How to save on water at home? 
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Increasing water tariffs from time to time logically make us think about how to save it. And if previously, without a meter, we all paid pennies for water according to consumption standards, but today, the amount to be paid will be unfairly high.
Without registered metering devices, the standards for water consumption by 1 person in each region are different and are within the following limits: cold water - 4-7 m3, hot water - 2.5-4.7 m3. In fact, these standards are much higher, plus all this includes an increasing factor in the payment, so installing meters is a reasonable solution for saving the family budget.
Installing water consumption devices will be unprofitable in the case where actual water consumption exceeds that established by standards. For example, only the grandmother is registered in the apartment, but she has two sons, three daughters and ten grandchildren… Or they don’t live, but go swimming, doing laundry, and generally wasting water in every possible way. By the way, the replacement of the water meter in St. Petersburg is being carried out by the company Sfera Ucheta - there is now a discount on a collective application.
So, let’s look at obvious and not so obvious ways to save water. First, let’s determine what consumes water the most.
Where is water spent in the apartment?
The largest amount of water is spent on keeping the body clean. This includes taking a bath, showering, washing your face, washing your hands, brushing your teeth, shaving.
Next comes natural needs - we flush our money down the toilet along with the water.
Some people do laundry once a week, but for those who have children, daily laundry is not a luxury, but a necessity.
Washing dishes improperly also wastes a lot of water.
Using water for drinking and cooking, watering indoor plants, etc. are not objects for savings.
Let’s look at effective ways to save water.
Shower instead of bath
Taking a bath filled to the brim consumes 150 to 200 liters of water at a time. Taking a “quick” shower will save water by more than 3 times. Proper “showering” will help you save water even more: wet your body - lather, rub - wash off the detergent. Thus, you can keep within 10 liters. But if you sit in the shower for half an hour, much more water will be lost than if you soak in the bath.
Faucets
Single-lever faucets allow you to save time when adjusting the water to the desired temperature by opening both hot and cold water at the same time. Of course, provided that there is hot water at all. Compared to two-valve faucets, savings average 2 liters. Insignificant savings, but if you count how many times a day we wash our hands or dishes, the amount of water is enough to take a shower.
Almost all modern faucets are equipped with aerators that allow you to cut the flow of water, mixing it with air. An additional sprinkler attachment for the kitchen faucet allows you to save water when washing dishes: the water is broken into tens of small streams, like in a shower head, and the normal mode (with an aerator) allows you to quickly fill a pan or kettle with water. Thus, the aerator allows you to wash your hands and dishes more efficiently with less water pressure.
Washing hands, brushing teeth, shaving
Without going too far from the topic of hygiene, let’s look at how to wash your hands and brush your teeth sparingly. In many restrooms in large shopping centers, faucets with a sensor are installed - you raise your hands, water flows, when you remove them, the water does not flow. At home, to save water, you also need to use this principle: open the tap, wet your hands or toothbrush - turn off the water, soap your hands, brush your teeth - turn on the water and rinse.
An electric razor is a worthy replacement for daily shaving. No water needed, lasts a long time, no bleeding. But if you like smooth skin, then when shaving wet, use a glass of water to rinse the razor. So, instead of 10 liters, 200 milliliters will be used. 50 times more economical.
The toilet is a source of money leakage
We all go to the toilet from 5 to 10 times a day, depending on our health and the influence of external factors. Every time from 6 to 10 liters of water go down the drain to flush the toilet. It will also be impossible to calculate the water consumption for flushing a toilet without installing a meter on it due to the fact that many of us are at work, at school, etc. But according to the standards of the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation, the toilet is flushed on average 120 times a month, which is from 720 to 1200 liters. What can we do to reduce the water consumption when flushing the toilet.
When buying a new toilet, you should give preference to models with dual-mode water flushing. One button of the mechanism drains the full volume of the tank (if you need to rinse seriously), and the second - only half, using only about 3 liters. In addition, there are mechanisms with stop draining - press the button once - start the water, a second time - stop it.
Saving water when flushing a toilet is influenced, albeit indirectly, by the shape of the bowl, or more precisely, by the hole for waste disposal. If everything goes straight into the hole, then less water will be needed for flushing, and it’s likely that you won’t even have to use a brush. But the disadvantage of such a bowl when used while sitting is that water splashes in unexpected directions, mainly upwards, just where it will not be particularly pleasant.
In European countries you can find a toilet combined with a washbasin. Thus, water after use in the washbasin is collected in a reservoir for reuse when flushing the toilet.
Installing a urinal is a significant contribution to saving water in the toilet. To flush a urinal you will need very little water - from 200 grams. But here the payback should be taken into account.
Many toilet models provide adjustment of the tank filling. You should twist the rod so that the float drops lower and the volume of water collected decreases. Just be careful not to overdo it, otherwise you’ll have to wash it off 2-3 times.
