10 Easy Tips to Reduce Home Water Usage

With summer temperatures exceeding 100 degrees in some areas, a long, cool shower is a welcome relief. However, the dog days of summer do not have to translate into the wasteful usage of water. Follow these 10 easy tips to help reduce home water consumption:

1. Check faucets, pipes, and toilets for leaks.

2. Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators, or simply take shorter showers. Soap up, wash down and rinse off.

3. Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush.

4. Use your dishwasher and clothes washer for only full loads.

5. When washing dishes by hand, don’t leave the water running for rinsing.

6. Don’t let the faucet run while cleaning your organic vegetables. Just rinse them in a stoppered sink or a pan of clean water.

7. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge. Cool water beats the heat and keeps us hydrated, but running tap water to cool it off for drinking is wasteful.

8. Use native plantings and plant drought-resistant lawns, shrubs and plants.

9. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Mulch will slow evaporation of moisture while discouraging weed growth.

10. Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.

Reducing home water consumption means money less spent on the utility bill. But perhaps more importantly, water conservation helps prevent water pollution in nearby lakes, rivers and local watersheds. Overloading municipal sewer systems can cause untreated sewage to flow to lakes and rivers. The smaller the amount of water flowing through these systems, the lower the likelihood of pollution.

Cypriana ~ the natural home store

Three Ways to Go Green This Spring!

Spring is a time of renewal…new plants are bursting from the ground, animals are giving birth to their young, and the fresh air and sunshine add a little extra bounce to our steps. That’s why this time of year is a great time to think of ways to bring spring into your life year round. Here are three ways to “go green” this season and throughout the year:

1) Use all natural body products: When shopping for personal care items, choose items that are made from natural plant-based ingredients. Look for these certifications – The Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA), Ecocert, BDIH, USDA Certified Organic, the Natural Products Association and the Leaping Bunny label – to ensure quality, all-natural products.

2) Trade in your current toilet for a water-saving model with the EPA’s WaterSense Label on it. These toilets use no more than 1.28 gallons of water per flush, dramatically reducing your home’s water usage each year.

3) Replace your table linens with organic fabric table cloths. Conventionally-grown cotton often contains pesticides which can be harmful. Instead, exchange your old cotton linens for organic table linens. You’ll find that they are not only healthier to use, but they are just as attractive as traditional fabrics.

With a little creativity and ingenuity, you can transform your life into a “green one.” You can feel good about your choices. Your neighbors and the environment will thank you.

Go green this spring!

Susan Thomas
Cypriana ~ the natural home store