Saving water in the household: the best tips

save water
The best tips and tricks for the household

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In our daily life we ​​use many liters of water in the household. This is noticeable in the annual bill and also has a negative effect on our ecological footprint due to the hot water preparation. With our simple tips you can easily save water – see for yourself!

Water means life and is a precious commodity. There is no water shortage in Germany. In principle, it is therefore not necessary to strictly save cold water, but wasteful use does not have to be either! It looks different again with the Hot water: Here a responsible and economical use makes sense, because for Water heating energy required and that must be supplied in the form of electricity, gas, fuel or solar technology. Around 15 percent of the energy consumption of private households resulted from the production of hot water in 2019 (Source: Federal Statistical Office). In addition to the water consumption, the energy consumption is also noticeable – and not only in the Annual billing, but also in ours ecological footprint. In the household and in the garden in particular, there are a number of little tips and tricks to save water. We explain how to do it.

Save water in the bathroom

  • Showering instead of bathing: Sure, a relaxing bath every now and then is nice, but the bathtub should remain something special and nothing everyday. Instead, you significantly reduce water consumption when you shower.
  • Switching off the water when lathering: Whether in the shower, shampooing or washing hands – while we soap our bodies or hands, a lot of water is lost. The solution: just turn off the tap while you do this.
  • Use a toothbrush cup: A very simple tool can also reduce water consumption when brushing your teeth: the toothbrush cup has other functions instead of holding the toothbrush in place. Water can be collected in it for moistening the toothbrush and for rinsing the mouth, thus saving water very easily.
  • Economy button when flushing the toilet: 7 to 9 liters of water flow into the sewer every time you go to the toilet. A saving button can work wonders and reduces consumption to 5 liters, which adds up to a lot over the year.
  • Broken fittings: A dripping faucet or a running cistern are not only annoying, but can also drastically increase water consumption in the long run. It is therefore best to have the defect eliminated quickly and replace the seals.
  • Use mixing nozzles: Mixing nozzles (also called jet regulators) can be attached directly to the fittings and enormously reduce the amount of water flowing through. An economy mixing nozzle can reduce water consumption from 15 to up to 8 liters per minute by enriching it with air. The water jet still appears powerful and has the same cleaning function. Depending on how the domestic hot water technology is regulated, jet regulators are not always the best choice: For example, a water flow regulator is an option for a flow heater. Get advice from the specialist staff. Economy shower heads are also suitable for saving water. This is also the best place to get advice.
  • Single lever fittings instead of mixer taps: With mixer taps, it can sometimes take a long time before we have set the appropriate temperature – valuable water is lost during this time. Single lever fittings can regulate the hot water with one setting. Further savings options are fully electronic instantaneous water heaters, through which the number of degrees can be set precisely, or a shower stopper on the shower head.
  • Saving water when washing: According to co2online.de, washing clothes uses an average of 12 percent of water consumption in the household. There are many simple ways to save water when washing. So you can make sure to always load the washing machine full (not over full), to use an eco program or to forego the prewash. In general, it is not absolutely necessary to wash at high temperatures: with good cold detergents, cleaning can be achieved even at low temperatures.
  • Replacement of old devices: Devices with a good efficiency class and the “Blue Angel” environmental label are both more water and energy efficient than old devices. Compared to hydraulic water heaters, money can also be saved with fully electronic instantaneous water heaters.

Save water in the kitchen

  • Wash vegetables and fruits: A bowl full of water cleans organic vegetables and fruit sufficiently, the tap can safely remain closed. Then your plants will be happy about the leftover water. Unfortunately, things are different with conventionally grown vegetables and fruit: In order to remove pesticide residues as much as possible, we cannot avoid cleaning with running warm water from the tap. Then conventionally grown fruits and vegetables should be rubbed dry with a kitchen towel (the rubbing removes some of the pesticides again).
  • Energy-saving dishwasher: Also make sure that the dishwasher has a good efficiency class. Modern dishwashers even work with less water than hand washing. The device should be completely filled. It is not necessary to pre-wash the dishes, you only have to remove coarse leftovers beforehand. There are often efficient savings or eco programs to choose from. Short programs, on the other hand, consume the most water and electricity.
  • Note the procedure for rinsing: If you wash by hand, it is best to always clean a large pile of dishes in the sink. A running faucet, on the other hand, consumes valuable liters when cleaning. Wash less soiled dishes first. For example, start with glasses and then work your way up. The oily pan comes at the end – so you don’t have to change the water several times.

Save water on the terrace or in the garden

If you also want to save water on the balcony, terrace or in the garden, you can follow these tips:

  • Collect rainwater to water your plants: A simple option is, for example, a rain barrel, preferably with a lid. The lid closes on warm days and prevents water from evaporating or animals from falling in. On rainy days, the lid is put aside and the bin catches good rainwater. There are also water reservoirs for balconies and patios.
  • Don’t mow the lawn too often in summer, because it dries out faster in the short state and then has to be watered more often.
  • A Drip hose instead of lawn sprinkler brings more efficient irrigation and thus saves water.
  • Avoid high pressure cleaners: Even if they work efficiently, pressure washers use a lot of water. This can be up to 500 liters per hour. If you can avoid it, use a cleaning rag and bucket instead.

Saving water worldwide: a question of consumption

In principle, our consumption and, above all, food in general also contribute to global water consumption. Around 8000 liters of water are needed to grow the cotton for a pair of jeans. One kilo of beef contains over 15,000 liters. Cocoa and coffee top it all off: According to warvergleich.de, one kilo of cocoa needs 27,000 liters and one kilo of roasted coffee requires 21,000 liters. Accordingly, we can also use our purchasing decisions and sustainable consumption to control global water consumption.

Saving water made easy: conclusion

The many tips presented help save many liters of drinking water and energy over the year. In general, many small steps, such as turning off the tap when we soap our hands, can have a big effect. We can also pass this careful handling on to our children: This is how they teach from an early age how precious drinking water and hot water are.

You are interested in further tips on everything to do with the household: Here we explain how you can avoid rubbish, how you can make cleaning products yourself and how plastic-free living works.

Sources used: co2online.de, energis.de, utopia.de, destatis.de, Warenvergleich.de

Brigitte

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