Water-Saving Tips for the Kitchen.

green | August 3rd, 2009 - 12:37 PM

tapWater is a valuable and precious resource. A lot of water is wasted because so many people give little thought as to where water comes from and where it goes after they have used it. Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water is available for human use.

When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.

Use the least amount of detergent possible. This minimizes rinse water needed.

Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.

Do not use fresh tap water, use the old dishwashing water to quickly rinse food scraps off recyclable cans, bottles and jars. Rinsing does ensure that the container is clean and this reduces contamination, giving it a higher recyclable value. There are also health and safety reasons: animals are inclined to nuzzle through dirty cans, causing litter on the kerbside and sometimes injuring themselves; and all of your recycling is handled by people at some point, so ensuring containers are not full of old food and drink makes their job less unpleasant .  BUT you don’t need to waste water to ensure your containers are clean.

It is not necessary to peel labels off containers as they are taken out during the recycling process.

Instead of running the tap until the water is cool enough to drink, keep bottles or a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks, so that every drop goes down you not the drain.

Wash fruits and vegetables in a basin or a partly filled sink – not under running water. If you wash your fruit and vegetables in a kitchen sink half filled with water (approximately 9L) you could save approximately 35-40L of water as compared to rinsing them under the tap for 3-5 minutes.

Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or use the defrost setting on your microwave.

If you are purchasing a new dishwasher consider purchasing a water-efficient model.

Don’t rinse your dirty dishes under the running water before you put them in the dishwasher.  Some people just scrape them clean and let the machine do the rest, but you could use the old washing water.

Do not run the automatic dishwasher until there is a full load. Since a dishwasher uses approximately 35 litres of water per load, this can add up to a substantial saving per year.

Consider installing an instant water heater on your sinks so you don’t have to let the water run while it heats up. This will reduce water heating costs for your household.

Select the proper size pans for cooking. Large pans require more cooking water than may be necessary.

Designate one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water bottle. This will cut down on the number of glasses to wash.

Microwave, steam, or use a pressure cooker to cook vegetables. It will retain more flavor and use less water than traditional boiling.

Don’t turn on your faucet full blast when just a trickle of water will do.

Make sure to turn your faucets all the way off. If water continues to drip, make repairs or call maintenance as soon as possible.

Avoid using the sink’s garbage disposal to chop up food materials that can be composted. The compost can then be used around plants to retain moisture and help save more water.

Bottles of water. – Instead of running the tap until the water is cool enough to drink, keep bottles of drinking water in the fridge.

According to the EPA, the average person unknowingly wastes up to 30 gallons of water every day. Think about how you use water and how you can use it more efficiently.

For more tips on saving water

Real Recycling

Government of South Australia

The Good Human

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