Savings in the Wash

The loads are piling up with all those beach towels and extra clothes from spending time outside this summer. In the spirit of keeping an eye on our energy use, and with a test subject on our team who just purchased a brand new washing machine at the beginning of the summer, we decided it was time to do a test on our water use from each of our washers. We keep hearing great things about new technology and Energy Star appliances, so we decided to really put it to the test! We compared three different washing machines, from different years, on the Large Load setting and watched those wash tubs fill up. This is what we found:

• Brand new, Energy Star front-loading washing machine = 13 Gallons
• 30+ Year old top-loading washing machine (so worn we couldn't even tell what brand it was!) = 28 Gallons
• 5 Year old top-loading washing machine = 45 Gallons

We couldn't believe it, 45 Gallons of water going down the drain after the full cycle on a washing machine that's only 5 years old?! Time to reconsider on laundry day! Now, we do understand this was not exactly a scientific experiment and there are some inconsistencies in our testing method. It is likely the drum size of the 3 washers are different and the time required to wash was different, but overall we think you will find the results staggering.

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Savings in the Shower

Shower heads are an interesting item. I find most people really don't want to spend a lot of money on them, but have strong opinions if they are good or bad. For the past few years I have been testing all kinds of shower heads - part of our Choose Renewables best-in-class testing methods. I can't tell you how many frustrating and horrible showers I have started my day with through this process. I am sure if any of you have purchased "low flow" shower heads in the past you will know exactly what I am talking about. I truly do understand the importance of starting your day off right with a great shower, which is why we searched for so long to find the perfect low flow shower heads to sell at ChooseRenewables.com. In the past we have only offered two shower heads, one traditional wall mounted option and one handheld option that really performed. But the hunt continued because two options just weren't enough for our Choose Renewables community.

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Water Savings Outside

Do you know how much water you use outside? I always thought my family was conscious and conservative about our water use. In the summer I like to wash my car, water a few flowers, and fill up a small kiddy pool for my kids to play in. Well my eyes have recently been opened on how fast those gallons add up. I started using the Save A Drop to measure how much water I really use and from the things I have learned, I will definitely be making some changes. I thought washing the car at home was pretty efficient. I knew when I had my two little helpers I used more water, but I have learned that it takes a lot less water and is more environmentally friendly to go through the local car wash. The kids love playing in the water and having fun in the bubbles so we won't give up washing our cars at home completely, but we will use the car wash more frequently. Along with being environmentally friendly, it also saves me some time!

The next area of surprise was watering my flowers in the front of my house. It is not a large area and only takes about 10 minutes, but when those gallons flow they add up quick, even when I use the shower spray setting on my Save A Drop. And when I use the soaker setting those numbers soar! Now I have installed some tubing near the flower bed that you attach sprinklers to for a more even watering. I also watch the weather to find out if I can wait and have Mother Nature do the watering.

The biggest surprise was the kiddy pool. Our family loves to play in the water and we thought it was perfect for those hot summer days at home. We would fill the mini pool up and use it for 3-4 days, then dump it out and refresh the water. The pool is really not that big, in fact we have it sitting on our deck. The kids were excited to help me fill it up this year and when I saw the numbers climbing on the Save A Drop I almost fell off the deck. Seventy-five gallons!! Really, 75 gallons... I was filling this kiddy pool 5-8 times a month! Now when it is time for fresh water we all get our buckets and water the flowers, shrubs, and compost pile. No more pulling the plug and not putting that water to use!

Find out how much water you are using, order your Save A Drop now.