Homeowners Tips for Having Fun in the Summer While Conserving Water
Homeowners try and cut costs wherever they can because maintaining your home can be expensive. There are additional costs in the summer months, because your water use tends to increase as you care for your lawn and garden.
It’s also time to get out and have fun in your own backyard, which means swimming or water play. You don’t have to let your extra water use jack your bills up.
With some attention and foresight as to how you are going to use your water this season, you can keep costs under control. Here are some homeowner tips.
Conserve Water so you can Have Fun
If you’ve got a greater seasonal need for water, you simply have to cut back in other areas of household use to balance things out. Cutting back is actually easy to do and every little bit counts.
In the kitchen, avoid running the garbage disposal. Use the garbage or composter instead. Only fill pots with just enough liquid when cooking. Even better is to use a multi-tiered steamer that lets you stack layers of food. You only need one pot of water.
In the bathroom, shorten your showers. Shut of the tap when you are brushing your teeth or washing your hands. Don’t put anything down the toilet that shouldn’t be there.
In the laundry, avoid extra rinse cycles. Use cold water cycles; ensure that your washing machine hoses are intact. A water leak here can be substantial.
Outdoor Fun Activities
If you’re cutting back with your ongoing water use elsewhere, you can have lots of fun in your backyard, worry-free. Here are some fun ideas.
Kiddy pools aren’t just for the little ones. If you have one that is big enough, there is room for the whole family. When you are done “swimming”, you can empty the pool on the lawn and do double duty for your lawn watering.
You can also add ice cubes to the pool and challenge each other to see who can keep their feet in the longest. Also, you can have a family water war, complete with water balloons and water guns, which is great fun for big kids and small kids alike.
Sprinkler and Hose Care
Get in the habit of checking out your hoses and your hose bib connections to ensure that there are no leaks. Cracked hoses need to be replaced.
It is more effective to use an adjustable sprinkler to control to flow of water more effectively. Plan to water in the early morning or late evening for maximum effect.