Flush and Brush with Care: Part 2

Turn off the tap

• If you leave the tap on while brushing your teeth, 2 to 5 gallons of water are likely to run down the drain. The solution: Turn on the water, wet your toothbrush, then turn off the tap until it is time to rinse. You will use one cup of water instead of gallons.

• Leaving the faucet running while you shave will use anywhere from 5 to 20 gallons of water. The solution: Fill the basin and turn off the tap until it is time to rinse your face.

• Turn off the tap while you wash your hands, and you will save another 2 or 3 gallons.

Buy low-flow faucet aerators

Low-flow aerators are simple devices that mix air and water as it comes out of the tap. They reduce the flow by about half, but you will not notice the difference because they make a small stream of water seem plentiful. Do not assume that your sinks have them just because there is a screen aerator on the faucet. If water comes out of the tap at 3 gallons per minute or more, you need a low-flow model. These cost less than $5, will fit both bathroom and kitchen sinks, and are easy to install. Simply unscrew the old aerator, if there is one, and screw on the low-flow model.