14 Ways to Save Water in the Kitchen
Some areas of the country are undergoing a severe water shortage, making it ever more important to consider ways to be responsible with this critical resource. There is a lot of information available when looking for ways to reduce water use, and if considered in total, it can be quite overwhelming to know where to start and successfully form new habits. We recommend using a step-by-step approach, looking at each critical area of the home in sections. Address the water wastes in each area, focus on changing habits over the course of 2-3 weeks, and then move on to the next area of the home.
The kitchen in the average American home accounts for about 10% or total household water use, but yields some of the easiest ways to reduce household water consumption.
14 Ways to Reduce Water Use in the Kitchen
- Dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand. Energy Star dishwashers save even more water and energy. If your dishwasher is new, consider cutting back on rinsing, as newer models typically clean more better than older ones.
- If you’re considering a new dishwasher, use the Consortium for Energy Efficiency website to find most water and energy efficient new dishwasher.
- If you do wash dishes by hand, don’t let the water run when washing dishes by hand, fill one basin with wash water and the other with rinse water.
- Choose one glass for your drinking water every day or refill a water bottle.
- Don’t let the water run while you scrape pots and pans clean, soak them instead.
- Compost your vegetable waste and use your garbage disposal as infrequently as you can.
- Instead of using running water, wash your fruits and vegetables in a pan of water.
- Defrost food in the refrigerator instead of running water.
- Consider installing an instant water heater as near to your faucet as possible so you don’t have to run the water while it heats up.
- Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator.
- Reuse water from cooked or steamed foods as soup starter.
- Cook food in as little water as possible and select the proper pan size for cooking. Large pans may require more cooking water than necessary.
- Instead of throwing them in the sink, use accidentally dropped ice cubes to water houseplants.
- Collect the water you use while rinsing fruit and vegetables and use it to water houseplants.