Turn Off the Water While Brushing Your Teeth
If you’re among the nearly half of Americans who leave the water open while you brush your teeth, here are two good reasons to change your habit.
As Rachel Chang reports on Money , turning on the mixer just to wet your toothbrush (and then turning it off while brushing) can benefit both the environment and your bottom line:
Every time someone leaves the water open while cleaning, four gallons of water (weighing 8.34 pounds) goes down the drain. While it might be hard to imagine, imagine it this way: A family of four who diligently turns off the tap every time they brush their teeth will save 11,000 gallons of water a year – more than the average monthly water usage.
So, by doing this simple step, that household could cut water use from 12 months to 10 and a half months, saving 13 percent on water bills – about $ 65 per year for the average household, as stated by David LaFrance, CEO of American the Plumbing Works Association explained.
I already know that saving $ 65 a year isn’t too much money, so don’t @ me. But it’s worth considering reducing your family’s water consumption by 11,000 gallons a year.
I also know that many of us already turn off the water when we brush our teeth. I was taught how to brush my teeth, and I suspect many millennials have had a similar experience. One of our Lifehacker editors, for example, learned about the environmental benefits of waterless teeth brushing on public television:
But according to a Red Fuse Communications poll, 42 percent of Americans still leave running water while brushing their teeth. That’s a lot of water going straight down the drain.
Of course, the next step after learning how to use the mixer only when you need to wet or rinse your toothbrush is to learn to use the shower only when you need to wet or rinse your body. According to the EPA, the average household uses about 40 gallons of water a day to shower, so using a sea shower can save even more water than Barney’s preferred brushing method.
Don’t want to go that far, even for the sake of Earth? This is fair. I haven’t started taking naval showers yet. But I keep thinking about it, which means I’ll probably try it eventually. From my point of view, the big difference is that letting the water drain directly into the sink while you brush your teeth is wasteful, while letting the water drain over your body as you lather it is relaxing. Besides, in my soul I have the best thoughts! Aren’t we all?
In the meantime, I’ll keep the habit of turning off the water while brushing my teeth. After all, it’s an easy way to save a few gallons of water and keep a few extra dollars in your pocket.