10 tips to help save water at home and make every drop count
It's time for a Tap Chat about our daily water habits. Without realising it, lots of us are *literally* throwing money down the drain with how were using water around the home.
It may not seem like it, but a lot of work goes into bringing fresh water to our taps. That’s why it’s important to save water – rain or shine – so it’s always there when we need it. Here are 10 easy ways you can save water around the home. Most will save you money, and some time too!
These tips are part of something bigger. At Hubbub, we want to see a world where everyone makes choices that are good for the environment. Check out what we do and how your actions add up.
A leaky loo can waste up to 400 litres of water a day and can double the average family’s water bill. That’s a loo-t of water!
An easy way to tell if yours is leaking is to sprinkle flour against the back of the toilet bowl. If after 30 minutes the flour is gone without having flushed, you have a leaky loo.
A dripping tap can also waste a lot of water too. Let’s say it’s dripping at a rate of one drip per second – that's over 12,000 litres a year.
If you notice any leaks, get them fixed as soon as you can, it'll save on your water bill too.
The bigger the button, the more water is used so if you have a dual flush (a toilet with two buttons) always use the smaller button when you can – save the large button for number twos only.
If you have a single flush toilet, use a “Save a Flush” bag for your toilet’s cistern to save 1.2 litres per flush. Get in touch with your water supplier to find out if they can provide you one for free.
Leaving the tap on while we brush our teeth can waste a splashing 24 litres of water per day! Instead, just give your toothbrush a quick rinse at the beginning and end of the two minutes, and keep the tap off in-between.
Habits can be hard to break so it might help to have a sticky note on your bathroom mirror as a gentle reminder. And if you miss the relaxing sound of running water, you could always try a rain or waterfall playlist on Spotify!
Very few of us enjoy getting in a cold shower (even if it would help wake you up!), but maybe that water can be used for something else... like watering your plants or rinsing your recycling.
Keep a bucket, washing up bowl or watering can accessible in your bathroom so it’s easy to grab before you hop in the shower and catch those chilly droplets before the water warms up.
Showers make up a quarter of all our water use, so cutting down your time in the shower is a great way to start saving water.
Ideally, we’d need to spend four minutes in the shower... which most of us exceed! Why not challenge yourself with a timer or by limiting yourself to just one of your favourite songs? A tune is usually three or four minutes long.
Long, warm showers can also dry out your skin and hair, as well as adding to your heating bill (cutting your shower by 2 minutes can save £74)... avoid the dryness and itchiness by skipping some hair washes for dry shampoo.
Pro tip: get yourself a low-flow shower head! These use around six litres per minute, compared to a standard shower head, which uses 10-15 litres per minute. Get in touch with your water supplier to find out if they can provide you one for free.
Washing up using a bowl in your sink uses on average 50% less water than leaving the tap running. You can also use the bowl to rinse vegetables and fruit, give yourself a mini spa treatment, or soak and hand wash clothes.
If you have a dishwasher, remember to always fill it up before running, and experiment with the different settings available.
Many machines offer ‘Eco’ or ‘Economy’ settings that use less hot water and energy while providing the same quality wash as the normal setting. Strong detergent tablets and machines also mean you can avoid pre-rinsing – simple scraping off leftovers is enough. That's a triple saving, on energy, money off your bills and water!
When washing your clothes, doing one full load uses less energy and water than two half loads.
Wait until you have enough laundry to do one big wash, and in the meantime, if you need a particular item, hang it out to air, spritz with your own vodka + water spray (inspo here) or stick it in the freezer to kill any smelly bacteria while freshening it up!
Looking for an added bonus? Washing less will make your clothes last longer too.
With less predictable rainfall and warmer summer months, it pays off to think ahead to keep your garden hydrated.
Whether you want to improve the amount of water your soil holds, pick the right plants for your garden, or find out how to harvest rainfall, we've got you covered. Dig into our top tips for having a more climate-friendly garden.
There are a lot of water saving freebies you’re entitled to, but have you collected them yet? Most suppliers offer some free supplies such as a flush bag for your toilet or a reduced water shower head.
Contact your supplier to check what’s available to you or check out Save Water Save Money for a directory of water-efficient products.
Want to find out more? Check out Waterwise for more water-savvy stats.
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