We have all seen our surrounding greenery dry out and lose its colour over the last few months. Such dry conditions create a much more serious need for saving water as a result of recent heatwaves and one of the driest summers on record. For some context, the majority of regions across the south of England saw the driest July since 1836 – when records began*.
People in London and the south-east may see a hosepipe ban until October – but by using some of tips below, listed by places in the home for convenience, we can all pull together to help save water for where it is needed most:
Saving water in the bathroom
As the bathroom sees a large portion of our water usage, here are some simple tips for cutting down on the amount we use:
- Take a shower instead of a bath when possible. When taking a five minute shower, you will use around 40 litres less than a bath
- If you do have to take a bath, try to only fill it halfway to avoid any spillages
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth – a very simple one!
- Hang up towels to dry straight after using. This will save washing them too often – plus they will dry much quicker outside during the summer
- Check pipework for leaks – in the unfortunate event of a leak in your bathroom, our plumbers are on hand to fix them
- For those who regularly use the sink to shave – try filling the sink once and using that to rinse off your razor, instead of a running tap
Saving water in the kitchen
It’s not just the sink in the kitchen that uses a lot of water. Many of us have dishwashers now too, which evidently use a high volume of water. Here’s what you can do in the kitchen to reduce water wastage:
- If you do have a dishwasher, only turn it on when its full. A half empty dishwasher is only going to see water going to waste
- Rinse dishes straight after eating – this will save using more water trying to scrub them clean later when food dries
- Try soaking plates, glasses and cutlery in a washing up bowl together instead of rinsing them one by one under a tap
- When cooking, try using methods such as grilling, roasting and steaming instead of boiling. Boiling food is the least water efficient of these methods
- Turn taps off tightly. Another very simple one that can reduce wastage by stopping any drips
Saving water in the garden
Keen gardeners may be disappointed to hear of a hosepipe ban – but fear not, there are still ways to continue taking care of your plants, just in more water sparing ways.
Here’s how to save water in the garden:
- Switch your hosepipe to a watering can – yes, it’s more labour intensive, but it will help to save masses of water
- When using a watering can, only water the soil close to the plants – this will help to reduce water wastage and stop unwanted weeds from growing too
- Consider installing a water butt – with some rain forecast over the coming days, you could use the rainfall to hydrate your garden
- Aim to water plants early in the morning or later in the evening – watering closer to the middle of the day often sees watering dry out much quicker due to higher temperatures
There are plenty of ways to help save water across your household here. If we all do our bit, we can help to take the strain off our water suppliers and begin to see more water available for all the things we enjoy doing. We hope you can make use of some of these water saving tips while enjoying what’s left of the summer!
*The Guardian
