Making Life Greener – Shaving Site Switch Saves Water

As I was getting ready this morning, it struck me how many little changes we have made to our routine and how little I think about them once they become new habits. (And how much of my thinking about this site happens in the shower!)

One change I have made is moving shaving my legs out of the shower. Now I perch on the side of the tub and run the water only to wet and rinse. My motivation for change was to save water but I’ve been surprised at how much easier and effective shaving has become. Now I can see what my razor missed in the privacy of my bathroom, rather than as I cross my legs in a meeting!

That fact illustrates one of the nicest benefits of greening our lifestyle. There are many things we did simply because they were habit. Becoming more green has made us more thoughtful about our choices, which often leads to new ways of doing things that are better for us in more ways than one.

The environmental impact of this small change will also add up over time. With flow rates on showers running anywhere from 2-10 gallons per minute and at least 5 minutes spent shaving my legs in the shower, I was using 10-50 gallons of water. Now I use well less than one gallon of water for the same task and obtain a much better result. Even Rich has noticed!

The Environmental Protection Agency has created a brochure, called Using Water Efficiently: Ideas for Residences, that contains other water conservations tips in case you don’t worry about shaving your legs or are a super speedy shaver. :)

If you want to involve the whole family in this discussion, the US Geological Survey has created a worksheet for students to determine the amount of water used in their homes. This could be a fun family activity for children learning how to count or learning about time. For families with older children, this sheet could help them select the next change to target as a family. The site also links to information on related topics such as the water cycle and the properties of water so have fun exploring the world of water and water conservation together!

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