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Sustainable Living ideas

What Are The Best Ways To Reuse Water?

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Since I started this blog, I have found more and more ways to reuse water that work for me.

I wrote a blog back in October 2020 about reusing water so I thought I would post an update on other ways I have identified to reuse water.

Previously, I had a condenser dryer in my kitchen. I found this option easier because I didn’t need to have the dryer ‘installed’ into any pipework. It was simply a case of removing the tank when it was full. I was able to water my plants and replace the tank. It allowed me to explore different tumble dryer water uses.

Now that I’ve moved, my new kitchen doesn’t have space for a dryer so this is no longer an option. But that’s OK. I’ve found other ways!

Reusing Water from pasta and potatoes

I read somewhere a while back where people use the leftover water from boiling pasta or potatoes but only if the water is completely cooled down and hasn’t had any seasoning or salt. I do this occasionally but not all the time. I never do this as a substitution to tap/rain water.

Leftover pasta water is full of starch and many gardeners believe this can give your plants a little boost.

spaghetti boiling water
Photo by Klaus Nielsen: https://www.pexels.com/photo/spaghetti-cooking-in-boiling-water-in-saucepan-6287466/

If you’re interested in more, here’s a great article for further reading and make your own mind up

Water bottles

My daughter takes a water bottle to school, which she can drink throughout the day. There are quite a few times that she still has some water in it when she gets home so I pour any leftover water in a jug and use that for watering the plants (or put it in the water butt). There’s no point in throwing perfectly good water down the drain.

This is a great way to reuse excess drinking water.

Water Butt

Since I moved house, I have installed water butts in the garden (this was not possible in my old house) and it collects rainwater which I can use to water my outdoor plants during the spring and summer or even wash the car.

The great thing I like about this is that the only expense is the water butt (which is a one-off cost), after that it’s free free free!

Reusing Dehumidifier Water

We had to buy a dehumidifier because there was a damp issue in the new house. Although, the issue has been rectified, the moisture in the wall is still there so we use a dehumidifier to resolve this issue.

The great thing about this that it collects water in the tank which I add to the water butt in the garden so I can reuse the water elsewhere.

I know some people also use a dehumidifier to help dry clothes as dryers can be expensive to run. As they remove excess water from the air, they help with condensation issues, read more here and see if that works for you.

Shower water

I’ve seen people reuse water from the shower but I don’t know how soapy water can affect plants so I personally don’t do this. Although, I have reused shower water for washing the car and it works well for me. Keep a bucket in the shower and once it’s full, reuse that water.

Water from a shower head
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-shower-head-switched-on-161502/

Please share some of your ways of reusing water that work for you.

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

Sustainable Living ideas

Reusing Water

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There are so many ways of reusing household water, it never occurred to me until I started really looking at it. 

During the summer, I hang my washing outside. There’s something really rewarding about being able to dry your clothes outside; they smell fresh and it’s free!

However, during the autumn and winter months, it’s a different story. I use my dryer. I’ve looked at other ways to dry clothes but it just didn’t work.

I hung the clothes on the radiator; however, this wouldn’t heat up the room as well as when the radiators were clear of clothing. I bought a load of radiator airers but I found I ran out of radiators to hang all the clothes. This ended up with a continuous cycle of washing and clothes dotted around the house on radiator airers. Not pleasant when you have company.

In order to get all my washing done in a day, I have resorted to using the dryer, however, I have a condenser dryer. For those who aren’t aware, in condenser dryers, any water from the drying clothes is collected in the tank at the bottom. The advantage of having a condenser dryer means it isn’t necessary for a builder to knock a circular a hole in your kitchen wall to create an outlet for the moisture.

Once I hear the beeping from the dryer notifying me that the tank is full and needs emptying, I would remove the tank and empty the water contents down the sink. For some reason I did this automatically and didn’t notice the writing on the tank. 

There are options for reusing water! There appears to be quite a few household uses and how to put the water to good use.

I can’t believe I never noticed this before. It never occurred to me that I could use tumble dryer water for plants

It turns out that there are many tumble dryer water uses, and quite a few different ways too. 

I only use filtered water in the iron so I wouldn’t consider using the water from my condenser dryer but I do have plants. After a wash load, I empty the tank into a massive jug I have and leave it next to the sink. I fill up a plastic bottle I have purely for watering the plants and walk around the house doing just that. After a few wash loads, it’s easy to end up with a lot of water.  

Next time you wonder “can you use tumble dryer water for plants” or “can I reuse condenser dryer water”,  you know the answer, and the benefits of water reclamation.

When I really started looking into it, it turns out there are different types of water. Who knew! 

We’ve all heard of fresh water, rain water, clean water but there are others; gray water, and black water.