Based on the previous advice, if you don’t want to experiment with setting the fittings, you can put a liter plastic bottle filled with water inside the tank. Thus, the tank will be filled 1 liter less, but the flushing pressure will remain the same, due to the fact that the height of the water will not change. Saving - 1 liter with each flush.
It’s good if the toilet is used for its intended purpose, but it happens that various garbage is thrown into it, further increasing the consumption of water for flushing. In addition to the irrational use of water, there is a risk of calling a plumber soon.
Tough savings on flushing the toilet - flush 1-2 times a day as needed, go more in public places or to friends’ houses, collect water after washing dishes, after taking a bath…
Economical wash
The washing machine uses up to the entire household’s water consumption. In one wash cycle, up to 100 liters can be used, depending on the mode and additional options. Let’s look at ways to reduce water consumption when washing clothes.
- Buying an economical model. Before purchasing a new washing machine, you should read the technical specifications, which will indicate the time, energy and water consumption for each washing program. Preference should be given to modern models of machines that have a “quick” or “daily” wash program, as well as a function for automatically determining the weight of items loaded into it. Modern machines consume significantly less water (up to 60%) compared to old ones, since the demand for economical equipment is relevant not only for Russia and Ukraine, but especially for Europe.
- Fully loaded. You should not machine wash 2 socks every day; it is better to collect a whole mountain of them and wash them at once. The same applies to other things - we wash with the drum fully loaded (but at the same time taking into account the washing rules - colored-white, cotton-synthetic…). An exception to the full load may be the ECO mode, in which the weight of the clothes and the required amount of water are determined. Also, the quick wash program reduces water consumption by almost 2 times.
Advice for more savings. Water after washing clothes is quite suitable for flushing the toilet. If you have a 100 liter container for dirty water, you can fill it by simply lowering it and securing the hose from the automatic washing machine. So, instead of just flowing down the drain, the water can be used a second time.
Wash dishes economically
Few people like to wash dirty dishes, but there’s no getting around it. As they say, women wash dishes after eating, and men before eating. Let’s look at how to wash dishes so as not to go broke on water bills.
Hand wash
When washing dishes under the tap, the water must be turned on in order to wet the dishes before applying detergent and then to rinse it off. To save water and time:
- clean dishes from large food debris;
- sort plates, cups, spoons, forks, knives separately;
- if the dishes are “fresh”, not dried out, wash them with a sponge or rag with detergent and temporarily put the plates in the second half of the sink;
- After we have soaped and washed all the dishes, open the tap and rinse off the detergent under running water.
You can also use two basins of water or wash basins, closing them with stoppers. In this case, the dishes are soaked in the first basin, then soaped and wiped, and washed off in the second basin. However, it is still more effective to rinse off the detergent under running water.
How to save money when washing in the dishwasher
A dishwasher is a godsend for every housewife, thanks to which it saves time and the health of the skin on your hands. But, frankly speaking, the cost of washing dishes in a dishwasher is 2-3 times higher than by hand. The cost can include the cost of the machine itself, the cost of descaling salt, detergent, rinse aid, and dishwasher cleaner. But let’s look at how to save on water when using a dishwasher.
In fact, dishwashers consume little water - several sets of dishes will only require about 10 liters. Therefore, as in the case of a washing machine, the dishwasher should be started when it is fully loaded with dishes. After all, the same amount of water will be used to wash one plate and a whole set of dishes.
When buying a dishwasher, you should pay attention to its capacity - the larger it is, the more water you can save in one wash cycle. But we must also take into account the number of family members: for a married couple there will be no need for a high-volume machine, they won’t spend a week collecting dirty dishes in order to wash them at one time…
Saving hot water
Due to its cost, hot water supply is becoming almost a luxury. And it’s okay if you open a hot water tap and at least warm water flows. But often, just to take a swim, you need to flush dozens of liters of cold water down the drain. And then, it is unknown whether a warm one will appear. Therefore, it will be more economical to install a water heater - an electric boiler or a gas water heater. This will allow you to always have hot water “at hand”.
Defrosting food from the freezer
Defrosting frozen meat or vegetables under running water is a real waste. You just need to transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator 5-8 hours before cooking. You can also place frozen foods in a bowl of water overnight and they will be ready for cooking in the morning.
Helpful advice. Also, in advance, before putting it in the freezer, divide the food into portions, so they will freeze faster and defrost later.
Water leaks
A dripping faucet and water flowing in a small stream from the toilet cistern at first glance seem like insignificant losses. However, one dripping faucet can produce about 600 liters per month, and a faulty tank can produce up to 6,000! Therefore, if you notice leaks in plumbing fixtures, you should fix them immediately. This will save both money and nerves.
So, in order to save water in your apartment, you don’t have to strictly limit yourself. It is enough to approach some aspects of consumption wisely, change your habits a little and save not only your budget, but also a vital natural resource, which is becoming less and less on our planet.