5 New Plumbing Trends You Need To Know
12 tips to save water (that don’t cost any money!) around the home
These days we need to be sure we watch how we use all of earth’s resources, being that I’m a plumber I feel responsible to provide all homeowners in Brisbane West with tips on how to save water to keep our community resources plentiful.
The QLD Government has a great initiative called Waterwise (check out the residential section here) which contains all sorts of great tips on saving water around the house. Below I have listed 12 tips that I feel are important for saving water in and around the home, here’s what you need to know.
1. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth
This is a simple way to reduce water wastage. Just turn on the tap, in the beginning, to wet the brush and toothpaste, and at the end to rinse your mouth. Better still, use a cup filled with water to rinse your mouth, this saves even more water!
2. Use a timer to limit the length of your shower
Set it for 4 minutes. Depending on the type of showerhead you are using, you can save between 7 litres to 25 litres of water per minute. Work this out by the number of people in your household by the number of showers they have every day and that is a lot of water to be saved just by cutting each shower by one minute.
3. Turn off the tap when lathering your hands with soap
There is no need to have the tap running while you are washing your hands. This also helps by eliminating germs and dirt better.
4. Wash vegetables and fruit in a large bowl of water, not under a running tap
By filling a large bowl with water, you can still clean all your fruit and vegetables with a minimum of water.
5. Collect the water from washing fruit and vegetables to use in the garden
Use the dirty water from washing your fruit and vegetables in a bowl to water your houseplants – no wastage!
6. Wash dishes in the dishwasher, not by hand
A dishwasher is a water-efficient way to wash dishes and uses far less water than hand washing alone – a dishwasher uses up to 15 litres of water whereas handwashing uses anywhere between 30 to 100 litres for the same number of dishes!
7. Only run the dishwasher when full – save on energy
Even though a dishwasher is a water-efficient appliance in itself, by using it only when full, you are using your water more efficiently.
8. Cook vegetables in less water
There is no need to fill the bowl with water when microwaving your vegetables. Just cover the bottom of the bowl and cover in glad wrap. This is enough to cook your vegetables perfectly and is a healthier way to eat them because using less water means more nutrients are retained.
9. Soak crusted pots and pans in water instead of scraping them under running tap
Soak the crust and hardened food before attempting to clean the pot – better still add some vinegar to the water and leave overnight. This helps lift off the grime and then wash as usual.
10. Wash the car or boat with a bucket and sponge, not a brush on the end of the hose
It may be considered an old-fashioned way to clean the car or boat, but it is an easy way to save litres of water, especially on larger cars and trucks
11. Water the garden more deeply rather than more frequently for a more drought-resistant garden
Deeper watering, especially during the hottest part of summer, encourages roots to grow further under the soil, which protects them from the heat of the sun, resulting in stronger and healthier plants.
12. Water when temperatures are less, early in the morning or later in the day.
By doing this, you will stop the water from evaporating and gives the water a chance to soak in and reach right through the soil and into the roots, encouraging healthier plants that can sustain the heat of the summer.
Every action helps you to save money on your water bill but also saves the environment – now that’s got to be good!
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