Grey Water is water that has been used  like shower water, washing machine water, water from kitchen and bathroom sinks.

Black water is toilet water which removes human waste. You definitely don’t want to be using this. 

ways on reusing water with a person holding a pot of water

I also have a dishwasher and I tend to use tap water to rinse off any remains but I now use my condenser dryer water to rinse the cutlery (if they need it) before I put them in the dishwasher.

I can’t be the only person with a condenser dryer and I wondered what else I could use this water for?

Ways of reusing water

Are you looking for other ways to reuse water? Here are the best methods I’ve come across

Leftover water from potatoes and pasta

I once came across an article some time ago about reusing the residual cooking water after boiling pasta or potatoes. However, it’s advisable to use this water only when it has completely cooled down and hasn’t been seasoned or salted, this can kill your plants and you don’t want to do that! I occasionally follow this practice, but it’s not my go-to choice, and I never use it as a replacement for tap or rainwater.

Many gardeners find that leftover pasta water, rich in starch, can potentially provide a small nutritional boost to their plants. Another option I’ve heard about is rice water. 

Garden Water Butt

This is something I’ve always wanted but never had the space, until I moved house, I have installed a water butt (also known as a rain barrel) in the garden which collects rainwater I use to water my outdoor plants during times when there isn’t much rainfall. I even use it to wash the car.

The benefit of this is that the only expense is the water butt (which is a one-off cost), after that it’s free free free! This one of the best ways to collect water and it can help to reduce your water bills. It you live somewhere where it rains a lot, it may be worth getting a few butts, you could potentially collect gallons of water!

Used water from the shower

I’ve seen people use collected water from the shower but I’m not sure how soapy water can affect house plants so this isn’t something I do myself. Although, I have reused shower water for washing the car and it works well for me. Keep a bucket in the shower and once it’s full, reuse that water.

Water bottles

My daughter has water bottle she takes to school. There have been many occasions where she still has some water in it so I collect the leftover water in a container and use that for watering my plants (or empty it into the water butt for later use). Pouring it down the sink seems like a complete waste. 

This is a great way and one of the easiest way to reuse excess drinking water, and after a while, the amount of water you’ve saved can really build up. 

Reclaimed Water from a Dehumidifier 

Due to some damp issues when we moved house, we needed to purchase a dehumidifier to draw out the excess water before repairs. Building work has been completed but the moisture will take a little bit longer to resolve, hence the dehumidifier. 

I love the fact that it collects water in the tank which I empty into the water butt so I am able reuse the water elsewhere.

As dryers can be expensive to run, my friend uses a dehumidifier to help dry clothes as they remove any excess water from the air, and they also help with any condensation issues, read more here and decide if this is a possible option for you.

Water is a vital resource and water conservation is really important. Not only does it help create healthy environments by not wasting water but water reuse can help save money too. 

I’ve you’ve got any ideas about reducing your water consumption, please share!

Sustainable Living ideas

16 Easy Ways To Go Green

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In the last year, I have actively changed my habits to go green but sometimes it’s not cheap. We can’t all afford solar panels on our homes or a brand-new electric car (or just a brand-new car for that matter) but there are things we can all do to take a step in the right direction.

One mistake I made was trying to do too many at once, it’s a case of training your mind to start thinking differently. Make two to three changes and then add to it. You will start noticing you have changed your old habits and the new ones are automatic.

Here are my tips to go green

Take your own bags to the shop

You can purchase little tote bags everywhere nowadays and they come in handy little pouches that fit in your pocket or bags. Some even have a clip that you can attach to the outside of your bag.

Change your light bulbs to LED

It’s well known that LED light bulbs used up to 80% less electricity than traditional bulb. Traditional bulbs need more electricity to function.

If you have a condenser dryer, use the water to water the plants

The water tank that collects the water can be used to water your plants rather than throwing it down the sink. Or even, if you have one, add it to your water butt.

Turn off the lights when you are not using them

There is no reason why you should have the lights on in a room you’re not using. It’s a waste of electricity.

Fix any dripping taps

Sometimes, it’s only a case of replacing a washer but the amount of water that is wasted due to a dripping tap is eye-watering. Water is not an infinite resource and shouldn’t be wasted. If you have a dripping tap, call a plumber.

Reuse your old mobile phone

We all have old mobile phones gathering dust in a draw somewhere. Why no utilise it? I downloaded an app so I could use my mobile phone as a CCTV camera. It now sits at the back of the house and alerts me when anyone comes near the back door.

