Our home, the earth, is known as the blue planet because two-thirds of its surface is covered by (salt) water. It looks beautiful from space — a blue orb with swirls of white and patches of green.
However, the harsh reality of our times is that fresh water, which always existed in only small amounts, has become a scarce natural resource.
Years and years of overexploitation and pollution have led to a situation where a lot of people across the world don't have access to clean water for drinking, bathing, and cooking. And water is one resource we absolutely cannot survive without!
With climate change looming over us as well, the future seems bleak as of now and so it is important that we act on the present. You can start with your bathroom!
For many people, the day begins and ends with a refreshing, healthy, and soothing shower. However, not a lot of people think about how much water they are wasting whilst showering. One might sing, dance, think out loud, and cry in the shower — but does one notice if the water is running the whole time?
Unfortunately, millions of gallons of clean water are wasted every year worldwide in people's bathrooms. On a daily basis, most of a household's water is used for flushing and showering/bathing. It's thus no surprise that we desperately need to stop taking water for granted and start treating it like the precious, life-sustaining, and finite natural resource it is!
So, to conserve water on a daily basis, you can start to consciously monitor your water-utilising activities and make an effort to reduce your water usage every time you shower. A little goes a long way and every person's effort counts. In this article, we will dive into a few methods to save water in the shower.
Ways to Save Water in the Shower
According to statistics, an average person in the UK uses around 37.5 gallons (142 litres) of water a day whilst an average person in the US uses around 82 gallons (310 litres) of water a day. Sadly, not a lot of people are even aware of these numbers!
However, by being a little alert and careful in the shower, we can save a substantial amount of water both daily and yearly. Additionally, choose a shower over a bath as often as possible, since the former uses less water than the latter. Here are some ways you can conserve water in the shower and reduce your water footprint:
1. Take shorter showers
One simple way to save water in your shower is to take shorter showers. Uncomplicated, isn't it? Cutting down on your shower time is one of the easiest ways to conserve water. You can even try out navy showers as a way to use less water.
Try to shower in less than five minutes — time yourself!
Have shower thoughts? Think of them when the shower is turned off! This will help to conserve water and lower your water bill substantially.
You can even time your showers — try to shower in under 5 minutes and get used to it so that it becomes the norm for you. An average shower in the US lasts for 8 minutes, so it's a good idea to collectively drive down that number. Every minute that you reduce from your overall shower time is precious and can save a lot of water!
2. Turn the water off while you soap up
Another way to avoid water wastage in your shower is to turn the water off while you soap up. A lot of people often keep the shower running whilst lathering up.
Don't keep the shower running while you soap up!
Yes, sure, it can be annoying to turn the shower off with soapy hands but do it for the planet! After wetting your body and the bar of soap, turn the shower off and lather yourself up thoroughly. Then, turn the shower on to rinse off the soap. This will help you to save a massive amount of water and conserve energy.
If you have a shower head like the StoneStream EcoPower, you can simply use the Eco Stop button to stop the flow of water as you please and return to your preset temperature without any hassle. No more fidgeting with the valves every time you want to stop and restart the water flow!
3. Use a low-flow shower head
A low-flow shower head is a great way to save water in your shower. This type of shower head has a flow restrictor and uses less water than a standard shower head. Basically, it restricts water at the source and does the saving for you. Since a lower amount of water comes out of the shower, a lower amount of water is wasted.
A low flow shower head will use less water.
You can also go for eco-friendly, water saving shower heads that have an eco setting to conserve water (such as the StoneStream EcoPower, which reduces water use by 35%).
However, it's important that you don't extend your shower time drastically just because you have a low-flow or water saving shower head!
4. Don’t let the water run while brushing, shampooing, and shaving
This is similar to our point about turning the shower off whilst soaping up. However, we are going to include a few more bathing-related activities that you can pay more attention to.
Your shower doesn't have to keep running while you shave your legs.
Don’t keep the water running whilst you’re brushing your teeth, shampooing, shaving, putting on a face mask, waiting for the hair conditioner to do its job, or scrolling through your phone to choose a playlist. Plus, when you’re finished showering, be sure to turn the water off properly.
