Skip to content

Top Navigation

Real Simple Logo Real Simple Logo
  • Food
  • Home
  • Life
  • Health
  • Money
  • Style and Beauty
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • News
  • Shop

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • My Account
  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Free Organizing App this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Real Simple

Real Simple Logo Real Simple Logo
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 7 Best Places to Buy Vegetable Seeds Online

      Because there's never been a better time to start a vegetable garden. Read More Next
    • 7 Must-Read Books by Black Authors

      Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and prepare to dive into a new title. Read More Next
    • A Guide for How to Measure Your Ring Size at Home

      There are three common ways you canĀ measureĀ your ring size right at home so you can finally get your ring measurement right, for good. Read More Next
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food

    9 Cheeses You Can Eat Even If You're Lactose Intolerant

    Not all dairy is created equal.Ā 
    • Recipes
    • Real Simple Cooking School
    • Cooking Tips & Techniques
    • Shopping and Storing
    • Kitchen Tools and Products
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home

    Easy Homemade Carpet Cleaners to Tackle Every Stain

    Made with products you probably have on hand
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Gardening
    • Home Improvement
    • Quick Fix
    • Real Simple Home
  • Life

    Life

    See All Life

    10 Captivating Podcasts for the True Crime-Obsessed

    If you’re hungry for stories of true crime, download any of these podcasts to get your mystery fix on the move.
    • Family
    • Entertainment
    • Technology
    • Wedding Planning
    • Travel Ideas
    • Adulting
    • Get It Done
    • Waste Less, Live Better
  • Health

    Health

    See All Health

    30 Healthiest Foods to Eat Every Day

    • Preventive Health
    • Mental Health
    • Health Coach
    • Crisis Coping
    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Sleep
    • Healthy Eating
  • Money

    Money

    See All Money

    11 Small Ways You Can Help Stimulate the Economy

    Your dollars may be worth more than you realize.
    • Money Confidential Podcast
    • Saving Money
    • Money Made Simple
    • Spending
    • Money Etiquette
  • Style and Beauty

    Style and Beauty

    See All Style and Beauty
    • Clothing
    • Skincare
    • Shoes
    • Hair
    • Clothing Care
    • Makeup
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining

    PowerPoint Parties Are the Socially Distant Party Trend You Have to Try: Here’s How to Host One

    Presenting a new way to party together—virtually.
    • All Holidays
    • Easter
    • Gifts
    • Mother’s Day
    • Passover
    • Entertaining
    • Father’s Day
    • Home for the Holidays
    • Come Together
    • Hanukkah
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Valentine’s Day
  • News
  • Shop

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • My Account
  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Free Organizing App this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Real Simple
  2. Home Organizing
  3. Green Living
  4. 8 Low-Lift Things You Can Do to Save a Lot Water

8 Low-Lift Things You Can Do to Save a Lot Water

By Real Simple Editors
Updated November 25, 2020
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Credit: Getty Images

Do you know how much water gets wasted when you let the faucet run while shaving, brushing your teeth, or hand-washing the dishes? Hint: It's a lot (like, hundreds of gallons every week). Or how much water is required to raise and produce beef? Without meaning to, you might be letting more water get wasted than is really necessary. So here's a wake-up call to eight super-easy tweaks you can make to both your household appliances and your lifestyle choices that could help conserve some precious H2O. The sooner you take note of what you might be guilty of (we all are, don't panic), the sooner you can alter your habits and start reducing your water footprint.

RELATED: 10 Smart Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen (and Save on Your Energy Bill)

Start Slideshow

1 of 8

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Turn Off the Faucet While Brushing Your Teeth

Think it doesn’t matter if you leave the water running while you brush? Brushing your teeth may seem like a trivial task in this context, but if you leave the water running while you brush for the American Dental Association–recommended two minutes twice a day, you’ll end up letting anywhere from four to eight gallons of water run down the sink each day, depending on the age and model of your faucet.Ā  And while you’re at it, remember to turn off the water while you’re washing your hands properly (for at least 20 seconds), shaving (only turn it on to rinse the razor), and washing dishes by hand.

