8 creative and practical ways to save water

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We've had one of our driest summers yet here in South Africa, and everyone could feel the drought. Cape Town is still under great pressure water-wise, and we see constant reminders to do our part and save water. This is something we can all undertake to do worldwide, whether it is to abound by water restrictions in times of drought or to progressively save resources for the benefit of the planet and all mankind. 

We all know about the most common ways to save water such as closing the tap while you are brushing your teeth, showering instead of bathing, etc. We at homify certainly hope that everyone is already adhering to these water-wise rules, but thought that there may be those who want to go the extra mile and who would like to save even more. For these everyday heroes, we have put together a list of a few creative ways in which you can save even more water, your wallet, and the planet! Let's take a look…  

1. Start with mindfulness

Saving water begins with a mindset, and however abstract and elusive that may seem, it will either make or break your saving solutions. Start by working out how much each of your water-related activities will cost in terms of litres, and see where you need to make cuts. This can be a bit of research-intensive work at first, but these days, estimates are at your fingertips on the web. You can even research the water footprint of your food, taking a look at which brands are more water-conscious and which foods take millions of litres to produce. 

2. Check all your faucets and pipes

Next up is a tip that's not so creative if you're a plumber, but certainly for your average homeowner. Make sure to check all of your faucets and pipes to ensure there are no leaks—however small—in your home. Even a very small leak of can mean litres and litres of water lost over time. 

3. Bathwater to soak dirty clothes

Now, we all know that showering, in moderation, is much more water-wise than taking a bath. However, everyone feels the need to relax in the tub every now and again, and who could blame them?! If you do decide to take a bath, however, make the water use count. You can do this by using soaking laundry in the bathwater after you have finished.

4. Timed showers

When it comes to showers, we all know that we need to keep our time short. This can be difficult to do when you have to estimate your time spent or set an alarm and hope you hear it go off! These methods leave you worrying about every second you spend in the shower and leads to an altogether unpleasant experience. 

Instead, why don't you play a single song or use apps like Pandora to time your shower and enjoy your favourite music?!

5. Bucket system

Keep a plastic bucket in the shower to catch the grey water which you can use for several other ends, as you'll see below…

6. Plants aren't fussy

Grey water is perfect for plants, whether potted or in the garden, and you can use water caught in your shower bucket of from the laundry to nourish them. 

7. A full load

Washing machines can be terrible water wasters—using up to 150 litres of water per day! We can justify this use of water to an extent by only washing when we have full loads. To write off any wastage even more, you can collect the grey water from the load and use it on your garden, or…

8. Grey water to mop the floors

… to mop the floors! Grey water is ideal for washing tile, concrete or laminate flooring. You will have a high volume of perfectly adequate water to clean the floors, ensuring cleanliness all-round at low-cost to the water bill.

Now that you're ready to save the planet and your pocket from water wastage, take a look athow you can have an eco-friendly home all-round, with this beautiful and smart house. 

Which of these tips are you going to start implementing today?

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