Save Water and Money with These Home Conservation Tips

The average American family uses nearly 100 gallons of water per day at home. And while those gallons of water are running down the drain, the price tally is adding up. Slash the amount of water used at home and save money with these easy conservation tips.

How To Save Water in the Kitchen

Don't pre-rinse dirty dishes before putting them into the dishwasher and don't use the 'rinse and hold' cycle on the dishwasher. Pre-rinsing does not get the dishes any cleaner and it just wastes time and water. Save 1,000's of gallons of water each year by scrapping plates clean instead of pre-rinsing them.

Turn your refrigerator's icemaker off and freeze ice cubes in a plastic tray for every day use. Icemakers waste water by constantly making fresh ice, so turn it off except for special occasions.

Conserve Water in the Bathroom

Shortening your shower by just two minutes can save about 150 gallons of water each month. Get the entire family on board and shaving two minutes off each shower and the savings may astound you.

Turn any toilet into a low flow toilet with this water saving trick - Fill a plastic quart bottle (recycled milk or juice bottle) with sand and place it in the toilet's water tank. Less water goes into the tank and less water is used with each flush.

Save Money in the Laundry Room

Using less water to get clothes clean is tricky, but you can pay less to the utility company for each load of laundry by washing during off-hours. Water and electricity cost more during the peak hours of 9am-5pm, doing laundry in the early mornings or late evening hours will save you money.

If you have a sink in the laundry room, check to see if the faucet has an aerator screen by placing your index finger on the end of the faucet where the water comes out. Feel a screen? If not, your wasting water. An aerator screen makes water come out of the faucet with more force so less water is used (kitchen and bathroom faucets always have aerator screens, rarely does the laundry room sink faucet have one). Aerator faucet screens can be purchased at any hardware store for less than $1 dollar.

Use Less Water Outdoors and Save Money

Here is a good excuse to take your vehicle to car care professionals to have it washed - the pros know how to use far less water washing a vehicle than we would use at home. If a hands-on detail washing is out of the budget, use an automatic car wash or one with a hand-held water wand to save water and money.

Water the lawn and garden in the early morning hours to save water. About one-half of the water used on lawns and gardens is lost through evaporation and run-off. Thoroughly soak soil twice per week before the sun has risen to conserve water and give your lawn and garden a deeper drink.