So here in Nashville we’re supposed to be using as little water as possible. Originally the mayor asked us to cut usage 50%, but our reserves are now low enough that we need major conservation efforts.
Sam Davidson wrote a great post on some good ways to cut back our water use, and I encourage you to read it.
Here are a few other ideas:
HYGIENE
- Paper diapers for the kiddos. If you are a cloth diapering family, switch to paper for now so you don’t have to wash the diapers.
- Shower alternatives. Skip some showers, or take a baby-wipe bath. I’ve been using Olay’s pre-moistened cleansing cloths on my face.
- Dry shampoo. I haven’t washed my hair in several days, and it is getting gross. I am thinking about buying some dry shampoo to keep me feeling human. My friend Annie recommends Tresemme’s dry shampoo.
- Don’t flush. Flush your toilet as little as possible. That’s a lot of water going down the drain!
COOKING/DISHES
- Reduce dishes. Find meals that require few dishes. Pizzas are great. I’m experimenting with roasting everything on a foil-lined cookie sheet and then eating straight off the pan. This has resulted in the discovery that I love roasted broccoli.
- Switch to plastic. Use plastic cups and plates that you can recycle instead of wash. I have to battle against my conservation tendencies for this one. I keep trying to wash the plastic knives!
- No pasta. Avoid meals that require lots of water. Pasta, rice, etc. may not be the best choices right now (got that one from Lesley!).
- No H20. In our house, we’re saving water for Ian and the pets. Paul and I are drinking juice and soft drinks. Those extra calories are worth saving the water!
- Find what works for you. I had to put masking tape across our dish cabinet because I kept forgetting to use paper bowls for my morning cereal.
Side note for those of you washing baby bottles: I emailed Sonia Harvat with Metro Water to find out the most efficient way to wash baby bottles. I had been hand-washing the bottles one at a time, but this is what Sonia said:
“If you have more than just one or two dishes, it is best to wash a FULL load in the dishwasher on the shortest setting. The best method would be to use disposable dishes and baby bottle systems that use a sterile liner such as the Playtex bottles.”
Apparently newer dishwashers actually use less water than hand-washing several dishes. But remember, the best solution overall is to use the disposable bottle liners.
OTHER
- Use a rain barrel. I don’t know how long these water restrictions will last, and I was hoping to start a garden this spring. My only hope for being able to water it will be the water I collect in a rain barrel. I’ve heard that rain barrel water can also be used for flushing toilets — just pour it into the bowl.
Okay, I KNOW y’all have some good water conservation tips, so please feel free to leave them in the comments!
You can also use baby powder on your hair to absorb the oil, etc. And wear it pulled into a scrunch when you go out.
You also might want to switch to diet soft drinks, since you’re already getting a lot of sugar in the juices. You don’t want your sugar levels to get out of balance.
If you have to run your water for a bit while waiting for hot water, catch it in a pot, old milk jug, etc. This is a good one even when not on restrictions. I try to remember this, then use the water for the houseplants.
Bandannas. I’ve got lots! I can’t drink sodas or juice, so it’s bottled water for me. We switched to paper diapers and man, that one hurt!! We haven’t done dishes in at least a week, except for Cora’s milk and juice straw bottles. No laundry either. Although I was hoping it would rain last night so I could wash some clothes with that. It’s pretty funky around here.
Some great ideas for saving water. Just a couple of thoughts – bottled water is still a healthy choice. buy something bottled outside of nashville. Also place a brick or a bottled filled with water in your toilet tank. It will reduce the amount of water used to fill the resuvoir. this is especially good for older toilets.
I ddrove out of county to wash clothes at a laundry. put liquid soap on hands/body and rub around before turning on water to rinse.