Summer often comes with periods of prolonged drought. All over the US, there are long periods of drought every summer, which can lead to all sorts of issues. A lot of these problems are caused by wasting a lot of water during summer. Fortunately, however, there are ways for most households to stave off the drought, at least for a while. If you’re careful, you can minimize the amount of water you use during the summer. In order to help you do this, we have put together a list of 7 ways to save water this summer, which will hopefully help you avoid the drought.

1. Water your yard during the morning or evening

Grassy lawns are something everyone enjoys; a well-maintained lawn is both pleasing to the eye and good for curb appeal. However, watering a yard takes a lot of water in the long run, and water evaporates rather quickly in the summer. So, in order to make the most of your water, you should only water your yard when it’s colder. During the morning and evening, when temperatures are pleasantly cool, water evaporates much more slowly. As such, you can get away with watering your yard less often because you will utilize the water as much as possible. However, you shouldn’t forget about the things every house needs to regularly check. Saving water is important, but you shouldn’t forget about maintenance.

2. Check if your toilet is leaking

A leaky toilet can potentially waste up to 100 gallons of water every day. And the worst part about it is that it’s very hard to spot a leaky toilet. However, a proactive method lets you check if your toilet is leaking quite easily. Simply take some food coloring and put a few drops into your toilet tank. If the color shows up in the toilet bowl, then you have a leak. A toilet leak is fairly inexpensive to fix, but the amount of water it can waste when ignored is serious. Also, experts from allstatemoving.net note that if you move into a new home this summer, checking for water leaks is the first thing you want to do.

3. Shorten your showers

Shaving off only two minutes off your shaver can save you 1,750 gallons of water every year per person. Two minutes might not seem much, but the amount of water that streams out of a shower head every second can be quite surprising. Additionally, consider turning the water off while you soap or shave for the same reason. In the long run, these small acts add up to saving quite a lot of water. Because of this, they’re a very good habit to have. While they’re definitely not as important as trying to ensure your air quality is good, they are some of the easiest ways to save water this summer.

4. Use a dishwasher

Dishwashers are a wonderful creation that saves both time and water. Handwashing potentially takes up to 27 gallons of water, depending on how many dishes are washed. Comparatively, a typical dishwasher only spends 3 gallons of water when cleaning a considerable number of dishes. All in all, a dishwasher is an incredibly good investment, especially if you struggle with water use during the summer. Additionally, using a dishwasher will save you a lot of time. When handwashing dishes, you, of course, are busy the entire time. On the other hand, using a dishwasher only needs you to place the dishes inside, put the required cleaning supplies in, and let it do its thing while you do something else.

5. Cover your pool

If you’re someone who has a pool in their yard, then consider covering it while it’s not being used. By doing this, you make sure that the water in the pool stays in the pool instead of evaporating. Needless to say, it takes a lot of water to fill up a pool. As such, keeping the water where it is should be a priority. Additionally, if you’re planning on selling your home this summer, then adding a pool is a great way to get more value out of it. Of course, it’s an expensive investment, but this can add value to your home before it’s sold. Also, pools are one of the pre-sale home improvements with the highest return on investment.

6. Take your car to the car wash

Much like watering your yard, washing your car takes a lot of time and water. On average, washing a car takes up to 100 gallons of water, not to mention the time and effort. Commercial car washes, on the other hand, only spend up to 40 gallons of water and are significantly faster. So, not only would you be helping the community by spending less water, but you’d also save yourself a lot of time.

7. Get a rain barrel

Getting a barrel and placing it under your gutter’s downspout is a great way to save some water when it rains. Of course, this water shouldn’t be used to drink or wash something in the house, but you can use it to water plants. If you have a garden, this is a wonderful way to use rainwater. However, this does also bring up a point of why disinfecting and sanitizing your home is important. Using rainwater is a good idea, but this water is also unsafe. Keeping your home clean is a very important part of being a homeowner.

7 easy ways to save water this summer – conclusion

Summer can be a difficult time because it almost always brings droughts with it. As such, knowing how to save water where you can is incredibly important. Whether it’s simply shortening your showers or being more effective with how you use water in general, there are many ways you can use to try and stave off the drought for a little bit longer. We hope this list of 7 ways to save water this summer helps you avoid the issues which usually come with a drought, and we wish you a great rest of your day.

Guest Contributor: Sophia Perry