The 20-Minute Environmentalist – Part Three
Sweep your driveway, deck or sidewalk. This one just happens to be better for your health as well since you will get some exercise and spend more time outside getting fresh air if you sweep your driveway, deck or sidewalk rather than spraying it down with the hose. Not to mention, if you typically spray down your driveway once each week, you will save about 320 gallons of water each month by busting out with the broom instead.
Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. This little water saving tip won’t take you any time at all since brushing your teeth is already part of your daily routine. All you have to remember is to turn off the faucet after you wet your brush and you will save three to four gallons of water per minute. If there are four people in your household who brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day, you could save between 48 and 64 gallons of water every day.
Install a low-flow showerhead. Low-flow showerheads are easy to find online or at your local hardware or home store. They are inexpensive and you will recoup the investment through the huge amounts of water you will be saving every time you shower. Another great thing about low-flow showerheads is that they are easy and quick to install. According to the website, Water – Use it Wisely (wateruseitwisely.com), your family can save up to 500 gallons per week with this quick, easy installation.
Shorten your shower. Here’s another one that doesn’t take any time at all, in fact, it saves time…and water…and the environment…and money. How can you beat that? So, after you install that low-flow showerhead, save even more water (and more money) by taking shorter showers. If you enjoy a nice, long shower this doesn’t mean you have to give it up completely – shortening your shower by just one minute will save about three gallons of water, as well as the cost of the gas or electricity used to heat it.
Put a plastic bottle in your toilet tank. Okay, this one might sound a bit odd, but if you take an empty plastic water bottle and weigh down with some sand or small rocks, then place it in your toilet tank (away from all that mechanical stuff that makes your toilet work) you will save between one half to one gallon of water per flush. Here’s why – the plastic bottle will displace water so your toilet tank won’t fill up as much. This is a great water saving tip that will only take you about five minutes and is a great way to reuse one of those pesky plastic water bottles that you bought the day you forgot your reusable water bottle at home.
