Using Less Water

Do you have to pay for your water use? I do. Even if I didn't have to pay for it, I would still want to find as many ways as I could to save on water use. It is important not to be wasteful.

In this article, I am going to show you easy ways in which you can save water, and possibly money, in your every day life.

In the Bathroom:

1. Never run water while you are brushing your teeth or washing up. Get your toothbrush, hands or a washcloth wet, turn the water off, and then brush or scrub. When you are done, turn the water back on.

2. Limit your shower time. I can shower in about three minutes. I have very long thick hair, so it takes a while to wash my hair. I do not use conditioner on my hair. If I have to shave, I may take up to five minutes in the shower.

3. We flush a few times a day, when necessary, but not every single time we use the toilet. I swish the toilet every day to keep it from becoming stained.

In the Kitchen:

1. When I use the dishwasher, I use the shortest possible cycle for the job that needs to be done. I do not have a full-size dishwasher, I have a movable one.

2. I use two dishpans in the sink, one for wash water and one for rinse water.

In the Laundry Room:

1. I use the shortest wash cycle for everything, and have never had any cleanliness problems in doing so.

2. If an item needs to be soaked, I soak the whole load by running the water until it fills the washer, then pulling out the knob to stop the next cycle. I always add soap before adding water and clothes. I will let the load sit anywhere from ten minutes to an hour, depending on the stain. This gets out almost every stain that I come across without the need for a pre-treater.

For the Garden:

1. I reuse the rinse water for my dishes to water the house plants.

2. I use the water from cooking pastas and vegetables to water the gardens.

3. I keep buckets in drain-off spots around the trailer for garden use. This is the biggest money saver that I have in place. At some point I would like to have rain barrels set into place, but I will continue to use buckets until I can afford to switch.

4. I also use leftover water, tea and coffee from cups to water my house plants.

5. During the summer months, after working in the garden or walking, I will take a cool shower. I will only shower like this for a minute, just enough to cool off, and I always put a bucket under the shower head when I am not using soap. This water is also used in the garden.

As you can see, these are all simple ways in which anyone can save water and money during their every day lives. Water is another way in which savings can go a long way. Especially if you have to pay for its use like I do.