April Showers bring May flowers, but April showers also use up a lot of water!
Since April 22nd is Earth Day I thought I’d present an Earth Loving Challenge.
I read that the average shower takes 10 minutes and uses up 17 gallons of water – that is per day! Think about how much water you are using each week – A LOT!
The April Showers Challenge:
1. Make an effort to take quicker showers. Everyone’s shower time, rituals, partners and water pressure is different. So, use your own judgment on this and try to use less shower time.
2. If it’s yellow let it mellow. (Unless you’re at your new boyfriend’s house and him finding pee in the toilet risks a quick end to your relationship.)
3. Conserve water in daily activities – only wash full loads of laundry/dishes, don’t let water run while brushing teeth…
4. Use this link or this one to calculate your current usage and try to cut back.
The main goal of is challenge is to just try to cut back on your water usage in a realistic way. The Challenge will last through April.
If you want to participate leave a comment and link back if you do something “water saving”. Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a fun prize pack full of food and spa goodies (I’m putting it together myself!). Winner announced May 1st. 
Bonus Water Saving Tip… shower together!
(source)
Just a suggestion 
Or, you can just do what I do and stop showering all together. Sorry Ben.
www.nataliedee.com
Now for lunch – same thing as yesterday. If it’s not broke, right? 
Who’s in the for the April Showers Challenge?
Leave a comment!
I’m in and going to try and get my kids to work at it too! Great ideas!
I’m game…I’ve always been one to follow the “if its yellow, let it mellow” rule, even though The Husband isn’t too keen on it (he has already signed the papers…no need to make good impressions! (;).
I participated today – rather than shower at 4pm I decided that I’d made it this far into the day all ready…a shower is just a waste of time {and water}!
Holy cow, my showers never take that long. I am always super fast and efficient because I am always showering after a workout and I want food! lol
And although my husband isn’t the biggest fan, my motto has always been “if it’s yellow let it mellow, unless guests are coming over” 😉
I am in! One thing I can do is to not “warm-up” the shower by letting it run before I get in… I just need to learn to suck it up, and get in! 🙂
AHHHH!!! I was so ready to jump all over conserving water 😛 Add my really gross tip to saving water….wear your running gear a few times before washing. Yes, its a little stinky, but it saves the gear from breaking down and water! (am i gross or what)
My hubs and I don’t live in a house, so we don’t use any water outdoors 🙂 This is slightly embarrassing to say, but if we both have to pee at the same time, we both go before we flush to save water. Gross? Yes. Good for the planet? Yes.
I shower and brush my teeth at the same time (except when I am at my boyfriend’s since he lets me use his fancy toothbrush with my own head extension. He’d freak out if I used his toothbrush in the shower..haha).
Since I live by myself, I don’t dirty a great amount of dishes so I will wait two days before doing them. Plates that I put toast on and things like that (i.e., didn’t’ get cause, drool, etc on), I will quickly rinse and dry off.
I’m in! I’ll work on shortening up my showers!
Does hardly ever washing your hair count as saving water? If so, I’m a water saving machine. I’ve got shampoo-free showering down to a 2 minute art 🙂
I love this challenge.
One kinda cool water saving technique is to put a BRICK in the back of your toilet. That way, when the water fills up in your toilet after you flush, it replaces one brick less.
All those flushes add up 🙂
I am totally in..we try to conserve water as much as possible…My kids are still young enough to bath together..or I throw one of them in the shower with me or dad…we always turn off the water when we brush..but I am totally guilty of washing one outfit at a time if I want to wear something particular…so I am in!!
I grew up in a home where hot water wasn’t freely available, so we learned to minimize it’s use. We still use similar techniques when camping in the trailer.
In the shower, turn the water on to get wet. Turn the water off. Lather up. Water back on, to rinse. Use a combined shampoo/conditioner.
Full loads only in the dishwasher and washing machine. Scrape rather than rinse plate (unless of course you’re in the habit of licking all but the pattern off the plate).
Use a professional car wash rather than washing at home. (I love this one). They recycle the water.
I guess drinking wine instead of water doesn’t really help much does it?
This is great! I tend to be ocd about doing the dishes, but in realiity, I don’t need to run the water if there is only a few dishes in the sink. I can wait till more pile up.
I’m a daily reader of your blog, but I rarely comment because I’m typically at work 🙂
Anywho, I thought this was DEFINITELY something I had to speak up about, because I think it’s so awesome! I’m totally up for the shower challenge! I’ll link back in my blog about it today!
