Monitoring your water usage is a good way to save money and adopt a sustainable green lifestyle. Many people have bad habits that unfortunately cause wastage of water and in the end, increase cost of water bills.
Here are some daily habits that could unconsciously waste water, and how to overcome them.
1. Brushing your teeth in the sink
One of the bad habits that people often do is let the sink tap water keep flowing when brushing teeth, washing your face or shaving. Turn off the tap as soon as you start brushing your teeth or shaving. For gargling, use a glass of water in the sink instead of taking water directly from the tap.
2. Leaving the faucet open when washing dishes
Another habit related to the previous points is when washing dishes. To ensure water is not wasted, you can use a basin filled with soapy water to wash the dishes, and a basin of clean water to rinse the dishes.
3. Bathing
The longer the duration of your shower, more amount of water is wasted. One effective way to prevent water waste is to install a shower in the bathroom. Pay attention to the time you spend while bathing, and look for ways to shorten your bath time and the amount of water used.
4. Waste of water in the kitchen
Various activities carried out in the kitchen can unwittingly cause waste of water. For example when washing fruits and vegetables with running tap water. You can save the used water in a bucket and use it to water the plants in your garden.
Water is also widely used when cooking, especially when boiling or steaming vegetables. Save the leftover cooking water and reuse it as broth base to make curry or soup. Besides saving water, you will also get valuable nutrients from the cooking water!
5. Car Wash
Washing the car with a hose can cause water waste, because you don’t realize how much water is used when the hose is turned on. To be more efficient, use buckets and sponges to clean your car. Not only does this make the car cleaner, it will also give you good enough exercise while saving water!
6. Leaky Pipes and Taps
This is one of the biggest causes of water waste. Starting from pipes, faucets, toilet tank valves, to leaky water tank, all these problems would make your water pump works harder and heavier, which in time will make it breaks down faster. Not only that, the accumulation of leaky water can make your water bills suddenly skyrocket. Therefore, always pay attention to your home maintenance, and immediately repair any leaky pipes, faucets or toilets.
7. Watering the Plants
Having a beautiful, lush green garden is fun, but using the wrong technique when watering the plants can actually causes water wastage. In the dry season, you should water the plants in the morning because the sun is not too hot, so the water will evaporate more slowly. It’s a good idea to check the weather prediction on the days when you want to water the plants. This way, you can tell when it will rain so you don’t need to water the plants.
See, it is not difficult to implement preventive measures to save water at home. Apply these good habits in daily life for a lifestyle that is more environmentally friendly while also helping to conserve water.
