What You Can Do To Save Water in Your Kitchen
In the current and modern world, there is a considerable push socially to conserve water. With many places in the world experiencing drought and a large percentage of the world’s fresh water rendered unsafe to consume, saving water is becoming increasingly important. This means that every person should do their part to conserve water in their households. However, how can you do your part?
The truth is, in your kitchen alone, you can use upwards of twenty gallons of water throughout the day by just going about ritual tasks. This includes things such as washing dishes, cooking, and cleaning. The percentage of water you use can increase depending on the equipment you have, how quickly you perform these tasks, and if your kitchen is sporting any leaks.
Rest assured, there are ways to save water while still using the appliances in your kitchen and living your regular life. Merely follow these simple steps, and you can be saving water in no time.
Check if Anything in Your Kitchen is Leaking:
While the kitchen faucet dripping might not seem like it is wasting a vast amount of water, over time the cumulative amount can be more substantial than you might expect. A leak can waste gallons upon gallons of water every year and for no other reason than it is left unfixed. One of the easiest ways to make sure you are not wasting unnecessary water is to look for leaks and then fix them upon finding them.
Without even needing to make extensive changes to your daily schedule or the way you perform tasks, fixing this sort of problem can significantly lower the amount of unnecessarily wasted water. While it may not seem like much water saved on an individual level, imagine if one hundred households in your area also fixed leaking taps. Suddenly, the amount of water saved has dramatically increased.
Make Sure You Purchase Eco-Friendly Appliances:
Older models of dishwashers are particularly inefficient for wasting water. They could use upwards of twenty gallons of water just for one wash-cycle. Purchasing green appliances can considerably help reduce the amount of water you are using. In fact, some new dishwashers can cut down the number of gallons they use down to less than six per load. It is a dramatic difference and should you need to do more than one load a day, the number of gallons begins to matter.
With these thoughts in mind, you can even think smaller than an appliance like a dishwasher. Consider buying a higher quality garbage disposal that is less likely to jam frequently. In doing so, you will not need to use so much water while trying to unclog it. Using foresight to predict the issues that you may encounter which can require water as a solution, you can make educated choices to buy appliances that can waste less.
Load Dishes in Your Washer as You Use Them:
Instead of washing just a few dishes here or there, load them inside of the dishwasher as you use them. Once it is full, turn it on and wash them all at once. This is especially a good solution for people who live by themselves. Instead of using water to wash a few dishes every day by hand, loading the dishwasher as you go can make sure that you are using a lesser sum of water every day.
Keep a Container of Drinking Water in Your Refrigerator:
Keeping a container of water in your fridge to drink cold is much less wasteful than running to tap to get the water to a cold temperature that you would like to consume. This is especially useful in the summertime when it is hot, and you want to drink water that is much cooler than room temperature. Additionally, drinking chilled water is much less wasteful than using water to make ice cubes as it is already at the desired temperature.
Reuse Water When Applicable:
Whenever you can, reuse water that comes from your kitchen. When cooking, do not salt pasta water. Using unsalted water makes it so you can reuse it for plants. Similarly, if you turn on your tap and you need hot water, catch the water that falls as it heats up. You can use this water for pets, watering plants, or even drinking. Whenever you wonder why water is draining down your sink as you are running the faucet, try to think of a way to use this water.
- Drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water.
- Do not fill a sink with water to defrost frozen meats or foods. Instead, let it slow defrost in your refrigerator or use the defrost setting on your microwave.
- Steam whenever you can while cooking as it takes much less water than boiling.
In conclusion, saving water is easy and straightforward. By buying eco-friendly appliances and being conscious about the water you use in your kitchen, you can be saving water in no time. With some determination and changes to your daily routine, you can start saving water immediately.