MILAN – Forgetting to turn off the tap whilst brushing teeth (39%) or shaving (33%), failing to repair a small leak (36%), watering plants in spare time (39%). As a study by In a Bottle shows, as many as half of Italian (51%) don’t think about saving water when carrying out normal household tasks. A few tips from experts and a practical guide to saving water.
Tips from the experts: a guide to how best save water
- When brushing your teeth, use a glass of water to rinse your mouth and don’t leave the tap on. This will use just 2 litres of water instead of 30;
- When washing your hands, don’t turn the tap on full blast, just a thin stream is enough;
- Use a bowl when shaving or put the plug in and use the wash basin, this uses a maximum of 3 litres of water;
- Installing aerators on taps reduces the flow of water (they are very inexpensive). For a family of four people, this can reduce consumption by up to 1000 litres per month;
- A shower is better than a bath. Showers use around 30 litres of water, and baths 100;
- Don’t flush the toilet for no reason. Flushing the toilet accounts for one third of daily water use;
- Fix any leaking taps immediately and save 5 litres a day;
- Don’t use water to chill fruit. That’s what the fridge is for.
- Dishes can be washed in a bowl. If you still use a dishwasher, only put it on when full;
- When using the washing machine, in addition to only using it for full loads, use the economy cycles and avoid pre-washes. Each washing cycle uses from 90 to 160 litres of water;
- It’s better to wash your car at a self-service car wash. It is strictly prohibited to use water from public fountains to wash cars. If you have a yard or garden, it’s best to use buckets of water rather than the tap and a hose pipe.
