By making a few small changes to your cooking and cleaning habits in the kitchen and laundry area, you can drastically reduce the amount of water you use without cramping your lifestyle.
Tips for a More Efficient Kitchen & Laundry
Give your dishes a quick rinse - not a shower
If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running when rinsing. If you have two sinks, partially fill one with soapy water and the other with rinse water. If you have only one sink, gather washed dishes in a rack and rinse them with a spray device or in a pan full of warm water.
Clean and cook food the wise way
When cleaning fruits and vegetables, don't run the tap continuously. Instead, wash them in a partially filled sink, then rinse them quickly under the tap. When boiling vegetables, use only enough water to cover them, and use a tight-fitting lid. Steaming uses even less water while conserving more of the vegetables' nutrients.
The coldest drinking water comes from the refrigerator
Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap until the water gets cool each time you want some. Be sure to rinse the container and change the water every few days.
Water should be the only thing that goes down your drain
Never put garbage of any kind down the sink drain. Cooking fat and greases, household cleaners, paints, solvents, pesticides and other chemicals can be very harmful to the environment and to your piping system.
Don't let your clothes get lonely in the laundry
Wash only full loads of laundry and make sure you don't overload. Use the shortest cycle possible. Use the "suds-saver" feature if your machine has it. If your washer has an adjustable water-level indicator, set the dial to use only as much water as is really necessary. Use only cleaning products that will not harm the environment.
Reduce water flow from your taps
Install an aerator attachment on your sink faucets and reduce water use by up to 25%.
One small leak can waste thousands of litres of water
Regularly check faucets, pipes, taps, hoses and the fittings of your washing machine for leaks and repair immediately. Leaks waste water 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can often be repaired by replacing a washer, which costs only a few cents. Always turn your taps off tightly but gently so they don't drip. Calculate the amount of wasted water from a leaky fixture.