Water shortage or not, we should all aim to practice water conservation at all times. Here are some easy hacks you can effortlessly do at home.
We don’t know what we’ve got ‘til it’s gone.
The recent water shortage affected thousands of Metro Manila residents—and with the summer months coming in, we don’t see it ending anytime soon. It’s a harsh reminder of how precious this resource is in our daily lives.
Water shortage or not, we should all aim to practice water conservation at all times; these efforts will not only lower your utility bills; more importantly, these will help minimize the adverse effects of having low water supply on our communities and the environment as a whole. Here are simple things you can do to save water at home, at school, at work, or wherever you are.
Instead of the shower, use a water bucket, also known as the well-loved tabo, when taking a bath.
You will be able to control the amount of water you use and concentrate it on certain areas at once.
Shorten shower time to five minutes or less.
Taking a bath is pretty straightforward: you shampoo your head, soap up your body, and then brush your teeth. You can probably a lot longer showers once a week for the much-needed full-body scrub, not when going to work on a daily basis.
Turn off the faucet while washing your hands, face, or brushing your teeth.
Turn on only when it’s time to rinse off.
Repair leaking pipes and faucets.
Even a small drip can waste 50 or more gallons of water a day.
Save the water used to wash rice or fruits and vegetables for watering plants.
It’s called repurposing and your plants will love you for it!
Schedule a laundry day.
Let your dirty clothes accumulate before washing to save on soap and water.
When using the washing machine, match the water level to the size of the load.
Better yet, always do a full load of laundry.
Re-purpose laundry water to flush toilets.
This saves you from using a flush that can be excessive at times.
Water plants when it’s cooler, like in the early morning or in the evening.
This will reduce water evaporation and will require less water to be used.
Avoid using running water thaw frozen food.
Thaw it the proper way and bring it out of the freezer an hour before cooking.
Wear your jeans at least twice before washing them.
Jeans, in general, don’t have to be washed too often. But for hygiene purposes, save the washing after the second use.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks and driveways.
The rule of thumb should be to not use water if it can be cleaned using other materials.
Don’t run the hose while washing your car.
Soap down your car from a pail of soapy water and only use the hose when you’re ready to rinse the car.
Steam your vegetables.
Steam your food to cut water usage and retain more of the natural nutrients.
If you do boil, try using the leftover water as a tasty stock for soups. Or let it cool and use it to water plants.
Catch rainwater.
Rainwater can be used to flush the toilet and water your plants.
There are a lot more than you can do but the bottom line is to be mindful of how you and your family are consuming water. Is it wasteful? Could there be a better, cost-efficient alternative? If so, act on it and contribute to the change. Not only will you be impacting the world positively, but it will also change your mindset about how your environment with the added bonus of saving on your water bill.
Sources: El Dorado Springs, Earth Easy
