With several parts of the UK gardening under a hosepipe ban, I’m all ears for when it comes to finding a good watering hack right now – and I think I’ve just found a brilliant one.
There are various ways to water your garden during a hosepipe ban, but Sophie Valentine (@lookinsidemygarden on Instagram) recently shared her family’s workaround: cold water run off.
This is how she saves water from her home – and why I’ll be using this hosepipe ban watering hack over the coming weeks!
You’ve probably heard of all the ways you can use grey water in the garden, but Sophie’s method involves recycling even cleaner water.
‘As a family, we are saving our cold water run off,’ she said in an Instagram update.
‘When we switch the tap on for showers or washing up, we put a bucket under the tap to collect all the cold water that goes down the sink while we wait for the hot water to come through.’
Making the most of that cold water run off is a brilliant way to recycle water for gardening and steer clear of breaking any hosepipe ban rules. Depending on how quickly your water heats up, the savings could be huge – and in Sophie’s case, they are.
‘We are saving between 30L-80L per day, which is eight watering cans – enough to water the whole container garden and cabin pots!’ she said.
I checked in with Hopes Grove Nurseries' managing director and gardening expert, Morris Hankinson, to make sure this method is totally safe for garden plants.
‘Collecting tap water while waiting for it to heat up is a great idea and is a safe way to water your garden while conserving resources, particularly during the hosepipe ban,’ he says.
‘Cold-run tap water is just regular mains water. It doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals, so it's safe to use on your plants.’
You’ll just need to make sure the water is cold before you use it on your plants, which Sophie emphasised in her Instagram post.
‘Lukewarm water is generally ok, but if it's too hot to touch on your skin, let it cool down before watering,’ Morris says.
If you’re keen to look after your lawn during a hosepipe ban and the cold water run off doesn't quite stretch far enough, it’s worth looking at grey water options, too.
‘It's also a good idea to recycle your bath water,’ Morris says. ‘It doesn’t matter if it looks a bit scuzzy, as there’s likely to be some more nutrients in it, so long as you’ve not used any harsh soaps or other chemicals.'
What you'll need
This hosepipe ban watering hack is so simple, and completely free! You'll just need to make sure you've got a bucket or watering can to hand.
