Water-saving tips that can help any household
LOS Ripping up the
ANGELES — lawn is the single best way to save water in drought-stricken California, but doing that can takes weeks, if not months, of consideration and planning. And then there’s the cost.
Many of us are just not ready to take that step. Even if you’re not trying to help fulfill California Gov. Jerry Brown’s executive order mandating a 25 percent cut in urban water use, what can any household do to be responsible about water usage, drought or no drought?
We’ve compiled walletfriendly tips for reducing your water footprint that go beyond ditching the lawn.
Water conservation expert Tracy Quinn of the Natural Resources Defense Council said that making just a few small changes to our daily habits can result in big water savings. “Every little bit helps.”
In the kitchen
Don’t rinse scraps of food down the sink after dinner. Scrape them into your garbage pail.
While waiting for the dish water to warm up, use the cooler stream to ... fill up your pet’s water bowl. fill the ice cube trays fill reusable water bottles or a water pitcher that you keep in the fridge.
But if you absolutely need hot water, consider heating up a teakettle at dish time and supplementing it with the cooler water right out of the faucet. (Rubber gloves are recommended.)
Got ice cubes left over in water glasses after a dinner party? Toss them onto the lawn.
Fix that leaky kitchen faucet and any other leaks around the house. That drip, drip, drip may not seem like a lot but could waste hundreds of gallons a year, Quinn says.
Not ready to spend big on a water-conserving dishwater, washing machine or toilet? How about efficient new faucet aerators and shower heads? Many cities offer rebates, and some may even give them away.
Your dishwasher is its most efficient when you’ve got a full load.
Some dishwasher models, however, offer a half-load option, which can be helpful if you live alone or rarely cook.
No dishwasher? Consider paper plates and cups if you’re hosting a huge bash. (Before you buy, find out which ones can go in your compost bin or your city’s recycling bin.)
In the laundry room
Wait until you have a full load before washing clothes ...
but if that is not an option, readjust the load-size control.
Stop and think about the age of your washing machine (and dishwasher). If they’re 10 years or older, they’re not as water efficient as they could be, says Ron Voglewede, global sustainability director for Whirlpool Appliances. The technology has changed dramatically. Newer machines “use significantly less water and less time, and less energy,” he said.
If your washing machine is old enough to drive, consider using a coin laundry. It just might save you money.
Use the Internet to check out appliance rebates offered by your water and energy suppliers.
In the bathroom
Place a cup and refillable water bottle in the bathroom for toothbrushing.
Don’t walk away while the shower is “warming up.” Be brave. Meanwhile ...
Position a sturdy plastic bucket or pitcher in your shower to collect the cooler water, then use it to fill a watering can for your potted plants, to clean the shower stall or to fill the toilet tank for flushing.
Aim for a three-minute shower. (Pretend you’re in the military.) Here’s the drill: Get wet. Shampoo. Condition. Scrub down. Rinse off. Bonus points if you turn the water off during your shampoo and scrub down.
Use this simple test to make sure your toilet tank is not leaking into the bowl: Put a few drops of food-safe dye in the tank, Quinn says. Give it 15 minutes. If that color becomes visible in the bowl, you’ve got a leak.
Don’t flush the toilet bowl just to throw away stuff, like a tissue.
Dear Readers: Here is this week’s sound off, about items rusting: “My sound off is about things that are supposed to get wet, but when they do, they get rust. I’ve enclosed a photo. (Heloise here: The photo shows a string mop, with a metal ring about a third of the way down. Rust city!) I have rust on my bathroom basin and washing machine. Whoever made these products, didn’t they know they would get wet?” — Kathleen H., Camp Hill, Pa.
Kathleen, I am as outraged as you. Call the manufacturers right now. This is absolutely ridiculous. The metal ring around the mop is rusting? Huh? Shame! Fight back. Call the manufacturer; take the mop back to the store. Don’t buy that brand again. — Heloise
Jewlery stands
Dear Readers: Here are some other items to use as a jewelry stand: A coffee-mug holder. A cupcake stand. A large frame with a screen in it.
A corkboard with decorative thumbtacks.
A small branch from a dead tree.
I love the last hint. Eco-friendly, unique and simple to do. Give me a can of spray paint, red or black, for my bathroom (blue for the guest bath) and I’m ready to create. Oh yes, don’t like the way the color turned out? Just