Buy fruit and veg with no packaging and only what you need

A few months ago, this really got to me. I wanted to buy a lemon but the supermarket didn’t have any loose ones, they were only available in packs of four; I didn’t want four. So, I went to a local greengrocer and bought a lemon. The pack of four lemons were sold in that plastic netting that can’t be recycled. No thanks! I wrote a blog about eating seasonal food.

easy ways to go green and towards greener living

Stop Junk mail

What do you do with junk mail? I have a quick flick through and put it into the recycling. What an absolute waste. The easiest way is to create your own sign saying ‘no junk mail’ on your door.

Energy efficient appliances

Appliances are now tested and improved to ensure their efficiency. There are many appliances that now come with a rating of A+, A++ or A+++ tells us that the products has a lower energy consumption.

Clean the back of your fridge

I didn’t know this until very recently. All fridges gather dust at back but how often do you clean the dust? Probably once? Never? The dust makes the fridge work harder which uses more energy. Dust every so often to keep your fridge working efficiently.

Check your tyre pressure regularly

If your tyre pressure is too high or too low, it makes the car work harder to compensate, which uses more fuel.

Print on both sides of the paper

If you have to print something, and it’s not confidential. Keep the paper to one side and if you need to print something else, use the other side. I do this all the time and had saved me quite a bit of money on paper.

Go Green, Go paperless

Do you really need a printed copy of your bank statement? You will probably look at it once, file it then you will eventually shred it. Bank/credit card/ energy statements are all kept online. If you don’t want to keep logging onto your bank to view them, you can download them to your computer or even save them to a cloud storage. Ask yourself, do you really need a printed copy?

Insulate your loft

A lot of heat is lost through the roof due to poor insulation. If this isn’t resolved, you are more likely to increase the thermostat to keep warm. You are best to get a professional in to sort this out for you.

Buy second hand where you can

This is one that I’ve embraced a lot recently. When something is no longer needed but still useful, it can be ditched at the tip, which is a complete waste. I needed a new set of chest of drawers and instead of buying a brand new one for £55, I found a second-hand one on Facebook Marketplace for £8. It was in very good condition apart from a little dent at the back that no one will see. You can also save a lot of money by doing this.

Make do and mend

My favourite go green tip! In my grandmother’s time, she would always say ‘make do and mend’ and I feel that this has been lost through the generations. How many times have you thrown a sock away because it has a whole in them? It won’t take long to sew them up and keep wearing them. You don’t need a sewing machine; a small sewing kit will suffice.

These are my easy tips, of course, this is a subject that I can do on and on about. I will look at writing another blog with further tips.

In the meantime, why do you share your tips on how to go green!

If you’re interested in reading about what I’m doing to be greener, check out my blog and if you’re interested in signing up to my newsletter, click here, I promise not to spam you.

Sustainable Living ideas

The Paddling Pool Water Problem

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It’s Easter Weekend and the weather is glorious. The only problem we have is that the corona virus pandemic is stopping us from going about our normal lives. We are on lock down and we must stay indoors. Of course, when the weather is as lovely has it has been today and yesterday, staying indoors is a shame but we are in exceptional circumstances and must collectively do what we all can to ensure this virus doesn’t spread any further.

For those who have gardens, this is the next best thing. Having an outside space is a wonderful thing to have. And if you do have one, this is your chance to make the most of it and do something different with the people who live in your household. Enter…the paddling pool.

I’ve never had a paddling pool before as wasting the water was always an issue for me. However, it’s quite a challenge trying to explain that to a 4-year-old. She just wants to have fun, especially as her school has been shut for 3 weeks now and you can’t deny that a paddling pool is an amazing source of fun.

I knew the weather was going to be nice for two days so we set it up on Friday, covering it Friday night to enjoy it on Saturday as well. I have to say, it was a great success. My little one absolutely loved playing the water and I have to admit, I enjoyed it too. Hopefully all the excitement tires her out for bedtime tonight!

Now the question, what do we do with the water?

I decided to save as much water as I could find containers for and use the water to water the plants over the next few days/fortnight. I would’ve used the water directly from the tap to water my plants anyway, why not try to save what I could from the pool? The water has just taken a slightly little detour.

So, I tried to find as many buckets and tubs from the shed filling them with water until I ran out and had to let the rest of the water go to waste. I can only imagine what the neighbours thought I was doing but I didn’t care. I managed to find enough containers for half of the water from the pool. Maybe I should invest in a water butt?

This lot will keep me going for a bit.

This is a good opportunity to update on my potatoes and strawberry plants. I was a little concerned about the strawberries a few weeks ago as we had some frost but I got a fleece blanket and ‘put them to bed’. I never thought I would be doing that for strawberries but there you go. There’s a flower on a strawberry plant so I’m guessing that’s a good thing. Also the potatoes have just started to sprout. I’m making a extra effort in watering them a lot more than I did last year.