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Green Goes Simple: The Green Scoop

Could You Go Water-free?

By Dana Courtney for Green Goes Simple

For 24 hours, I went on a water diet. No, it’s not the next fad in weight loss; it was an experiment in using less of one of the earth’s most precious resources.

My assignment began first thing in the morning as I fumbled for my toothbrush, still in a sleep-induced haze. I mindlessly reached for the faucet, but before a single drop was wasted, I stopped myself. I decided to take my toothbrush into the shower, where I could multitask my cleansing.

I’ve long since abandoned one of my favorite (wasteful) luxuries -- the 20-minute shower. But this morning, I put myself on the clock to see how much of my normal routine I could squeeze in while using as little water as possible.

With my toothbrush ready and my two-in-one shampoo/conditioner in hand, I turned on the faucet. In a mad dash of suds and scrubbing, I managed to wash my face, hair and body, and to brush my teeth in less than five minutes. Success! Sure, it wasn’t as relaxing as my usual routine, but I left the shower feeling energized and completely clean.

After dressing, I strolled into the kitchen, where a small stack of dinner dishes remained from the night before. I took a deep breath and came up with a strategy to tackle the task at hand using as little water as possible. Because our sink only has one large basin, I decided that it would be best to do the dishes in shifts.

First, I filled up the sink with a small amount of soapy water. After scraping the dishes, I dipped each one in the sudsy water, scrubbed it and set it aside. Once each plate took a soapy plunge, I drained the sink, filled it with a small amount of clean water, rinsed each dish and placed it on the rack to dry.

The process seemed to take a bit longer than my usual habit of leaving the water running as I scrubbed and rinsed each plate individually, but knowing that I consumed half the amount of water than usual made the extra two minutes feel worth it. And because my shower was so much shorter in the morning, I noticed that I was still ahead of schedule as I walked out the door.

Throughout the day, I found a few more ways to use less. In the restroom, I considered whether it was necessary to flush. Because I was in a public stall, I decided yes; if I had been at home, though, I think I could have held off. Afterward, when I went to wash my hands, I soaped up first, and then turned the water on to rinse.

That night, I met a friend at a restaurant for dinner and asked the waiter to leave our silverware and table settings between courses. Although it was a small gesture, the restaurant had to wash fewer cutleries at the end of the day, which meant less water was used for our meal.

Before bed, I turned the water off while brushing my teeth and quickly splashed my face clean.

Although it took practice to be more mindful, after a day of water-dieting, I saw how very little I had to change to make a difference. My assignment may officially be over, but I think my work to save water has just begun.

Dana Courtney is a writer, yoga instructor and whole-foods educator in New York City, where she strives to help others create harmonious, connected lives. Her articles have previously appeared on Green Goes Simple.

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	<h2>Green Goes Simple: The Green Scoop</h2>
<h1>Could You Go Water-free?</h1>

<p>By Dana Courtney  for <em><a href="http://www.greengoessimple.com">Green Goes Simple</a></em></p>

<img src="http://www.greengoessimple.com/partner/content/ecochicmommyftp/archive/2011-06-20/feature/going_water_free/images/large.jpg" width="202" height="138" alt=""/>	<p>For 24 hours, I went on a water diet. No, it’s not the next fad in
weight loss; it was an experiment in using less of one of the earth’s
most precious resources.</p>

<p>My assignment began first thing in the morning as I fumbled for my
toothbrush, still in a sleep-induced haze. I mindlessly reached for the
faucet, but before a single drop was wasted, I stopped myself. I decided
 to take my toothbrush into the shower, where I could multitask my
cleansing.</p>

<p>I’ve long since abandoned one of my favorite (wasteful) luxuries --
the 20-minute shower. But this morning, I put myself on the clock to see
 how much of my normal routine I could squeeze in while using as little
water as possible.</p>

<p>With my toothbrush ready and my two-in-one shampoo/conditioner in
hand, I turned on the faucet. In a mad dash of suds and scrubbing, I
managed to wash my face, hair and body, and to brush my teeth in less
than five minutes. Success! Sure, it wasn’t as relaxing as my usual
routine, but I left the shower feeling energized and completely clean.</p>

<p>After dressing, I strolled into the kitchen, where a small stack of
dinner dishes remained from the night before. I took a deep breath and
came up with a strategy to tackle the task at hand using as little water
 as possible. Because our sink only has one large basin, I decided that
it would be best to do the dishes in shifts.</p>

<p>First, I filled up the sink with a small amount of soapy water. After
 scraping the dishes, I dipped each one in the sudsy water, scrubbed it
and set it aside. Once each plate took a soapy plunge, I drained the
sink, filled it with a small amount of clean water, rinsed each dish and
 placed it on the rack to dry.</p>

<p>The process seemed to take a bit longer than my usual habit of
leaving the water running as I scrubbed and rinsed each plate
individually, but knowing that I consumed half the amount of water than
usual made the extra two minutes feel worth it. And because my shower
was so much shorter in the morning, I noticed that I was still ahead of
schedule as I walked out the door.</p>

<p>Throughout the day, I found a few more ways to use less. In the
restroom, I considered whether it was necessary to flush. Because I was
in a public stall, I decided yes; if I had been at home, though, I think
 I could have held off. Afterward, when I went to wash my hands, I
soaped up first, and then turned the water on to rinse.</p>

<p>That night, I met a friend at a restaurant for dinner and asked the
waiter to leave our silverware and table settings between courses.
Although it was a small gesture, the restaurant had to wash fewer
cutleries at the end of the day, which meant less water was used for our
 meal.</p>

<p>Before bed, I turned the water off while brushing my teeth and quickly splashed my face clean.</p>

<p>Although it took practice to be more mindful, after a day of
water-dieting, I saw how very little I had to change to make a
difference. My assignment may officially be over, but I think my work to
 save water has just begun.</p>
				<p><em><strong>Dana Courtney</strong> <em>is a writer, yoga instructor and whole-foods educator in New York City, where she strives to help others create harmonious, connected lives. Her articles have previously appeared on <a href="http://www.greengoessimple.com">Green Goes Simple</a>.</em></em></p>
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