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How to save water around the house

By Huddler's Green Home

Posted Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:59pm PDT

More from Huddler's Green Home blog

Turning off the water while brushing your teeth can save up to two gallons of water every time you brush. Here are 13 more tips from our community:

Fix leaks – this can save up to 10 gallons of water a day from one faucet. Fixing a leaky toilet can save about 200 gallons of water daily.
Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. This can save both hot and cold water (aerators can save up to 40%).
Take showers instead of baths. A bath typically requires 70 gallons of water, while a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons.
When you need to run the washing machine or dishwasher, make sure the machines are full (and when you need to replace them, go for a high efficiency washer).
When you need to water your lawn or garden, do not water between 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. Some estimates say that more than 50 percent of landscape water is wasted through evaporation or runoff caused by over-watering. Better yet, xeriscape (which refers to gardening with native and drought resistant plants).
If you pour yourself a glass of water and don’t finish it, instead of pouring it down the drain, find another use for it such as watering a plant.
Avoid flushing the toilet when you don’t have to – throw tissues, insects, and dental floss away in the trash instead of the toilet.
When you wash dishes by hand, fill one sink/basin with soapy water followed by a quick rinse under a mild drip from the faucet.
Don’t wait for the water from the faucet get warm before you wash your hands. It might be chilly but it'll still get the job done.
Instead of waiting for the tap to run cold when you want a glass of water, store a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator.
Don’t use running water to thaw frozen food. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or use your microwave’s defrost setting.
Don’t pre-wash dishes before you put them into the dishwasher. Scrape off residual food but then load them directly into the washer.
Save and reuse any cooking water (boiling/steaming) by adding to recipes that call for water (pasta sauce, soups, etc), or let cool off and use to water fertilizer-loving house- and patio-plants.

Huddler's tight-knit community of eco-minded consumers share their knowledge about sustainable products and services ranging from electric cars to organic toothpaste. This post was originally published at http://greenhome.huddler.com/wiki/how-to-save-water-around-the-house. Click here to participate.