5. Fix leaky shower heads, hoses, taps, and pipes
If you have a leaky shower, it’s important to fix it because it can waste a lot of water! Isn't it extremely harrowing to think that clean water is simply wasting away through a leak? Each drop counts and before you know it you have wasted thousands of gallons of water a year.
Leaky pipes can be sneaky — keep an eye out for them!
Also pay close attention to other parts of your house and bathroom's plumbing — hoses, taps, shower accessories, and pipes. Nothing should be leaking, and anything that is leaking should be fixed immediately! Don't take a dripping tap or leaky pipe lightly, because you will regret it in the long run.
Avoid water waste whenever you can, and sometimes that means spending on repairs! It's also a good idea to clean your shower head regularly, as that will also go a long way in maintaining the product and thus preventing leaks and damages.
6. Teach your kids the importance of quick showers
If you have kids, it’s important to educate them on the importance of water conservation from a young age. One way to do this is by setting an example yourself and showering quickly (as we’ve talked about previously). Kids are observational — they will watch your good habits and learn from them.
Teach your child the importance of saving water in the shower.
You should also tell your children about the importance of showering quickly so that they are more mindful of their water use. It's best to time their showers as well, and get them excited about doing their bit for the planet. Make sure you teach them water-saving tips, such as turning off the shower whilst soaping up or playing with bath toys.
Plus, make sure you supervise the shower time of small children — for their safety and for the sake of water conservation concerns.
7. Cut down on hot showers
Hot water showers are truly glorious (are you into hot showers or cold showers?), but see if you can limit them to when they are absolutely necessary. Hot showers use a lot of energy, and this can drive up your energy bill.
Hot showers feel good, but make sure you aren't taking too long.
Additionally, people tend to spend more time in a hot shower, using a lot more water than a regular shower or cold shower and thus driving up the water bill. So, give cold water showers some love if you're interested in saving money and being water efficient.
Of course, it's a good idea to go for a water saving shower head like the StoneStream EcoPower which will ensure that less hot water is used overall, bringing down both your water bill and energy bill.
StoneStream EcoPower ShowerHead
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By following these water saving tips, you can conserve water in your shower and help to conserve a very important resource. So the next time you decide to indulge in some shower thoughts, make sure the water isn't running!
Additionally, you can make use of other methods to generally save water in the bathroom. Avoid flushing unnecessarily, don't leave the tap running for more than a few seconds, choose showers over baths, and do full loads of laundry each time.
You can even use a cistern displacement device or a toilet tank displacement device to use less water whilst flushing. Also, hang bath towels out in the sun to dry instead of putting them in the washing machine after every shower. Small steps like these go a long way!
Save Water with StoneStream
At StoneStream, we are all about helping you save water — and money!
And what's the cherry on top? The fact that our shower heads will give you a luxurious and elevated showering experience whilst saving water at the same time.
StoneStream EcoPower shower head saves water, money, and energy.
With our shower heads, you won't have to put up with low water pressure just to save water. That's right, our high pressure shower heads use less water than traditional shower heads. Now, how does that work? We'll explain.
StoneStream is known for its innovation when it comes to shower fixtures. Our eco-friendly shower heads have anodized aluminum shower plates featuring 250 laser-cut spray holes which increase the water flow velocity by up to 200%. Essentially, there is no increase in the actual water pressure in the pipes but there is a substantial increase in the speed of the water coming out of the shower heads. What's happening here is that less water is being pushed out at a faster rate and greater pressure!
Despite the increased water flow velocity, StoneStream shower heads are soothing on the skin and are even suitable for babies and pets. Our EcoPower shower heads reduce shower water consumption by up to 35%.
Additionally, the Eco Stop button on our shower heads makes saving water easier! A lot of people keep the shower running because they do not want to adjust the water temperature, again and again, using the main valves. But thanks to our Eco Stop button, you can return to your preset water temperature in a jiffy because the water has simply been paused in its flow! Thus, you can stop the flow of water every time you have to soap up, shampoo, shave, or simply change the song on your playlist.
With StoneStream shower heads, an average household in the UK can save £227 yearly on the water bill. Isn't that great? Undoubtedly, our shower heads are the most water-efficient option on the market. Plus, our shower heads are equipped with efficient filters that remove impurities from running water and soften hard water.
Check out our website today for high-quality shower heads and shower accessories that will help you save money and reduce water wastage. Happy showering, happy saving!
