Water, water everywhere (except her tub and dishwasher)
Posted
May 07 2008, 01:56 PM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Water bills getting you down? "Katurah82" favors a multipronged approach to keeping usage in check. She takes three "navy showers" a week, i.e., water turned off while she lathers up. The rest of the time she heats a few gallons of water on the stove and pours it into the bathtub. "I use way less water."
Katurah82 learned to wash dishes in a gallon of hot water while camping. Why not do them that way at home? Oh, and about that water: Most heaters are set way too high, she says, so turn yours down. (A setting of 120 degrees should work fine, and could save you $20 to $50 in utility bills according to this article.)
Finally, this reader does all laundry in cold water, which not only saves the water heater but allows her to wash everything together. It's her feeling that "warm water is mostly what makes fabrics bleed." Incidentally, she also air-dries most items.
While we love our daily hot showers, we do keep 'em short, and we're definitely with her regarding dishpans, cold-water laundry and air-drying.
Read more on MSN Money:
Airing your clean laundry: Skip the dryer, rack up savings
10 steps to lowering your home heating bills
Wear it again, Sam: Delaying laundry day
