Green Daily

My showers normally take 3-4 minutes. Get in, grab my bottle of Dr Bronner's, wash everything starting with my hair ending with the bum. Rinse. As nice as it seems to be standing around for 6-7 minutes doing whatever, I can't imagine doing it in the morning. I'd rather spend that 4 extra minutes sleeping.

I believe there was a Seinfeld episode about this very subject. Kramer even goes to a gym and watches other guys shower while taking notes on a notepad.

In fact! Here it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUoyb1bgSAo

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You know, my garden hose has an attachment that allows me to keep the water turned on at the faucet, but not use it until I'm ready. This nozzle cost a whole dollar at the dollar store, and keeps me from having to walk around the house to turn the water off and on several times a day (I walk with assistance.)
It's a shame there is not such a universal gadget for the shower that would allow you to maintain your water temp, but only use the water when you're ready, say before and after lathering. imagine how much less water we would pour down the drain! Does anyone know of such a gadget?
Thanks
LA

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I built a new shower, outside very close to my water heater. I have 3 valves one on cold side another one on hot side then I bring the two pipes together into one pipe with another valve, so I always have it set rite on target! I turn it on & instantly I have warm or hot water pending on weather, then I can water my plants as I shower, wash shoes, even rinse dishes, I turn it on wet myself, turn off lather& shave, turn on rinse, usually have buckets around & fill them to, so much for my plants, just kidding, use very little water now! & I'm still clean

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Look into navy showers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_shower

but, I think the best solution for you is the "soap-up valve" it keeps the water temp "just right" but uses no water while lathering up:

http://www.greenhome.com/products/bath/bath_and_shower_filters/106843

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Not the prettiest contraption but it does the job:

http://www.elsewhere.org/journal/archives/2005/03/23/water-saving-shower-accessory/

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I haven't timed my shower yet, but I would assume that I clock in at under 5 minutes. I will have to figure out a way to time it one of these days.

Anyways, what I do (these days) is just take cold showers. Since live in Japan, we have an on-demand heater that is located outside of our apartment. The water that is still in the lines outside warms up during the day, giving me a quick burst of about 15 seconds of warm to hot water when I first turn on the shower. With the insane heat and humidity here though, it actually feels a heck of a lot better when the cold water starts flowing.

Even when it isn't summer, I still have the advantage that my on demand water heater is located about 3 feet from where I take my shower. That means instant hot water. I usually turn off the shower three times. First while I am washing my hair. Second, after I soap down my body (head to toes). Third, when I wash my face. If I have to shave then the water goes off for that too. I never just "let the water hit me."

My dream is to live in a semi-warm place where I can have some private-ish land on a lake. Use your imagination on how I would take advantage of a situation like that. Oh, and I have done it before, and nothing beats it!

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@LA, there is just what you talk about on most of the shower heads I have seen. It is simply a switch that shuts off the flow of water from the head, though the water is still queued up like it is in your hose. NOW, I don't know (since I don't use it) if the water waiting is going to come out warm, then go to cold before it gets warm again, if you do this. I just know it is there.

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It's not necessarily the length of your shower, it's how much water your using, right? Shower length is an arbitrary measurement. You could take an 8 minute shower with an ultra low flow shower head and use 8 gallons of water, of you could take a 4 minute shower with a standard 2.5 gpm shower head and use 10 gallons of water.

Sources:
http://thegreenroutine.net/shower-or-bath/

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Here's another green tip about hair. I just read that there are eco-savvy salons that collect customers' hair clippings to make mats that are very effective in soaking up oil spills. Who'd a thunk?
http://www.thegreenguide.com/blog/children/1629
According to the company that makes these mats, some 60 million pounds of human hair ends up in landfills in the US every year, and hair takes forever to decompose (think mummies with hair).

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