Did you know that according to Singapore Budget 2017, from July 1, water tariffs will go up by 30 %, to make up for the higher costs of water production?
According to PUB, water demand in Singapore is currently about 430 million gallons a day. Homes consume 45% and could almost double by 2016. Taking into consideration the demand of water and the 30% increase in water bill, you can start saving some water at the simplest and normal things you do, such as household chores like washing the dishes, doing the laundry or watering your plants.
Singapore’s online leading marketplace for home services, Helpling, has listed down 5 practical ways you can consume less water, while getting your daily household chores done.
1. Do laundry less often
Doing laundry is the second-biggest use of water in most homes. Rather than running many small loads of laundry, it is recommended to run larger, fuller loads instead. Every time the machine is used, you’re consuming water, so consolidating washes will be more efficient. Additionally, it is also recommended to choose a energy-efficient model that will save you gallons of water and energy in each load.
2. Limit the soap and water while washing dishes
Dishwashing is a common household chore that requires the use of a huge amount of water.
According to the New York Times, most people use 10 to 15 times more soap than they need. If you’re using too much dish soap, you’ll need more water to wash away the suds. Follow the instructions of the soap’s label to find the perfect balance of soap to water ratio.
Additionally, clean your dishes with the water in your sink instead of letting the water run the entire time you’re washing. Simply fill a sink with warm, soapy water and then turn off the tap. If your water starts to get dirty and greasy, let half of it drain and add fresh water.
3. Steam your vegetables while cooking your pasta at the same time
If you have a saucepan with a steamer insert that fits inside of it, you can cook rice in the saucepan and steam the vegetables in the steamer insert at the same time. Cook the rice in the lower saucepan and place the vegetable-filled steamer insert above that. The steam rises from the cooking rice and steams the vegetables. It takes longer to cook rice than it takes to steam vegetables. Thus, for example, if it takes 45 minutes to cook brown rice and 10 minutes or less to steam vegetables, don’t forget to remove your steamed vegetables early! You will not only save water and time on preparing your dishes, but will have one less dish to wash afterwards!
4. Don’t throw away old water
Water is added into the iron to produce seamless shirts and pants. But what happens to the water once the ironing is done? Pour the old or stale water from the iron into a spray bottle and keep it beside your potted plants. Your plants could really use a spritz or two of water every day.
Nice secondary effect: the plants will grow much better because stale water has more nutrients.
5. Use cold water to water your plants or mop the floor
Most of us prefer to take a hot shower, but what about the cold water that has gone to waste while waiting for the warm water to come out? Water wasted while waiting for it to warm up can be used in so many ways that make the most of a valuable (and expensive) resource rather than letting it go down the drain.Place a pail in the shower while you’re waiting for the water to eat up, and use the water you collect for watering plants, flushing the toilet or even mopping your floor!
Also READ: 6 wrong cleaning habits that you may have!
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