Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

There are lots of ways to save water around the house if you’re willing to install things like low-flow showerheads, timers for your sprinklers, and energy-efficient appliances. But what if you’re on a budget and you can’t afford new household contraptions right now? Here are 5 ways to start saving water without buying anything:

1. Do as little pre-washing as you can when you place dishes in the dishwasher. It’s a lot more efficient to let the appliance do its job than to wash dishes twice. But only run the dishwasher when there’s enough for a full load. It’s not efficient to run a partial load.

2. Put leftover water to use. Instead of dumping the water you boiled the spaghetti in down the drain, let it cool, and then use it to water the plants. You can also water outdoor plants with leftover dishwater if you don’t use harsh detergents.

3. Check for dripping faucets and tighten them if necessary. A single drip from a tap can waste hundreds of gallons of water a year, and drips from hot-water taps waste energy too.

4. If you wash your car, use a bucket, and only turn on the hose for the final rinse. Leaving a hose running idly wastes hundreds of gallons of water.

5. Don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth. This sounds like an obvious one, but kids especially will leave the faucet going through the whole tooth-brushing process (and sometimes even after they leave the room).