead – then that water can be used for plants. A small amount of water can be used over and over again in cleaning the house.

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Posted in Frugal, Going Green, Parenting on May 26, 2008