OPINION
Water is a precious commodity.
Most of us, including myself, waste a lot of it.
Here's a few tricks to save some money on your water bill while conserving that precious commodity.
Remember, you are paying for it to come in and to leave.
When you take a shower, put a 5-gallon bucket under the shower head to catch the water while waiting for it to get hot.
After flushing the toilet, turn off the water valve and use the water you collected in the tank, or you can use it to water potted plants, the garden and washing the car.
When I go to meetings, I find that people always leave bottles of water sitting around on the tables.
I collect them and use them to water my plants and then recycle the plastic bottles, which don't normally get recycled.
In the kitchen, I always have a container in the sink to catch water that I would otherwise waste, then I use it to wash fruits, vegetables, etc.
When brushing your teeth, wet the toothbrush first, turn off the water, apply the toothpaste, brush your teeth, then rinse, using a cup or your hand.
Having the water run continuously while brushing wastes a lot of water.
If you are a gardener, invest in collecting rainwater off your roof.
My first year of gardening here in Denton County, I only had to use city water twice during the entire spring, summer and fall. Xeriscaping your lawn will also conserve water.
One of the properties of water is steam. Use steam to clean your microwave.
Place a cup of water (1/4 to 1 cup) into the microwave, bring to a boil, let the steam penetrate the oven for a few seconds.
Take the cup out and immediately wipe out with a clean sponge or cloth.
Repeat if needed. No cleaning products required, no lingering smell in the microwave.
Cool the leftover water and use it on those plants at some point.
Another property of water is ice.
The weather is getting cooler, so the time to cover those outdoor faucets is just around the corner.
Buy those faucet covers/ faucet socks soon as they always seem be sold out when you need them.
Be sure to inspect last year’s model for defects or breakage.
Cindy “Mama C” Faris is a Pilot Point resident and she is offering life advice for any who want it. She can be reached at [email protected].
