The summer heat brings the need to use more water, whether it is watering your lawn and flowers or filling up the pool, overall use skyrockets in the summer months.
Here are 7 ways that you can save water, which will help the environment and your wallet!
1. Water at Night or in the Morning
Watering your lawn, flowers or garden is a must during the summer to keep your plants healthy and alive. However, it uses a lot to keep plants alive. While you don’t need to use less, it is important to use water smarter.
Watering and using sprinklers at night or in the morning is the best time of day to do it. Not only are these the coolest times of day, but they are also the times that will allow your plants to absorb as much as possible.
Midday is the hottest, and the water you spray will evaporate quickly because of the daytime heat. Cooler temperatures will allow for more time to soak into the soil.
Early and evening times are also the cheapest times of day when it comes to water usage, because they aren’t “peak usage” times, which will help keep your bill to a minimum.
2. Use the Dishwasher
This may seem like it doesn’t save anything, but dishwashers that are Energy Star certified are actually made to conserve water. This is much more efficient than washing each dish by hand because of the running sink. Washing dishes by hand can use up to 25 gallons, while using an Energy Star dishwasher uses as little as three gallons.
However, using the dishwasher only saves water if you run it when it is completely full. Running half loads will use more of it and cost energy, and will not save money or be efficient. Be sure to only run the dishwasher with full loads.
3. Go to the Carwash
Going to the carwash will save water because they recycle it. There are a lot of carshwashes that are cheap and quick, which will save time and money as well. In the long run, a five dollar car wash will probably cost you less than washing it at home and having your utility bill increase.
Washing your car at home can use up to 100 gallons if you do not have an automatic shut-off valve, and if you do it can still use 30 gallons in a 10-minute wash.
Commercial car washes recycle anywhere from 10% to 80% of runoff from the wash, so it is important to make sure that you are going to a carwash that does recycle.
This will keep your utility bill down, and also require less clean water usage, which is a win for you and the Earth!
4. Keep Filtered Water in the Fridge
Keeping water in the fridge will reduce the need to run the faucet waiting for it to get cold enough to drink.
Instead, keeping a large pitcher of filtered water in the fridge will keep it cold, easily accessible, and always ready for you to drink. It will also save you from buying single-use plastic bottles from the store because you can use it to fill reusable bottles when you’re on-the-go. Quick and easy!
5. Use a Rain Barrel
Using rain barrels is a great way to harvest runoff for gardens and other outdoor uses. Rain is free to collect and is great for watering gardens. It is easy toadd a rain barrel to your backyard, and can save many gallons over the course of the summer.
6. Keep Grass Longer
The next time you mow your lawn, raise the clippers up a level so that the grass is cut longer. You won’t notice much of a difference, and this will help your grass stay green.
When grass is cut too short, it requires more water to stay green. Keeping the grass longer will require less watering and keep your lawn looking green and healthy.
The lowest setting should almost never be used, because it requires the most watering in summer. It is recommended to set your mower to either the setting below the highest or at the one below that. The highest setting is best for extremely dry climates to prevent damage from over-clipping.
7. Use Public Pools or Waterparks
Public pools, rec-centers and water parks are a great way to cool off. They are also a great way to spend family time or meet people in your neighborhood.
by Home Advisor
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