It’s week two of teaming up with Waterwise to show that water’s worth saving. This week we’re showing you how you can help save water in the kitchen with lots of tips and tricks. To set the scene of why we think this month’s water campaign is so essential predictions by the National Audit Office (NAO) show that the ‘rainy’ UK will run out of water in the next 20 years.
It’s not just third world countries that struggle to get water, South Africa and Australia have had difficulties in supplying much-needed H2O in recent years.
The appreciation for water has somewhat depleted in the UK. It rains a lot! We’re an island surrounded by water with lots of lakes and green spaces, but just because we see water, does not mean it is suitable for consumption. From all of the earth’s supply of freshwater, we have access to less than 1% of it at any one time. It’s because we do not have the facilities to store a massive downpour. When we capture water, it must be treated and supplied to the public before becoming contaminated. It’s a constant balancing act as to how much water companies can provide, almost guessing when the next downpour will happen.
Water is all around our home, but this week we’re focussing on the kitchen. Here we use water for cooking, cleaning and some rather bizarre actions – but we’ll get onto that a little bit later. Let’s dive straight into our tips on how to save water in the kitchen.
Washing the dishes
At Greenredeem, we’re all about small and easy-to-do changes which is why we know that for some families, getting rid of a dishwasher isn’t feasible. Not only that but for some, a water-friendly dishwasher will use less water than washing by hand. However, we do have some tips on how to save water in both scenarios.
If you are going to use a dishwasher, make sure it’s full and run it on eco mode – that’s almost a given. We’re not a fan of half loads in our washing machine, and the same goes for our dishwasher. However, if you find yourself giving dishes a quick rinse before placing them in your dishwasher – you need a new dishwasher. Alternatively, just wash by hand. It’s a severe waste of water rinsing in two different places.
If you’re a fan of washing by hand (because let’s face it, if you want a job doing properly, you do it yourself) then it’s important to fill a bowl and wash dishes in there. A tap that runs for 10 minutes can use 100 litres of water – nearly the same amount a person is supposed to use in a day! Another handy tip is to use washing up liquid sparingly, the more bubbles, the more rinsing required which means – you guessed it – more water.
Ultimately, the best water-saving scenario is to wash your dishes in a bowl and try not to go too crazy on the soap. Allow filthy dishes to soak and give the water time to lift the grime—easy tips to save water in the kitchen.
Save water while cooking
When it comes to cooking techniques, there aren’t many that can save water which don’t have huge effects on your energy bills. Swapping boiling out for oven cooking isn’t the best tactic, but there is something you may not have considered. Steaming. By steaming vegetables, you can use minimal water and not create a new issue with your energy consumption, but there are other ways to save water in the kitchen when cooking.
Consider how much water is needed to cook when boiling an item, there’s no need to create a swimming pool for two potatoes. If you need to wash your vegetables before cooking, again use a bowl instead of a running tap. Another great tip is to stop defrosting items under the hot tap. Give yourself time to defrost food in the fridge by placing them in there the night before. Although if you do forget (because we’re all human), remember to use a bowl, not a running tap. For more water-saving tips in while cooking check out our Christmas tip blog.
Save water in your kitchen quick tips
Not every bit of water usage comes from washing up or cooking, which is why we have some great quick tips you can implement instantly:
- Place a jug of water in your fridge, so you don’t have to wait for cold water when running a tap
- Reuse your water bottle at home to save washing up multiple glasses each evening
- Fix all your leaks, a leaky tap can cost you 5,500 litres of water a year, and if it’s the hot tap, that could add up to £18 a year in energy!
- Put on the kettle, but only put in the water that you need. A full kettle is an expensive kettle
- Reuse water from boiling veg to soak your greasy pans to help lift dirt
- Put a lid on your boiling pot to keep the heat in and reduce cooking time
- Reuse vegetable water to make gravy and soups
- Use a water-saving gadget such as aerators
There are many ways to save water in the kitchen, and we’re sure we haven’t covered all of them. If you have any more tips on what you do in your kitchen to save water, let us know in the comments below!