1 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 8

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Bring Your Water With You

Buying a plastic bottle of water from the store may be part of your daily habit, but it’s not too late to change your ways and quit parching the planet. More water than what’s inside the bottle is used to produce and package that product. Each one-liter plastic bottle can take several liters of water to produce, when taking into account the entire supply and production chain. Refilling your own bottle directs the water where it’s needed―right into your body.

2 of 8

3 of 8

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

Credit: Getty Images

Low-flow showerheads can cut water use in half—maybe more. According to USGS, older showers use up to five gallons of water per minute, while water-saving or low-flow shower heads use more like two gallons per minute. If you take a five-minute shower using this type of showerhead, the showerhead would save enough water in a year to fill a 15-foot aboveground pool. Plus, you save on the water bill and on all the energy that would have gone into heating the excess shower water. Everyone wins. But, at the very least, even if you don’t install a low-flow head, you can work on trimming down your shower times.

3 of 8

Advertisement

4 of 8

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Install Faucet Aerators

Credit: Getty Images

Faucets account for about 20 percent of indoor water use and typically flow at twice the rate they should. Installing aerators in kitchen and bathroom sinks greatly reduces the water flow rate—and they can cost as little as two or three dollars per sink. Look for sink faucets, aerators, and other accessories with a WaterSense label, which EPA certified to use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute. This can reduce a sink's water flow by 30 percent or more from the standard flow of 2.2 gallons per minute. According to the EPA, “[r]eplacing old, inefficient faucets and aerators with WaterSense labeled models [or twisting on a WaterSense labeled aerator] can save the average family 700 gallons of water per year, equal to the amount of water needed to take 45 showers.”

4 of 8

5 of 8

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Choose Recycled-Paper Products

Credit: Getty images

Products made from 100-percent recycled paper require much less water in their manufacturing than do those made from virgin paper. If your family goes through four rolls of paper towels a week, choosing recycled reduces waste significantly. Better yet, use cloth dish towels to cut back on paper towel use in general (recycled or otherwise). Choose recycled printer paper when hard copies are necessary, or opt for digital mail, bills, and subscriptions when possible to save water.

5 of 8

6 of 8

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Water Your Lawn in the Early Morning or Evening

Credit: Getty Images

If you irrigate in the middle of the day, evaporation prevents a lot of that water from reaching the plants’ roots. Watering the lawn in the early morning or evening (typically the coolest parts of the day), and avoiding watering on super-windy days, small changes that could save gallons of water each week.

6 of 8

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 8

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Eat One More Vegetarian Meal a Week

Credit: Getty Images

It takes a lot of water to grow the grain to feed the cow that ultimately produces a hamburger. A six-ounce steak has a water footprint of 674 gallons, while a salad’s water impact is more like 21 gallons. A 2017 environmental impact analysis found that the omnivore's diet had the greatest water footprint (and carbon footprint) compared to vegetarian and vegan diets. Swapping just one meat-centric meal every week for a vegetarian option can save more than 3,000 gallons of water.

7 of 8

8 of 8

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Use a Lower Dishwasher Setting

Credit: Getty Images

The typical household will use six to 16 gallons of water with each run of the dishwasher. Contrary to popular belief, it’s rarely necessary to use the normal setting on a dishwasher or to rinse plates beforehand. The light-wash setting often cleans just as well while reducing water use up to 55 percent.

RELATED: Is That Product Really Sustainable? Need-to-Know Tips for Becoming a Savvy, Sustainable Shopper

8 of 8

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Real Simple Editors

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 8 Turn Off the Faucet While Brushing Your Teeth
2 of 8 Bring Your Water With You
3 of 8 Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
4 of 8 Install Faucet Aerators
5 of 8 Choose Recycled-Paper Products
6 of 8 Water Your Lawn in the Early Morning or Evening
7 of 8 Eat One More Vegetarian Meal a Week
8 of 8 Use a Lower Dishwasher Setting

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Shop | Real Simple Logo

  • Indoor Plants
  • Drying Racks
  • Smart Thermostats
  • Air Purifiers
  • Lighting
  • Terrariums
  • Herb Gardens
  • Vegetable Plants
  • Fruit Plants & Seeds
  • Watering Cans
  • Shop More Next

Real Simple may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on this website.

Real Simple Logo

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Media Kit
  • Content Licensing
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Real Simple may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Real Simple is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.realsimple.com

View image

8 Low-Lift Things You Can Do to Save a Lot Water
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.