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Simple tips that can be applied in different situations of your day-to-day

In Brazil, water consumption per person can reach more than 200 liters per day. However, according to the UN, only 110 liters of water per day per person are needed for them to consume and sanitize themselves. The country is considered one of the countries with the largest reserves of fresh water in the world, but there are also problems such as poor water distribution and absurd waste.

To avoid it, check out some tips on how to save water at home that also help you save energy and money:

Bathrooms

baths

The shorter the time in the bath, the greater the savings for your pocket and the less water wasted. Taking a long time under the shower is not synonymous with personal hygiene, as the ideal time to clean the body is five minutes. A good tip is to better manage your bath time. First you get wet (shower on), then soap (closed valve) and then rinse off (shower on). And there's no need to open the register to the fullest limit, as most of the water is simply wasted without removing the soap and shampoo.

Important: 15-minute baths that use heaters (gas, electric or solar), with the valve half open, consume from 135 liters of water (houses) to 240 liters of water (apartments). With the adoption of a five-minute bath, keeping the register closed when soaping, consumption is reduced to 45 liters (houses) and 80 liters (apartments). With the electric shower, if we adopt the same practice, we reduce expenses to 45 liters (houses) and 140 liters (apartments) and, in the case of showers, consumption decreases to 15 liters (houses) and 50 liters (apartments). Also avoid using soaps that make a lot of lather.

Brushing teeth

The use of water related to brushing teeth is 12 liters of water (houses) to 80 liters of water (apartments). To clean the mouth, use a little toothpaste, wet the brush and turn off the faucet while brushing. Rinse with the help of a glass of water. Simple actions like these can save 11 liters of water in homes and 79 liters in apartments.

wash and shave your face

If you wash your face or shave with the faucet half open, the average amount of water used is 2.5 liters (houses) and 16 liters (apartments). But what to do? Turn on the faucet to wet your face, then turn it off and apply the shaving cream. After shaving, open the faucet again (no exaggeration) to rinse.

Toilet

A common toilet, which has a valve with activation time of 6 seconds, uses 10 to 14 liters per flush. However, there are 6 liter models that require 50% less time to start cleaning and can reduce the volume of water used in half.

Check frequently if your valve has no defects and always keep it regulated, because if there are problems, the level of consumption can reach up to 80 liters. Also, do not, under any circumstances, use the toilet as a wastebasket.

Kitchen

Washing dishes with the faucet half open for 15 minutes can use up to 120 liters (houses) and 240 liters (apartments). But with simple tips, it is possible to save up to 20 liters per wash.

Take time during your day (according to your availability) to wash the accumulated dishes. Check for cutlery or pans with food scraps and dispose of the waste in the organic trash. Then place silverware and small items into a container so that the dirt will soften. When starting the wash, soap all the objects (without food residues) and, after finishing this step, rinse them all at once. Dishwashers also save water.

Use homemade or phosphate-free soaps and detergents with vegetable-based surfactants to reduce the effect of pollution caused by foams and reduce the difficulties of sewage treatment.

Laundry

Do the same procedure as for washing dishes: set a day of the week (according to your need and availability) to carry out the task of washing clothes. For small pieces, you can soak them in a bucket and rinse them all at once. If you have a washing machine, try to use it when it is completely full and turn it on for as little time as possible. This way, in addition to contributing to the reduction of water waste, will save you on your energy bill.

garden

When watering the plants in your garden for 10 minutes, consumption can reach 190 liters of water. To save, it is necessary to water the plants in the morning or at night, as it reduces the loss of evaporation, especially in summer. For this process, use the hose with spray gun or watering cans - this attitude can save 100 liters a day.

Pool

Anyone who has a pool at home, whether fixed or mobile, needs to invest in its superior protection to avoid waste. Use covers to prevent the actions of the sun (evaporation) and wind (dirt) from causing water loss. Evaporation can lead to the loss of 3,800 liters of water per month. By protecting it, you also reduce the use of chemical cleaning agents and water consumption in the sludge suction activity, in addition to the water discharge itself (generally in large pools).

public roads

Unfortunately, the habit of “washing sidewalks” is common in Brazil, but in other countries it can even generate fines. Paying the bill does not entitle us to unknowingly use this public resource. Under no circumstances use water to clean the sidewalk or street area. In this case, use brooms to gather and collect waste found and dispose of it correctly.

car wash

Another habit that Brazilians have is washing vehicles on the streets (in front of the house, in the garage of the house or building) with hoses. A 30-minute wash, with the hose just a little open, can use up to 220 liters of water. With the hose open halfway, the consumption can reach 560 liters. To reduce this number, use a bucket and a cloth for washing (if possible, do not wash in the dry season, where there is little rain and greater pressure on the springs) and another bucket for rinsing. With this practice, consumption is around 40 liters.

Now that you know all this, try to save water, which is everyone's good.