I save water on accident by not showering as often as I should…. that’s what hats are for, right?! I will try and get the whole kitchen of dishes in my dishwasher before running it…. I could really stand to lessen my water running while brushing my teeth…. oops, something to work on!
I will try all suggestions! My husband has said since I met him 17 years ago, “Save water, shower with a friend!” one way to start each morning together! 🙂
I already take fairly short showers and I often turn off the water when I lather up my hair. I guess I could try implementing tip #2 (should have been tip #1 ;-)) from your post…
I’m up for it! I always try to run before I shower for the day but could work on shortening them a bit!
IM IN! Fun challenge… i dont take SUPER long showered but they could easily be shortened up!
I have already been trying to do less laundry!
I really need to not let the water run so much when doing dishes/brushing teeth
i’m in on this challenge! i know i can totally make tweaks to my routine and totally cut down on my water usage!
I really love this. i can’t rap my head around people buying water bottles…it used to kill me to see people in dorms (years ago) lug packs of 20 water bottles to their rooms because they thought that was the “cleanest” or “safest” water. meanwhile i’m drinking tap and getting along just fine. rant! anyway, i could always up my act in terms of showering shorter showers and really uses less water when washing dishes, etc. i lived in australia for a while and they are SO much more conscious of their lack of water and the importance of not wasting it. they even have “half flush” and “full flush” tolet options so that you can use less water when need be (pee!). good idea!
I’m in! Fabulous idea 😀
i stopped washing my hands. on a side note, i’ve been sick for the last three months.
seriously, though, i make a conscious effort to take super quick showers & not leave the faucet on longer than need be. i grew up in so cal in the desert & so i know all about draughts and water shortages.
i also go to the bathroom on my neighbor’s lawn to reduce toilet flushing. another side note, i hate my neighbor.
I’m in! I like the idea about showering less 🙂 Another idea: when running the water from the faucet and waiting for it to heat up, collect the cool water in a container. This water can then be used for watering plants, cleaning, etc.
Great tips! Love the shower together one 😉 heh!
I’m in! I always am conscious about running the dishwasher when it is SUPER full and only once every 2 days. I also take quick showers and have told both my roommates to do the same!
I take quick showers with my honey and turn off the tap while brushing my teeth.
I’m going to commit to shower instead of bathing! I know how much water that saves..
My roommates and I have been using these tips for awhile, but more because we are starving college students and we found out that water isn’t fo free after all! We have been making a big effort to laundry together, not jsut when someone needs a clean shirt!
I’m in! But now I am feeling pretty guilty about standing in the shower after I am done, just enjoying the hot water. 17 gallons!?!
Totally doing this challenge.
i take showers not baths. i don’t wash my car…and it is obvious!
i just can’t do the mellow yellow rule…but my mom does! can i count her good deed here?!
thanks for the contest, monica!
I’m in! I’ve been using the if it’s yellow, let it mellow rule for awhile now–my boyfriend has gotten used to it!
I’m TOTALLY in! This is the perfect reason to cut back on leg shaving (once every other week perhaps?) and hair washing (can I go 4 days instead of 2-3?). I love it!
I’m definitely going to do my part. I always leave the water running while brushing my teeth and reading on the throne.
I’m in! Great tips as well:)
I’m in! This is hard for me because I’m a twice-a-day showerer and a germaphobe, so I wash my hands a lot. But! I take quick showers, and I don’t run the water when I brush my teeth! We all do what we can. 🙂
This is such an awsome challenge! I am so down! Showering is my break from medical boards studying (sad, no?), so I was definitely taking my time in order to maximize procrastination. I’m kicking the bad habit, starting now!
I’m definitely down! I wash all of my dishes by hand and I am trying to shut off the water while I’m washing, but I need to make a better effort to fill the sink and wash them that way when I have a lot of dishes! Also, I only wash my hair every couple days, so my showers are quicker! AND I hate showering anyway so I try to make them as quick as I can, haha!
Great challenge!! I try to take 5-10 minute showers to conserve water.
I hateeee showering. And afterwards, my blowdryer and hair straightener use up energy too! What a waste.
Oh yes… I want to play. I’m actually really good about conserving everyday! My husband and I always joke that we’re reducing our carbon footprint by not having kids 🙂
This is a great challenge! I’m really trying to cut down on my water usage, this will be a good reminder 🙂
I take about 2 minute showers, and always “let it mellow” at night!
Totally in for this challenge!
Sorry if I posted x10000 times, but I am having issues here.
I have just been saying that I have to take shorter showers due to time constraints.
