in my previous post (wednesday june 24), i provided some general recommendations for how to cut down on your water use …. now, here are:

tips on how to save water in the kitchen ….

washing dishes …

* fill a tub or sink with water and dish soap to wash dishes rather than running
water down the drain while you scrub …

* when possible, fill a tub or sink with rinse water as well, so dishes can be dipped instead of soaked under a running stream … alternatively, rinse quickly under a low-pressure stream or warm or cool water … avoid using piping hot water, which won’t (at this point) make your dishes any cleaner … it will only help them dry faster …

* re-use dish water that is not extremely dirty … keep a sink or tub full of soapy water and re-use it to clean glasses, cups, jars, dishes, and cutlery … greasy pots and grills may need additional soaking … however, dish water can remain surprisingly clean and re-usable if you are simply washing glasses and plates after a small meal … often, there is no need to drain the dish water only to re-fill it again for cleaning up after the next meal …

* soak tough-to-clean greasy pots and pans to loosen grime instead of running water while you scrape them clean …

* if possible, fill a sink or tub with water to rinse dishes instead of rinsing everything under running water …

* avoid washing water glasses after a single use … use the same water glass or a water bottle throughout the day and wash it once at the end of the day … this decreases the amount of water used for washing dishes …

* avoid soaping up dishes, glasses, and cutlery that just need a quick rinse … for example, a cutting board and knife used for chopping vegetables or a spoon used to stir a drink will come clean with a quick dip in a tub of clean rinsing water …

* use a biodegradable, natural dish soap … countless chemicals accumulate in our water systems, to the grave detriment of all life on Earth, including humans …

* minimize your use of a dish washer … schedules can get pretty hectic, especially when you have children or a very busy job … ii can understand how the dish washer looks so tempting when the sink is full of dirty dishes … but washing dishes by hand can take a lot less time than most people realize … teaching your children to help with these simple chores will help the job get done quickly while teaching your children responsibility and practical life skills … think twice before running that machine … it can use up to 30–60 L or 8–15 gallons of water per cycle, as well as up to 15–5 kWh of electricity for a typical cycle (depending on how energy efficient your model is) … on-biodegradable dish washer detergents are also considerably more detrimental to the environment than typical dish liquid soaps …

* when you do use your dish washer, skip the rinsing fluid … this is a costly and unnecessary step in the dish cleaning process, contrary to what industry marketers want you to believe … rinsing fluids contain detergents and surfactants, which are not only poisoning water systems and aquatic plants and animals, they are also toxic to you and your family … minimize the amount of chemicals on your dishes, and you’ll ingest less toxic substances when you eat and drink from your plates and glasses … alternatively, adding 1 cup of vinegar to the rinsing compartment works well as a fabulous substitute!

* another step you can skip is the drying cycle … after a typical dish washer runs its course, it’s literally steaming hot in there … there is no need for using more electricity to dry the dishes … turn off the machine and let that internal heat dry the dishes passively … your dishes will still be sparkling, squeaky clean …

* run your dishwasher only when it is full …

* contrary to what some individuals or companies may claim, i fail to understand how running a dishwasher — even an energy- and water-efficient model — can be more environmentally friendly than washing dishes conservatively for the sole reason that it takes a despicable amount of water, energy, and resources to manufacture the dishwasher … from the primary extraction of resources, processing of raw materials, manufacture of the appliance proper, plus all the transportation in between and the disposal of the appliance once it ages, i think that washing dishes by hand — especially if you follow the said water saving recommendations — is a far more environmentally friendly practice … sorry if i burst your bubble …

food preparation …

* avoid disposing of food waste or other debris by flushing it down the kitchen sink, even if you have a sink disposal unit … these demand an unnecessarily large amount of water to operate and contribute to water pollution … if you have a septic tank, sink disposal units can add up to 50% of solid volume, which may cause malfunction or maintenance problems … scrape off dishes into a compost pail prior to washing …

* collect any large particles of debris that collect in the kitchen sink from, for example, washing vegetables or other items …

* wash fruits and vegetables in a bowl, tub, or sink filled with water instead of under running water …

* reuse cooking water, especially that collected from steaming or boiling vegetables … reuse as soup stock, gravies, sauces, and dressings … vegetable water is full of minerals …

* reuse hot, salted water from cooking pasta … collect it by draining the pasta water into a large pot and then throw it down the toilet (to help keep it unclogged without using harsh chemicals), on weeds that grow in driveway or sidewalk cracks (to avoid using herbicides), on outdoor nests of unwanted insect pests (to avoid using insecticides), or to wash household surfaces including the shower, bathtub, floor, etc. (to avoid using toxic cleaners — that’s an unintentional oxymoron!) …

* instead of thawing frozen food under running water, soak it in a bowl, pot, or sink filled with cool water … better yet, plan meals ahead of time and thaw food in the fridge whenever possible …

* rinse kitchen cloth wipes in a container (e.g., empty yogourt containers are great for this) filled with warm or soapy water instead of rinsing the cloth under running water each time it becomes soiled …

appliances …

* when you need to replace your refrigerator, ice machine, or air conditioner, consider purchasing one that is air-cooled rather than water-cooled …

* if you’re considering replacing your dishwasher, first make sure your current one is irreparable … appliances are toxic litter and it’s important to minimize the number of new appliances that are manufactured and sold …

* if you’re shopping for a new dishwasher, look for the most affordable energy- and water-efficient model … in today’s market, energy- and water-efficient models are becoming more affordable … however, remember to consider more than just the ticket price when you weigh out the costs … an energy- and water-efficient model will save you money on energy and water bills (up to 25% or more each year!) … factor in short-term investment for the purchase of the appliance as well as long-term savings for the operation of the appliance …

in the next post (monday june 29), water-saving tips for the bathroom …