Tightwad water saving tips: bathroom

It should come as no surprise that nearly 75% of indoor water use is consumed in the bathroom. Here are some Tightwad water saving tips to consider for cutting back in the place you primp up:
- All household faucets should be fit with aerators – this is one of the best home water conservation methods and is also one of the cheapest.
- Read the house water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak somewhere in your house that needs your immediate attention.
- It's easy and inexpensive to insulate your water pipes with pre-slit foam pipe insulation. You'll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water waiting for it to heat up.
- Simple and inexpensive to install water saving shower heads or restrictors can reduce water consumption (and heating costs) by up to 50%. Consider a low flow shower head with a shut-off button for even more savings.
- Did you know that a four-minute shower uses approximately 50 litres of water? Take shorter showers, or another way to cut your water consumption is to turn off the shower after soaping up, then turn it back on to rinse (hey, I heard this routine is good enough for Jennifer Aniston!). Even wilth all the water they use, showers use half the water necessary for a bath.
- Install a water saving device (such as a bottle filled with water and an inch or two of sand or pebbles to weigh it down) inside the toilet tank. Be sure to leave at least 9 litres of water in the tank so it will flush properly. Doing this will save an average five litres per flush.
- If upgrading your bathroom consider buying a low volume toilet, which use between 5-6 litres instead of up to 18 litres.
- Test for a leaking toilet by putting a few drops of food colouring in the tank and wait for 20 minutes. If, without flushing, the water becomes coloured, then you probably need to replace the rubber flapper valve - immediately. Most replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to install.
- Get in the habit of making sure you brush your teeth without the water running; there is no need to keep the water running while brushing your teeth (this personally drives me crazy). Just wet your brush and fill a glass to rinse your mouth. Along the same vein, fill the sink with a few inches of warm water to rinse your razor… this is just as effective and uses much less water.
Now we’re all clean and still have a semi-full hot water tank!