Turn off the faucet
Did you know that turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth can save up to 1,500 gallons of water per year! There are many water uses, like brushing our teeth and shaving, where we can forget to turn the faucet off. This simple action can result in big water savings.
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Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
Turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth, shave or for other water uses is one of the easiest ways to save water daily. It may not seem like much, but when it comes to conserving water, every little bit helps, even during those few minutes a day spent shaving or brushing teeth. A few small changes of habit will help your household save gallons of water every day.
1Tips for saving water at the faucet
Turn off when brushing teeth. Once you have your toothbrush wet, you don't really need the water running while you brush. Turn the water off while you scrub your pearly whites, and spend that time reflecting on the amount of water you’re saving today, and annually. You can save up to 1,500 gallons per year for every person in your household that brushes with the tap off!
Turn off when hand washing. You can also save water when you wash your hands. If your hands are particularly dirty and will require a bit of extra sudsing, you can turn off the water while soaping up. Like a Navy shower, get your hands wet, turn of the water, soap up and then turn the water back on to rinse.
Use the bowl for shaving. While people often rinse their razor under the running tap, it’s really not necessary. Think about how your grand or great granddad might have done it. When you have to walk to the well for water, you find ways to be water conscious! Plug the sink while you lather up, turn the tap off, and use the water collected to rinse your razor. An alternative is to use a bowl if that is more convenient. This goes for all shaving—legs and all!
Save at the kitchen faucet too. This practice also holds for the kitchen and other faucets in your house. If you are hand washing dishes, fill up the basin or a bowl with water for washing and a second basin or bowl for rinsing. Using this method to wash and rinse dishes without running the water is the second most efficient method for cleaning dishes—saving you lots of water. The most efficient method is to use an Energy Star dishwasher with a full load and without pre-rinsing. Check out the Fill Dishwasher action to learn more. If you are hand washing clothes, the same practice applies—fill up the basin, let it soak, then rinse.
2Share tips and post a reminder
Adjusting your routine is not something you do every day. It takes commitment and reminders to incorporate a new habit into your life, however big or small. Helpful reminders from others in your household can make a difference! Share these tips with others in your household and help keep each other on track. You can also put a small sticker on the bathroom mirror to remind you to turn the tap off. Make it fun—set up a game and track points for water saved. The winner gets...
Extra Credit - Add a faucet aerator. Adding an aerator on your faucets can drastically cut down on water use without compromising performance. An aerator mixes air into the water flow, reducing water usage. Learn more on the Install Low Flow action.