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25 Ways You Can Conserve More Water Today

25 Things You Can Do to Start Conserving More Water Today

Take a look at this short video:

It's a powerful message that makes you stop and think, right? Other than turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, there are many other ways you can conserve water (and in turn, save money!) in and outside your home.

25 Way to Conserve Water Today:

Turn the tap off when you do dishes, and only run the water when rinsing. If you have a double sink, fill one side with washing water and the other with rinsing water.
Rather than running the tap until the water is cold each time you want a drink, fill a pitcher with water and put it in the fridge so your water is already cold when you are ready.
Avoid buying bottled water. It takes approximately 6-7 times the amount of water in the bottle to make 1 plastic water bottle. Plus, it's a fact that plastic is not the healthiest thing for you or the planet.
Wash fruits and vegetables in a large bowl filled with water rather than using running water.
When waiting for hot water, collect the colder water and use it for watering house plants or your outdoor garden.

Check individual faucets for leaks regularly and fix them immediately. Here's how to check for leaky faucets in your home.
Learn how to use your home's water meter to check for leaks. Here's how.
Check your toilets for leaks and fix immediately if you find any. Here's how to check a toilet for leaks.
Consider installing low-flow toilets. On average, a regular toilet can use up to 5 to 7 gallons per flush. Low-flow models can use as little as 1.6 gallons.
Don't use your toilet to dispose of things like tissues, use the garbage. And while we're talking about flushing, NEVER flush these things down your toilet.

Take shorter showers and keep in mind that baths will always use more water when compared to a 10-minute shower.
Install high-efficiency or low flow eco faucets and shower heads in your home. On average, standard faucets use 2.2 gallons of water per minute, but high efficiency faucets can use as little as 1.5 gallons per minute without affecting performance.
Choose the correct load size on your washer when doing laundry and consider purchasing a high efficiency washer when it's time to get a new one.
Only run your dishwasher and washing machine when you have a full load.
Purchase energy star appliances. They will cut down on energy and water consumption.
If your dishwasher is fairly new, avoid rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Check hoses and outdoor faucets for leaks and fix immediately.

When the cooler weather arrives, be sure to turn off the water supply to outdoor taps to avoid leaky or burst pipes. Here's how.
Weed your lawn and garden on a regular basis. Weeds take needed water from other plants and grass.
Water your lawn and garden in the early morning evaporation. During this time, temperatures are cooler and winds are lighter so water will not evaporate as quickly. Avoid watering your lawn and garden on windy days.
Add a layer of mulch on the bare soil of your planting beds to cut down on weed growth (see tip #19). Doing this will help your plants retain moisture, avoid evaporation, and save water.
Set your lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass will cause less water evaporation when you water.
Rather than using a hose, use a broom to clean off your deck, patio, walkways, and driveway.
Visit car washes that conserve and recycle their wash water. Check on your local car wash's website or make a quick phone to get the info you need.
Teach your children to do all of the things listed above.

These are just 25 ways to save water, there are many more! What other water-conserving tips would you would add?

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Life - Green

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conserve water

water conservation

cut down on water consumption

Save money

money saving tips

gwen leron

Fruit Flies: How to Get Rid of Them (& Keep Them Away!)

Fruit Flies: How to Get Rid of Them (And Keep Them Away!)

Things most of us love about summer: warmer weather, longer days, vacations, evening walks, BBQs.

Thing most of us don't love about summer: frizzy hair, out-of-control humidity, mosquitoes, pulling weeds, fruit flies.

Truthfully, there is very little I don't love about summer. I had to think for a little while to come up with some negatives about it. The fruit fly dislike though? That one was easy.

I was reminded just how much of a nuisance fruit flies can be when I went to pick strawberries at a local farm recently. I left some of the berries out and within a few days, we had some new kitchen residents — a group of not-so-welcome fruit flies. But, thanks to a quick 3-ingredient solution, they were gone as quickly as they arrived. Fruit flies are not as big of a problem this early in the summer, they usually hit their peak towards the end of summer/early fall. But the possibility for them to show up once the warmer weather arrives is always there.

Before I tell you how to get rid of them, have you ever wondered where they come from? How they end up swarming your fruit? I did a little research and here is what I found.

It was once thought that fruit flies were "born" from rotting fruit...doesn't make much sense, right? That theory was disproven when it was found that fruit flies come from outside. They can smell fruit from miles away. Once they smell it, they hone in on its location and head straight for it. Because they are so small, they make their way in through any tiny crack they can find and before you know it, you have some new fruit fly friends setting up shop in your kitchen. Fruit flies can also be brought home from the grocery store.

Fruit flies are attracted to fruit when it starts to over ripen. When fruit is overripe, it starts to ferment — fruit flies love this. They eat the fermenting fruit and lay eggs which hatch quickly, therefore producing a never-ending stream of fruit flies. Until you step in and do something about it, that is.

The easiest thing you can do to stop them in their tracks is to get rid of any overripe fruit. If the fruit is still usable, refrigerate it. There are many solutions to the fruit fly problem all over the internet, and I have tried a few, but this is the one I keep coming back to — because it works the best for me.

What you need

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 drops of dish soap
1 cup water

What to do

1. Pour water into a shallow bowl and add apple cider vinegar.

2. Add the 2 drops of dish soap to the mixture.

3. Stir until the soap is distributed.

4. Place in the area where there are the most fruit flies. If there is more than one area, prepare more bowls and place in the necessary areas.

5. Empty the bowls as needed, prepare more as needed.

What makes this solution work? The fruit flies will be attracted to the bowl by the smell of the apple cider vinegar (the stand-in for the overripe fruit). The soap is added so the fruit flies don't just sit on the surface of the water and drink. The soap will weigh them down so they can't get out.