Green Tips from a Wet Place

In lieu of a long post today, I thought I'd share a few quick tips to help you be a little 'greener'. It's raining here so I think these will all be about water.

For a quick fix that helps both the environment and your hydro bill - put a low flow shower head onto your shower. Today's shower heads use much less water, but unlike the old ones,they have more force behind them so you don't have a trickle for a shower - you still get a nice strong flow. You can spend as little or as much as you like and over time (depending on your price point) you'll see savings that you can take to the bank.


Get a rain barrel. You can use the water you save in your garden. It's better than the chlorinated stuff you spray onto it from your tap. And it's free! If you can't get a barrel - put out a bucket and collect the rain. Use it to water your houseplants. In the summer, put a lid on the bucket and water the plants outside on non-rainy days.

Fix a broken toilet. When they run, they use water and they cost you money - very likely much more than you save by not buying the part you need to fix the thing in the first place.

Toilet not broken? Displace some water in the tank by using a small milk jug filled with water. You'll save a couple of litres with every flush.

Turn off the water when you brush (shave, wash your face..etc) turn it on when you need to rinse.

Always run your dishwasher when it's full.

If you must run the washing machine with a smaller load - use the lower water settings. No need to wash a few small things with an extra large dose of water.

And that my friends, is all I can think of tonight to save you money and save our planet at the same time.