How to Save Water in the Shower

With the whole family having at least one shower a day it is very easy to get through a lot of water. This is both bad for the environment and bad for your pocket. Here are Top Ten ways to save water in the shower and still end up cleaner than when you started!

 Ten ways to Save Water in the Shower:

1. Spend less Time in the Shower: This is a no brainer since a typical unregulated shower head will use over 2 gallons of water a minute…the longer you are in there the more you will use. If you stay in the shower for more than 10 minutes then you will have used up the same amount of water as a bath. Aim to spend a maximum of 3 minutes in the shower
2. Have a Cold Shower: This is great in the summer since it will make sure you only spend 3 minutes in the shower and will also save the cost of the hot water.
3. Pee in the Shower: Save 2 gallons of water by having a pee in the shower instead of using the toilet first. (Bonus Frugal Tip…learn to pee on your feet if you get Athlete’s Foot and this will help it clear up)
4. Find a Quick way to get the water to the Right Temperature: Running the shower before you get in wastes a lot of water….around a bucket a minute. There are two solutions a) Keep a bucket in the shower to collect the clean water and then use it to flush the toilet or water the garden b) Turn the regulator to HOT so that you get the water up to temperature as quickly as possible then turn it straight back to NORMAL in order to avoid burning yourself.
5. Fit a Water Saving Gizmo in the Shower Head: There are all sorts of little perforated plastic or metal fittings that you can buy from the DIY store specifically designed to restrict the flow of water through the shower head. These are great and can reduce the amount of water you use by up to 50%…and no, that doesn’t mean that you can spend twice as long in the shower!
6. Put a Waterproof Clock or Timer in the Shower: Use this as a reminder….a 3 minute shower is the target.
7. Make a Sign for your Visitors: When you have visitors staying make sure that they know your House Rules. Make a neat sign to put in the shower to remind them how much water the shower uses and clearly state the target time of 3 minutes.
8. Share a Shower: If your shower is large enough then it makes sense for two people to shower at the same time. Aim for 4 or 5 minutes together which will save another 2 or 3 gallons….but don’t get distracted!
9. Keep a Record: Track how many showers you have a day and how long you spend. By keeping a record you will really become aware of how much water you are wasting. Unless you are doing really dirty manual work or loads of exercise then you really only need one shower a day. When I was a kid we were only allowed one bath a week!
10. Have a Stinky Day: In fact, if you have done nothing special all day then you don’t necessarily need a shower. Try to break the habit of just jumping into the shower every day and just take the shower when you need it. Saves water, saves heating the water, saves soap and will improve your skin & hair condition as too much washing is actually bad for you.

Aim to take a 3 minute shower....but only when you need to!

Frugal Tip from the MeanyGoat…..Water is a scarce resource and much of the world doesn’t have enough to drink so please learn to save water in the shower….this is good for the environment, good for your conscience and great for your pocket! What ideas do you have that will help save water in the shower????? Please add your comments!