One of the greatest things you can do in your home to live greener is to save water. With these easy and practical water saving tips, you won’t even feel the changes, but you’ll definitely be making a difference.
Watch What Goes to Waste
Use the water you need – but only what you really need. When brushing your teeth or washing your face, don’t let water run down the drain. By being more vigilant in this way, you can save gallons of water a year!
Fix Toilet Leaks
Place a bit of food colouring into your toilet tank and without flushing, note what happens. If the colour can be seen in the toilet bowl within half an hour or so, there’s a toilet leak that requires repair.
Use Mulch in the Garden
Placing a layer of mulch around trees and plants helps the water get evaporated more slowly and boosts the soil’s ability to hold onto moisture. You can make your own organic mulch by collecting fallen leaves, grass clippings or pine needles and distributing them over your garden soil. A layer of dry grass that is two inches thick is also a great way to protect your garden against weeds.
Wash the Car Wisely
Forget keeping the watering hose on throughout the process of washing your car. Rather fill a bucket with soapy water and use this to scrub your wheels down. This can save up to 150 gallons of water! Only use the hose when rinsing off your car and go one step further by using a spray nozzle as this allows a more effective way of rinsing off your car with less water usage.
Use Your Grey Water
Grey water around the house consists of the water that usually goes to waste but actually can still be used. For instance, the full sink of water that has been used to rinse off plates can be used around the garden; excess water from hand-washing laundry can be used to wash paintbrushes, and so on. Grey water is also useful for toilet flushing and irrigation. This prevents a lot of water wastage, since grey water is the biggest contributor to water wastage. However, note that soapy water which contains chemicals should never be used on fruits or vegetables.
