Have you ever thought about the amount of water you use in your home? It may be hard to remember that water is a precious resource, and one of the most important resources in the world.
Being more eco-conscious and attempting to save water at home can help the environment in so many ways.
Wasting water also wastes the energy put into cleaning and distributing water into our home and additionally, a waste of money.
Only 2.5% of the water on the planet is fresh water, and just 1% is easily accessible as the rest is contained in glaciers.
Although water always goes back into the planet in one way or another, we still have 6.8 billion people on the planet that use and need water.
Not only that, but everyone uses more water than they actually need.
Some benefits of conserving water:
- Reduces the energy required to process, clean and distribute water.
- Reduces the amount of energy required to heat the water in our homes.
- Ensures we have enough water for future generations.
- Reduces water contamination.
- Saving water saves money.
Water conservation is incredibly easy and only requires a little of your time and effort.
The main thing is to just be conscious of the water that you’re using.
Once you’re aware of the water that you use and consume, you’ll be able to conserve more and help make a difference for our planet.
Here are 30 simple ways to save water in your home.
1. Turn the faucet off when lathering hands and brushing your teeth so you don’t waste water.
2. Use hand sanitizer sometimes instead of washing hands in the sink.
3. Shower instead of taking a bath. Showers use less water than filling up a bathtub.
4. Take shorter showers – try setting a timer to help you be quicker. I like to use a personal playlist to help me keep track of how long I’ve been in the shower.
5. Invest in a low-flow toilet to significantly reduce the water usage per flush.
6. Convert your existing toilet to low-flow for free by putting plastic bottles filled with sand or rocks in the back of your toilet. This will “trick” it into saving water per flush. Learn more.
7. If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down. You don’t need to flush the toilet every time you pee.
8. Use efficient faucets and shower heads that use less water and make sure they don’t leak. Leaky faucets will waste a lot of water.
9. Check your toilet for leaks to ensure you’re not losing and therefore wasting water.
10. Run full loads of laundry to make the most out of the water used.
11. Invest in a water-efficient washing machine that uses less water overall to wash clothes.
12. Wash clothes by hand if you only need one piece of clothing instead of starting up the laundry machine for a small load.
13. Don’t let the water run when washing dishes by hand in the sink. It wastes water and also dilutes the soapy water.
14. Switch to a water-efficient dishwasher that uses less water to wash dishes.
15. Use a dishwasher instead of washing by hand. Surprising, right? Dishwashers are able to wash a lot more dishes with less amounts of water. With that being said…
16. Only run the dishwasher when it’s full to make the water and energy used worth it.
17. Buy organic fruits and vegetables – less water is used in the production of organic fruits and vegetables, making it a great way to save water.
18. Don’t leave the faucet running when rinsing fruits and veggies. Instead, rinse fruits and veggies in a bowl of water. Use that water to water your plants!
19. Drink the water you boil vegetables in, if possible. I wouldn’t start drinking potato water, but for example, I really like to drink spinach water. Is that weird?
20. Steam veggies instead of boiling them. This conserves water but also helps retain nutrients from veggies.
21. Don’t waste food – water is used to produce the food you buy so wasting food wastes water. If you must throw food away, compost it!
RELATED POST: 30 easy ways to reduce food waste at home.
22. Check your plumbing for leaks to make sure you’re not losing any water. Check your toilet, shower head, faucets, etc.
23. Keep your pasta water – cool it and use it to water your plants! You can do the same thing with the warm-up water from your shower or sink.
24. Don’t waste water that you pour yourself to drink. If your water has gone stale in your glass, use it to water plants.
25. Water garden plants in the early morning or evening so the water doesn’t evaporate in the heat caused by the sun.
26. Catch rainwater and use it to water your garden. Use a rain barrel or set out some containers when it’s going to rain.
27. Water plants by hand instead of using an irrigation system as they can waste a lot of water.
28. Use a bucket and a sponge to wash your car instead of wasting water by spraying with a hose.
29. Use a broom to clean your patio and driveway instead of a water hose.
30. Check your water hose for leaks.
Final Thoughts on These Water Conservation Tips
If you start implementing these ideas for conserving water, you’ll help conserve this precious resource and lower your water bill at the same time.
Conserving water also helps reduce your carbon footprint, since by using less water, there’s less energy used and less pollution created.
Want more tips to help you live a greener lifestyle? Check out my post going green: 30 tips for an eco-friendly home.
You missed my favorite one. Don’t shower as often! I love lazy ways to save the planet.
On weekends, I rarely take a shower, and my husband has been showering every other day for years. Kinda gross, but not really!