How to Conserve Water - Tips and Tricks

I bet you have heard it many times - save water... save the planet... But do we really do it? Well, this time I am determined. I will change my habits to save the planet (hardly), but to reduce my water footprint and most of all to give a good example to my kid. Who knows, he may save the planet one day. While doing my research, I found the "evergreen" rules for water conservation, but also came across some great ideas and tricks on how to conserve water easily. See what I have found and how we can save money by going green. If you have other water saving tips, be welcome to share them here.
How to Conserve Water (Beginners' Level)
Here are those tips and tricks on how to conserve water that are easy to implement. Neither money, nor time investment, nor special preparations are needed. It's just you and your conscious.

• Take shorter showers. I should confess I used to be a ten-minute-shower-person. I love long and hot showers. They are so relaxing especially after busy or cold days. But let's face it - more than 21% of the household water use comes from the shower. Not to count the fact that water may run unused till we wait for a good to us temperature. Nevertheless, I know I can reduce the minutes under the shower and start relaxing, let's say in a more efficient way.


• Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth. That's how you can conserve about 2 gallons of water per brushing.


• Skip a shave. If you still have to shave every day, just don't rinse your razor under a running tap, but fill your basin with little warm water.


• Do not wash your hair every day. I think this is not only a good how to conserve water tip, it's a good hair maintenance advice too. If you still feel the need to wash your hair every day, why don't you try a different hair cut or style.


• Run your dishwasher only when it's full. I used to wash my dishes by hand just because I thought I'd use less water. If you are like me, don't fool yourself. A dishwasher will save you about 10 gallons of water per washing and will use less soap too.


• Fully load your washing machine. It will save you about 3 gallons of water for each wash. A front-loading washing machine is more efficient than a top-loading one.


• Don't let the tap dripping. Fix leaky sinks and running toilets quickly.


• "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." Have you heard this before? This was one of the fresh how to conserve water tips for me. If you don't feel OK with this, why don't you try implement it during the night? At least you will not wake everybody up when you flush the water.


• Use the small flush if you have a dual flush toilet. It is sufficient for just about anything, and when it isn't, doing two small flushes is actually better than one big one.

How to Conserve Water (Intermediate Level)
How to conserve water has never been easier, but these water saving tips may require some financial investment. If you are as determined to go green and save money as I am, then they deserve at least your attention.

• Toilet lid sink. Frankly, this was a real finding for me on how to conserve water in the most practical way. When you wash your hands, water is saved in the tank and is used to flush the toilet next time. It not only saves water, but space too. Note that you can buy only the tank.


• Install a low-flow shower head and reduce your shower water use by 20 to 60%.


• Instant Off Water Saver.This is another "precious" how to conserve water trick. Practically, Instant Off controls the water. When you push the rod, water starts. Once the rod is released, water stops. This little water saving device is perfect for bathrooms, kitchens, garage sinks and RVs.


• Use waterless car wash. So, instead of using 500 gallons of water to wash your car by yourself or 32 gallons at the commercial car wash stations, go for the waterless way and you'll get your car shining like new. Learn more and see products offered at Eco Touch and Freedom.


• Collect rainwater from your roof's downspout in a rain barrel to irrigate your garden. In Colorado, there is a law that bans rainwater capture...., but anywhere else, this water saving tip may be quite valuable and save lots of gallons of clean water from being spent in watering the garden.


• How to Conserve Water (Masters' Level)


• Water recycling - greywater and wastewater reuse systems. This how to conserve water idea is of high difficulty and may require big financial investment. Greywater systems take the water from your shower and kitchen (never from the toilet) and redirect it to watering the garden. Learn more at http://greywateraction.org.

Now, knowing how to conserve water, you just need to start doing it. Water and money are both scarce resources. Let's save them thinking of our kids' future.

Nadia Ruseva is a mom, who in the search of some tips to raise her child healthy, found a whole new world of inspiration and ideas about how to be healthy and beautiful inside and out... about how to make a difference.