April is Earth Month and April 22nd is Earth Day which means it’s a good time to think about simple changes we can make in our lives to be a little more eco-friendly.   WaterSavers®, a consumer awareness campaign from the International Carwash Association® (ICA), sent me some great tips to help conserve water to share with you all!   WaterSavers is committed to promoting the importance of using eco-friendly car washes that use less fresh water and return clean water back into the environment.

3 Simple Tips for Conserving Water:

1.  How to Be Green and Clean Your Driving Machine – Keeping your car clean with regular washing is an important part of responsible maintenance, but washing at home with a garden hose can use more than 60 gallons of water in as little as five minutes. Furthermore, you’re putting harmful chemicals and detergents down storm sewers and that ends up polluting our rivers and streams.You may be surprised to learn there is a greener way to keep your car sparkling: a professional car wash. A common misconception is that professional car washes waste water, when in fact the opposite is true. WaterSavers professional car washes, for example, use an average of no more than 40 gallons of fresh water per vehicle – less than the average home washing machine, which uses 41 gallons per load, according to the EPA. Professional car washes also responsibly dispose of — and in many cases recycle and re-use — the water runoff.
2. Go Green and Keep Your Whites White – It’s easy to take steps to conserve H2O and keep your wardrobe fresh. First, only run the clothes washer when you have a full load. Make this habit for both your clothes washer and dishwasher, and you can save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month, according to Wateruseitwisely.com.You get extra green points if you use cold water when washing your clothes. Approximately 86 percent of the energy used by washing machines is for heating the water. Washing with cold water eliminates 1,600 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year from just one household, according to the Sierra Club.
3. Break Bad Bathroom Habits – Bathrooms are water hogs, accounting for about 75 percent of a home’s water usage. Adopting a green mindset in the bathroom can save major water and money. Start by switching to a low-flow showerhead, which National Geographic says saves 15 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower. Keep the occasional bath for a special treat because the average tub takes about 70 gallons to fill, so showers are much more efficient.

We try hard to conserve water at home, especially since we moved to the city and now have a water bill!  My daughters shut the water off in between brushing their teeth, I only run the dishwasher and washing machine when full, we have a front loading washer which uses less water than top loading and we have sprinklers that are on a timer so we don’t over water our lawn and use too much water.  I know over time these all add up!

(1) Koupon Karen reader will win a WaterSavers prize package which includes:

• Tote Bag
• Folding Umbrella
• 22 oz. Guzzy Water Bottle (filtering water bottle)
• Jelly Stick Non-Slip Grip for Car Dash
• 16 oz. ThermalView Insulated Travel Tumbler

To enter the giveaway, use the Giveaway Tools widget below. This is a new widget I’m trying and I hope you like it. Please let me know if you have any questions about it or problems with it! Of course Facebook is in no way associated with this giveaway!

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Disclosure: I am working with the International Carwash Association to share these tips for conserving water. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.