July's Green Challenge: Four minute showers
Join the Green Challenge every month and make one small change to help the environment. Then at the end of the month let us know how you did!
It is with some trepidation that I begin July's challenge to take only four minute showers. You see, with two small children at home, my shower time is my only sanctuary. Already prone to rinse for longer than necessary, now that I have kids, my showers have gotten even longer. I plan on cutting my shower time by a third. I do have a new shower head in my bath but I don't remember it being especially efficient so that's something to tackle at a later date.
For now I plan on using a handy shower timer that I got a few months ago. Placing a clock or a kitchen timer in the bathroom would work just as well.
Water fun facts:
Now I'm going to have to find some other means of avoiding my children. Wish me luck.
It is with some trepidation that I begin July's challenge to take only four minute showers. You see, with two small children at home, my shower time is my only sanctuary. Already prone to rinse for longer than necessary, now that I have kids, my showers have gotten even longer. I plan on cutting my shower time by a third. I do have a new shower head in my bath but I don't remember it being especially efficient so that's something to tackle at a later date.For now I plan on using a handy shower timer that I got a few months ago. Placing a clock or a kitchen timer in the bathroom would work just as well.
Water fun facts:
- A typical showerhead uses 5-8 gallons per minute. A low flow showerhead can cut this down to 2.5 gallons per minute.
- Less than 1% of the earth's water is available for human consumption.
- Unless you have a well and leach field, the water you use and sewage you create requires energy to treat properly by your municipality.
- One in six people worldwide does not have regular access to fresh water.
- The quality of our streams, lakes and rivers depletes over years as we remove water and refill it with waste thereby affecting their ability to support life.
- To find out more ways to conserve water, take the Family Water Audit.
Now I'm going to have to find some other means of avoiding my children. Wish me luck.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-02-2008 @ 4:59PM
anne said...
Wow, 4 minutes huh? I don't know if I can. I have a water miser shower head. I even shower only every other or every third day. My husband and I have tried cutting down time in the shower. I've cut to only 7 minutes. That is my fastest time. I try, I really do. But four minutes? I will make it a goal. We'll see. How can you shampoo and condition long hair in just 4 minutes? It doesn't leave any time to wash the body too. LOL
wish me luck, I'll try.
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7-02-2008 @ 5:01PM
kelly.leahy said...
I have a feeling that I will be either buying combination shampoo and conditioner or turning off the water to suds up. We'll see. It's going to be interesting! Thanks for the comment and let us know how you do.
7-02-2008 @ 6:18PM
Patricia said...
Four minutes! That's really short. I've always read five minutes is the ideal. Good luck!
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7-03-2008 @ 12:07PM
Patrick Metzger said...
I can do two showers in that time if I'm late enough. Of course people at work are starting to complain...
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7-10-2008 @ 3:00PM
ty darling said...
i have made 2 rain cans from plastic trash cans i bought . it has cost me 30 each and now i water my 15 tomatoe plants with rain water. hope others try this. good luck
widow in smokeys
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7-10-2008 @ 3:21PM
ty darling said...
i am a 60 yr old widow. my home in smokey mountains has a well. we r in a draught, and i have 15 tomatoe plants i must water. i bought 2 ,35 gal trash cans made of plastic. then i bought 2 spikit kits. i made my own water barrels and they fill up in a ten minute rain. now i water my plants with rain water. if i can do this oh my goodness, maybe yall can! good luck
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7-23-2008 @ 3:44PM
Nicole said...
My favorite way to cut down on my shower length is to shave outside of the shower. After I've been in for the amount of time to wash & condition, and do a quick wash of the entire body, I hop out, grab the razor and shaving cream, and use the wash basin to hold some warm water for rinsing my razor. Because my skin is already wet/softened from the shower, it makes shaving easy, but I can also use the full light of my bathroom to shave, leaving less nicks! Afterwards, I just wet down a washcloth really fast, and use that to take any residue off. Works great, everytime :)
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