8 Easy Tips To Save Water In The Bathroom

Looking for some tips to save water in the bathroom? Try these eight easy ways to sustainably save.

Most of us are so used to the idea of always having fresh and clean water at hand, that we’ve forgotten how important it is to conserve it. Yet water is our single most precious resource. Without it, there would be no life on earth, and every drop most definitely counts.

If you’re looking to to do your bit to help conserve water, a great place to start is one of the most water-intensive rooms in your home – the bathroom. There are heaps of really simple water-saving habits you can adopt to significantly reduce your water usage. Plus you might save a bit of money in the process!

My Easiest Tips To Save Water In The Bathroom

Here’s what you can do to help save water in the bathroom, without too much leg work:

1. Turn Off The Tap When Brushing Your Teeth Or Shaving

Water comes out of the average tap at almost ten litres per minute. Don’t let all that water go down the drain while you wash your hands, brush your teeth, or shave! 

When you brush your teeth, turn off the tap after you wet your brush, and leave it off until it’s time to rinse. When shaving you can gather a bit of water in the sink and use it to rinse off your razor.

Similarly, when you’re washing your hands, you can turn the tap off after you wet your hands up until you need to rinse. These small habits soon add up and can save several litres of water throughout the day.

2. Regularly Check For Leaks & Drips

Another key thing to do is to regularly check for leaks and drips – including around your bathroom sink, shower, bath and toilet. Small leaks can turn into a huge waste of water over time. Don’t be a drip – make sure to fix them as soon as you hear any dripping sounds or notice any water where it shouldn’t be.

3. Install Aerators

If you want to take things up a notch, another thing you can do is install aerators on your taps and showerheads. These clever devices are easy to install – often without the need for any special tools – and don’t feel like you are compromising on anything.

They work by mixing air with water. This reduces the amount of water passing out of the tap, yet crucially doesn’t feel like less water is coming out. And as well as reducing water flow, which can reduce your energy bills too. Win!

4. Reduce Your Shower Time

Showers and baths usually take up most of our home’s water consumption, so one of the easiest things you can do to save water is simply limit your shower time. You can install a clock or timer in the bathroom. Alternatively, there’s no need to buy something. You could find a song that lasts about 5 minutes and get out when the song’s over.

5. Save Any Water Whilst It Heats Up

If, like us, you have a combi-boiler, you may need to run your shower or taps for a little while to warm the water up. One way to not let that cold water go to waste is to pop a clean bucket in the bath or shower to catch the water. You can then use that water to water plants or flush the toilet.

6. Opt For A Shallower Bath

Short showers are the number one choice to save water, but if you enjoy a bath too much to renounce them completely, then there are ways to conserve water in the bath too. For instance, you don’t have to fill up your tub completely. Instead, fill the tub halfway for a bath that’s still luxurious, yet easy on the water.

7. Install A Low-Flow Or Dual-Flush Toilet

One of the most efficient ways to save water in the bathroom is to install a low-flow toilet the next time you upgrade your bathroom. These modern water-saving toilets can save you as much as 60,000 litres of water a year.

Dual-flush toilets are another toilet to consider. These offer two flush options: a low-volume flush for liquid waste and a high-volume flush for solid waste. This choice can cut water usage in half.

8. Check What You’re Flushing

Lastly, it’s also a good idea to clue your family up on what you can and can’t flush down the toilet. For example, wet wipes, including those labelled as fine-to-flush shouldn’t actually be flushed down the toilet. By flushing these items, you’re not only using up water on unnecessary flushing, but you’re also risking major plumbing problems.

The only things you can flush are what’s known as the three P’s: pee, poo, and paper.

With regards to paper, this is specifically only toilet roll. Don’t flush any other types of paper, such as kitchen roll, as these can create blockages.

The Bottom Line

Water is a precious resource, and it’s important to save it wherever we can. Changing just some of our habits when it comes to water use, can save a lot of water, which is a win-win for the environment and can keep your bills low.

Do also check out my post on reducing plastic in the bathroom, which is equally important as saving water.