6 Ways to Save Water this Summer

6 Ways to Save Water this Summer

ways to save water

Homeowners tend to use more water in the summer compared to other seasons. In fact, it’s estimated that water use is two to four times higher in the summer months. Conserving water is always important, but becomes especially vital during summer. Here are 6 ways to do your part and save water in your home.

Shorter Showers

Long relaxing showers aren’t something most people are willing to sacrifice. However, just a small alteration to your shower schedule can save serious money. Simply trim your shower time by two minutes and you can save around 1,750 gallons of water per year. This amount of savings also multiplies if everyone in your household participates. If a family of four shortens their showers by two minutes, that would save around 7,000 gallons of water per year!

Adjust Your Watering Schedule

Watering your lawn during the hottest hours of the day means a lot of water evaporates before it’s absorbed. This means using more water to keep your grass alive. Luckily, you can avoid this problem by adjusting your watering schedule. Water your lawn in the early morning or evening hours when the sun isn’t out. This reduces the evaporation rate, which means using less water to irrigate your lawn.

Visit the Car Wash

Instead of washing your car at home in the driveway, trying the local car wash. Surprisingly, it’s estimated that you’ll use 150 gallons of water to wash a car at home. What’s more, car washes only use 50 gallons of water per vehicle. You’ll save around 100 gallons of water just by visiting the car wash. Another bonus? It saves you the trouble of washing your car by hand!

Mulching

Putting mulch around your landscaping is an excellent way to save water while also upping your curb appeal. Mulch not only looks nice but also acts as a barrier between the sun and soil. This barrier slows down the evaporation of water from the soil, which gives plants more time to drink. The better the absorption rate, the less water lost, and the less water needed for irrigation.

ways to save water

Collect Rainwater

Summer tends to see large amounts of rainfall. Take advantage of the weather by collecting rainwater in a rainwater barrel. You can either purchase a barrel at your local hardware store or just use a large trash can. Next, place the barrel outside to begin collecting rainwater. After a rainstorm, you can use the barrel to water your yard!

Turn off the Tap

Being mindful of when your tap is running is one of the easiest ways to save water. People commonly leave the faucet on while they brush their teeth or wash their face. Since it’s estimated that 2.5 gallons of water leave the faucet every minute, that wasted water adds up quickly.

Dentists recommend brushing your teeth for a minimum of two minutes, which means you’re wasting 5 gallons of water every time you leave the tap running while brushing!

Saving water helps both the environment and your pocketbook. If you’re looking for easy ways to save water around the house this summer, look no further than this list.

Get the whole family involved so you can maximize your efforts and conserve as much water as possible!

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