The weather this week will make anyone want to get their paddling pools, sprinklers and slip 'n slides out, and why not when its nearly 40 degrees celsius.
Water companies are now asking people to be mindful of how much water they use to keep cool, as there are worries that the current extreme heat could lead to a drought, especially as there is not much rainfall forecasted for the rest of this week and into next week.
Stats from Water's Worth Saving reveal 20% of a typical heating bill for a gas heated home comes from the water for showers, baths and the hot water tap. In general households use a lot more water than what is thought, a two-minute shower uses a whopping 20litres of water.
There are plenty of ways to still use water, whilst making it last a lot longer - and as a plus it could save you money in the long run.
Water your garden with rainwater
Waterbutts are a great way to collect rainwater to use on your houseplants, or to water your whole garden. The mini water tanks connect to your gutter and normally come with a connection tap to fit watering cans and a stand.
Some utility companies offer products like WaterButs for a subsidised price, if yours doesn't they are currently 10% off at Argos at £32.
Gardeners could also use greywater from their kitchen to water their plants - greywater can be any water used in a home, apart from toilets. It's a tip many probably haven't thought of trying before, but why not save the pan of water the next time you boil pasta or potatoes and pour it back into your garden once its cooled down.
Get your water timings right
The difference between conserving water when watering your garden and wasting water can be a matter of a few minutes apart- which is why timings are important.
Water companies including Severn Trent and United Utilities recommend watering plants in the early morning or evening. The cooler weather takes longer for the water to evaporate. If you water your garden in the middle of the day at full heat, the water evaporates before it reaches the roots of the plants - so you'd end up needing more to keep them hydrated.
Another tip many avid gardeners are using to preserve lawns, when not watering as much, is by saving the lawn cuttings. Leaving the shavings from cut grass on top of the lawn creates an added layer of shade for protection. This will help the grass stay durable inbetween the few times it's watered.
Cover your paddling pool
In the heatwave the last thing families want to do is stop their kids from using the pool, but there are ways to use the water more efficiently.
One way is to cover the pool with a bed sheet, this stops the water evaporating in the heat and keeps it clean, to be able to use the next day. Scum balls are also a good way of keeping larger pools cleaner for longer, and preserve the time between re-filling. The absorbant ball collects grime, dirt and oils from the pool to keep it fresher for longer.
Save water with every flush
Moving inside now, and there are plenty of things households can do to help save water withouth realising. Now, flushing is one thing that can't be avoided, but implementing a cistern saving device can save a lot of litres.
The Water Hippo is one, a small container fitted into the toilet cistern to reduce the amount of water used to flush each time - an average of three litres per flush. The clean water collected in the container on each flush is then automatically drained back into the cistern.
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