greenliving

I’ve been recently trying to teach my 3 year old about saving water. Like any child his age, he loves to play with water and leaves the tap running for minutes on end while washing his hands. My 4.5 year old girl has already grasped the concept of saving water, so I figure it’s time my son learnt about it as well. The lessons are going well and with a little assistant to help, I’m sure he’ll get the idea fairly soon. But it’s got me thinking- what else can we do in the ‘water department’?

Some common water saving techniques such as shorter showers and low flow shower heads are pretty common knowledge. I’ve added some more to the mix:

-Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket- it really helps to keep the heat in.

-Set your water heater to 49 degrees Celsius.

-Install a solar water heating system in your home if possible- an easy, efficient way to heat water.

-Wash dishes in cold water- It may not be the best for your hands (and I do rely on gloves and long handled sponges); but your dishes get sparkling clean with it.

-Wash your clothes in cold water- Not all clothes require your washer to be set on hot-water setting. Cold water washes clothes equally well and saves you a lot on your electricity bill as well.

-If you must use hot water, use a front- loading washing machine which saves water.

-Hang laundry to dry instead of using a dryer. Because we don’t have the outdoor space required for a long clothes line,  I do use a dryer for my bed linen. But for all else, I always use my trusty foldable drying line. And I’ve notice my children, who as infants both suffered from severe eczema, have benefited from it too. No more harsh chemicals in the wash and no more irritants from the drying /fabric softener. We have clean, chemical free clothes that allow the skin to breathe the way it should.

Let me know if you have any more ideas on how to save water and keep your bills to a minimum!

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