Save Hot Water with Low Flow Showerhead

This tip is one we stumbled on by accident. We lived in an apartment with TERRIBLE water pressure. A small stream would eventually turn into a dribble, and we'd put the seasonal call in to our landlady. She'd send a plumber over every couple of months to temporarily fix it. Awful.

So we found this low-flow shower head for about 10 bucks. Ahhh, the joy of real water pressure. Like holding your thumb over the garden hose, this baby shoots water out in a stream strong enough to really rinse. It even has a "hold" button, for hard-core water savings. You can pause the water while you lather, then start it up again without having to reconfigure the hot/cold ratio.

I wish I could say I use that button, but I am not that much of a conservationist of water. In fact, one of my big vices is the long shower. Now, however, I can take the occasional long shower with less guilt, knowing I am wasting much less water.

Flush less water down the drain

Older toilets (made before 1998) use a lot of unnecessary water. We have an older toilet, and eventually, we will replace it. Until then, though, we've cut our water usage by putting plastic bottles filled with water in the tank. Some people used bricks in the past, but they will decompose and eventually cause plumbing problems.

The plastic bottles in our tank once held 64 oz. of juice, but now they hold 64 oz. of water. They are rectangular and fit perfectly inside the tank. (Be sure to clear all the moving parts, or the bottle will hinder the flush.) Since we have two in our tank, we are saving a gallon of water with every flush.

Some companies sell bags of water that hang inside your tank, which works the same way as the bottle, only they are mounted to the side. Using old plastic bottles works fine for us, and it's free. If you fill them with bathwater, you aren't even wasting water to do it. Or fill it with tap water and use it as emergency back up.

Add Water to Use It Up

Get into the habit of adding water to your nearly empty jars of tomato sauce, soups, etc. to get the last bit out. This also helps with clean up if you are saving the container, as it will remove the otherwise stubborn bits that are hard to reach. (Here are some ideas for what to do with that last bit of spaghetti sauce, for example.)

You can add a bit of water to condiments as well. Part of the reason it's so hard to get out the last bit of ketchup from the container is it is thicker, since evaporation has taken place. Add water to put it back to the right consistency. If you add too much, use it as an ingredient in some recipe.

The last of the shampoo, conditioner, liquid laundry soap and dishwashing soap can be used by adding water. You'll be adding water to these in the process of using them anyway. This way, you can go just a little longer before you have to get a new bottle. I remember reading once that shampoo actually works better when diluted to 50% water.

Water Your Plants with Bathwater

Use your old bathwater to water houseplants, or non-food producing plants in your landscape.

You will need to use a soap that is safe for your plants. We like Dr. Bronners. Or, if you are taking a hot relaxing bath, add epsom salts, the plants love it.

Let your bathwater cool to room temperature. Ideally, let it sit for 24 hours, to allow the chlorine to evaporate out (plants don't like chlorine).