Water Conservation in the Kitchen & Laundry

KITCHEN

WASHING DISHES

• Use a dishwasher. Dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand.
• Energy Star dishwashers save even more water and energy. 
• When shopping for a new dishwasher, use the Consortium for Energy Efficiency website to compare water use between models.
• If your dishwasher is new, you'll notice you can cut back on pre-rinsing. Newer models clean more thoroughly than older ones.
• Run your dishwasher only when it's full.
• Wipe the inside of your dishwasher periodically and remove food that is caught in the arms to help it run more efficiently.
• If washing dishes by hand, fill one basin with soapy wash water, and the other with rinse water, instead of running the faucet.
• Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.

COOKING AND WASHING FOOD

• Cook food in as little water as possible. This also helps it retain more nutrients.
• Reuse leftover water from cooked or steamed foods to start a nutritious soup.
• Select the proper pan size for cooking. Larger pans can require more cooking water.
• Don’t use running water to thaw food. For water efficiency and food safety, defrost food in the refrigerator.
• Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of running water from the tap.
• Collect the water you use while rinsing fruit and vegetables and use it to water plants.

DRINKING WATER

• Designate one glass for your drinking water each day, or refill a water bottle. This cuts down on the number of glasses you need to wash.
• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap, if you run the tap until it gets cold.
• If you accidentally drop ice cubes, don’t throw them in the sink. Drop them in a house plant instead.

OTHER TIPS

• Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Instead, compost vegetable food waste, and save gallons every time.
• Install an instant water heater near your kitchen sink so you don’t have to run the water while it heats up. This also reduces energy costs.

LAUNDRY

• When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load. Run only full loads as much as possible.
• Washing dark clothes in cold water saves energy, and helps your clothes retain their color.
• Wear it again, Sam! If lightly worn, you might get another wear out of that item before laundering.
• When shopping for a new washing machine, compare resource savings among Energy Star models. Some can save up to 20 gallons of water per load.
• When buying a washer, look for the most water efficient models to compare water use. This will save money on your water heating bills too!