I save water by not washing my hair every day and also doing large loads of laundry.
I would use the if it is yellow part but hubby is disgusted by it so I have compromise.
Time crunches have left me taking shorter showers, anyway.
Not sure if not flushing would fly at my house…
I’ve been taking shorter showers due to time crunches. =D I don’t know if saving flushes would fly very well at my house, though.
I’ve been taking shorter shorts due to time crunches. =D I don’t know if saving flushes would fly very well at my house, though.
Love this idea! I always turn my water off when brushing my teeth. And not sure if this saves water, but I often brush my teeth in the shower, too 🙂
I cut down on my showers by not washing my hair everyday. I hope there are some Think Thins in that goody bag!!!
I don’t like Think Thins, so if I have any you can have ’em!
Awesome! I do this challenge all the time! We only flush when necessary, take short showers and are efficient with our laundry. We tend not to shower unless it’s necessary because we’re hippies like that! 🙂
I’m in! I saved water today by not showering after my run. Okay, okay, okay… that’s just because I am lazy and disgusting 🙂
Count me IN! We are already a “if it’s yellow…” household, but I tend to take two showers each day and I know that I can shorten both. I also want to be more aware of how much water I use when I do the dishes. Thanks for kicking this off!
My goals: shorter showers (especially on work days, when I usually dawdle because I don’t wanna go to work…) and not letting the water run while brushing my teeth.
Hopefully, this will offset the fact that I’ve been trying to encourage my hubby to shower more frequently… but maybe I’ll just let him be totally gross for the month! Afterall, it’s in the name of your challenge AND Earth Day 🙂
I’m so in (this challenge)! I already try my best to conserve water every day, so I’ll try extra hard now!!
I’m definitely going to start timing my showers better!
I time my showers now, because a timer set for five minutes randomly appeared in the shower one day. I don’t know whose it is, but it is so useful! Now my showers don’t exceed five minutes.
This is a great idea – I’m totally in! 🙂
My husband takes the longest showers. This is so mean, but I wait to start the wash machine until he is in the shower. Because the wash machine takes all the hot water, he literally has about 5min until the shower becomes cold. I like to think I am doing my part in conserving water by doing this 🙂
I’m in! Great idea, Monica! I try to conserve water everywhere except while taking showers; after a long run, I looovvvee me a good 20-minute shower. So bad.
Hi! I’m a total greenie-conservationist, so I am already doing several of these.
– my husband replaced our showerheads with low-flow heads. The showerheads reduce the amount of water used AND they have little knobs so I can stop the water flow entirely without losing the temperature I’ve already set.
– We don’t buy bottled water, but keep the filter on our fridge water dispenser clean and healthy.
– In the main bathroom, his sister won’t stick by the IIYLIM/IIBFID, but we do in our master bathroom.
– We recently upgraded our washer and dryer to high-efficiency models. Now, husband and I fight over who’s turn it is to do laundry – “Mine!” “No, miiiine!” “NO MINE MINE MINE!” We end up sounding like the seagulls in Finding Nemo 😉
– I squawk like one of those seagulls if I hear water running pointlessly. If I need to get hot water out of the kitchen sink, I water my plants with the warming-up water.
– We don’t water the little lawn we do have. It doesn’t seem to suffer for it.
I’ve become a little more water conscious lately – brushing my teeth, running the water waiting for it to get cold (not anymore!) etc. Of course, showering together is the easiest way to conserve water 😉
I save water by not showering regularly, or at least that’s what I tell myself!
No, actually I grew up on island without public water (we collected rain water in cisterns) so I’m really good about conserving water. Growing up I wasn’t allowed to run the water during the shower – you get wet, turn off the water to shampoo, turn on to rinse, turn off to soap…. Now I would never let the water run while I brush my teeth or wash my face, and we only flush when needed. <– that one is especially crucial because I pee like 8bazillion times a day!
I always take quick showers. 5 minutes in and out. My ex-roommate used to take 20 minutes showering; I still can’t figure out what the hell he was doing with all that time.
I can tell you what he was doing, but I think Monica would rather I kept things PG!
Ha!
Ben takes the longest showers too. I don’t get it? Or at least I didn’t get it until Emily hinted…
I’m in 🙂 When I lived by myself I did the “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down”… might seem not so lady-like but hey it saves some H2O!
Great challenge, Monica! Definitely something I need to become more aware of. We’ve stopped watering our lawn everyday and I only make sure I run the dish washer when its full to the max! 🙂
Monica, I love this! I am totally in!