You can substantially lessen your environmental impact, especially your use of water, energy, and chemicals, by making changes in the kitchen, bath, and laundry rooms of your home.
According to Environment Canada, each person in our country uses 340 litres of water per day. That’s twice the amount that each European uses.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Showers and baths use 35%.
- Food prep and drinking use 10%.
- Toilet flushing uses 30%.
- Cleaning uses 5%.
- Laundry uses 20%.
Tips to reduce household water use in the kitchen
1. Fix that dripping faucet. A leak at 1 drop per second wastes 10,000 litres of fresh water per year and costs you $100. This is one of the easiest repairs the homeowner can do.
2. Watch your dishwasher. Dishwashers use from 35 to 45 litres of water per cycle. Dishwashers can save water over hand washing after every meal because they tend to be operated only once a day. However, skip the pre-rinse cycle and scrape off food by hand. Be sure to wash only full loads as well.
3. Install a water-efficient faucet aerator. These inexpensive little gadgets reduce water flow. Those designed for kitchens allow more flow that those meant for bathroom sinks so filling a pot won’t take forever.
4. Keep cold water in the fridge. That way, you don’t need to run your water each time to get a cold drink.
5. Steam your food whenever possible. If you must boil your vegetables, use only enough water to cover the foods. Steaming conserves more nutrients anyway! Veggies can be steamed on top of potatoes, saving water and another dirty pot.
6. Clean fruits and veggies in a partially filled sink . Rinse them quickly.
7. Take foods out of the freezer early to allow them time to thaw. Thawing foods under running water is a waste.
8. Sink garbage disposal systems are water wasters! They may consume hundreds of litres of water each week. Consider composting.
9. Choose the right water-softening system. If you have a water softener, make sure it is the type that regenerates the softening agent only when necessary, not on a fixed-time or water-volume basis. A mid-sized system can use 350 litres every time it regenerates the softening agent. If this back flushing happens several times a month, it can add up to 10,000 litres of water wasted each year.
Tips to reduce water use in the bathroom
(NOTE: Since the bathroom accounts for 65% of the water used inside the home, this is a good place to conserve!)
1. Shaving: Save 10 to 20 litres of water when you shave by filling the basin instead of letting the water run.
2. Brushing your teeth: Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.
3. Turn off taps tightly but gently, so they don’t drip.
4. Take quick showers instead of baths. If you bathe, fill the tub only ½ full.
5. Install a low-flow shower head.
6. If you bathe, add the hot water first, then adjust with the cold water.
7. Flush the toilet only when necessary. Check for leaks by dropping food colouring in the holding tank. If it turns up in the bowl, you have a silent leak that could waste 45 litres of water an hour!
8. Place a large jar of water in the toilet tank to reduce water use. Be sure it doesn’t block the proper functioning of the toilet, however.
9. Do not use the toilet as a wastepaper basket!
10. Install a low-flow toilet. They have become a lot more efficient in recent years.
Energy saving ideas for the laundry room
1. When buying appliances, look for the ENERGYSTAR logo. These are the most energy-efficient appliances on the market.
2. Heating water: A family of four can spend $600 a year to heat water. Set the thermostat back to 50 degrees Celsius. This cuts heating costs 12 to 14%.
3. Insulate your hot water tank and pipes. Wrap your tank in a blanket and your hot and cold water pipes in foam insulation for the first 3 metres.
4. Turn the water heater off if not home for more than a day.
5. Drain your hot water tank a little every 6 months. This cleans out sediment for better efficiency.
6. Wash in cold water and save on your power bill!
7. Purchase a front-load washer. Front-load washers use 40% less water and 50% less energy. They also spin out more water, reducing drying time.
8. Remove clothes from dryer before they are bone dry!
9. Use a clothesline as often as possible.
Energy-saving ideas for the kitchen
1. The refrigerator needn't be too cold. Set your fridge temperature to 3-5 degrees Celsius and your freezer to –17 to -15 degrees Celsius. Your fridge accounts for up to 15% of your household energy usage.
2. Check that the fridge door is well sealed.
3. Keep your fridge efficient! Vacuum the coils in the back of the fridge and the air intake area below.
4. Use the oven efficiently. For efficiency when using the oven, try to bake more than one dish at a time.
5. Bake in ceramic or glass and reduce the oven temperature by 25%!
6. Keep the oven door closed. Peeking causes about 20% of the heat to escape.
7. Do not use a small pot on a large burner. Try to keep pot size and burner diameter similar.
8. Keep a lid on it! Only cook without the lid when it is integral to the recipe.
9. Keep metal burners clean so they reflect heat better.
10. Use a toaster oven for baking and roasting smaller meals. Smaller appliances mean bigger energy savings.
To Reduce Your Use of Toxic Products
Chemical cleaners and laundry detergents are polluting our waterways and our home environments. Most ingredients of household cleaners are not listed on the label. Anything labeled “ danger”, “poison”, or “ corrosive” is likely to be the most toxic and should be avoided. Products labeled “warning” could make you really sick but will not kill you. Labels stating “caution” are slightly toxic. It’s best to use natural products or purchase ready-made cleaners that are less harmful from companies such as Nature Clean, Citra-Solv, Down East, and Seventh Generation. These products can be found in the health-food sections of local supermarket chains, at health-food stores, and online. They range from around $5 for smaller sizes to $15 for large refill bottles. Anti-bacterial products should also be avoided as they are harmful when their ingredients enter the waterways. Also, avoid chlorine bleach, which can react with chemicals in the environment to create dioxin, a hormone-disrupter that builds up in our tissues.
Home-made cleaning recipes for a cleaner planet:
- Kitchen degreaser: 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in spray bottle or 1 drop of essential oil (from health food store) plus a sprinkle of salt.
- Glass cleaner: ¼ cup vinegar, ½ cup natural dish detergent, and 2 cups water. Wipe with newpaper for streak-free shine.
- Toilet bowl cleaner: ¼ cup Borax and ¼ cup vinegar. Let sit a few hours, then scrub.
- Soap scum, mold and mildew remover: Try making a paste with baking powder or Borax and water. Also try, straight vinegar, heated and left for 5 minutes before cleaning.
- Furniture polish: 1 cup of olive oil and a squirt of lemon juice.
