Thrive and Save

Here are some ways to reduce your water use

Bathroom

• Instead of taking a bath, take a shower, but don’t stay in it for too long. Try to keep your shower short and set a timer to keep yourself on track.
• Turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your hands. Wet brush, turn off, scrub, rinse quickly. This goes the same for hand washing.
• Use a water-saving showerhead – this could save up to 2,700 gallons of water annually.
• Check under your sink for leaks every 6 months and fix any dripping taps as soon as you spot them. Replace any old washers in your kitchen and bathroom.
• To check whether your toilet leaks, put a couple of drops of food colouring in the tank, then wait for around 30 minutes. If you see colour in your bowl, that means you have a leak.
• To make your toilet use less water, you can place clean plastic bottles like the ones with cola or water, fill them with sand or stones and screw the top on tight. Place this in the back of the tank. By doing this, you will use a smaller amount of water each time you flush.
• If your toilet water is yellow, just let it be. If it’s brown, then go ahead and flush. You really don’t need to flush every time you use the bathroom.

Laundry

• Washing your clothes less often is a great way to save water and helps them last longer. Plus, when they make new clothes that uses a lot of water in the process.
• Try reusing your towels. Hang them to dry and use them two or three times before putting them in the washing machine.
• Save up your laundry and only run the washing machine when you have a full load.

Kitchen

• Use a bowl when washing fruits and vegetables. If you use a running tap, it wastes a lot of water fast.
• Soak your pots and pans in water first instead of scrubbing them under a running tap.
• Only boil the amount of water you need for making cups of tea or coffee. Measuring it out in a mug can help save water and energy, as kettles use a lot of electricity.
• Purchase the most energy-efficient washing machines and dishwashers that are in your budget. Every washing machine and dishwasher sold in the UK and the EU carries an energy efficiency label known as Label 2020. When you visit the shop or browse online, you can now see a letter. It goes from G to A. The higher the letter, the better the energy efficiency will be, therefore cheaper to run.