New Uses for Used Water

I know you just read the title and thought, "Is she crazy?" I'd probably think the same thing, but let me explain. We use a lot of water in our daily activities. Washing dishes and clothes, bathing, cooking, and yes using the toilet, and I bet most of that water just goes right down the drain. While reading a book, the author mentioned reusing some of these "dirty" waters in other ways. I thought to myself, "well why not?" Check-out some of these tips to see where you could cut back on water usage.

• Do you have a fish tank? Have you ever changed the water in it and just dumped it down the drain? If you have a garden or just landscaping, pour it there, plants love the minerals from fish waste, and you save on watering and fertilizer.
• Did you just boil potatoes? Typically you just pour it down the drain, but did you know that potato water can be a great silver polish? More ideas for potato water here. Many of these work for pasta too!
• Did you steam some veggies? You can use the water from that in other components of your dish to add those nutrients to it.
• Washing money down the drain during a shower? You could fit your house with a system that uses that water to fill your toilet. Sounds kind of cool because honestly who needs fresh tap water to pee in?
• Just had a sink of dish water from washing dishes. Put some in a spray bottle and spray plants in your garden. Bugs hate dish soap.
• Rain water. I live in Florida, and we are about to hit rainy season really soon. A rain barrel can be a great way to water your plants and lawn when it isn't raining. They also come in lots of decorative options that blend in with your landscaping.
• Water left in your water bottle at the end of the day? I tend to put this in the dogs dish. Why pour it down the drain when it is still good? I just want to clean the container, and they need water. For what it's worth if I drop ice on the ground when getting some I also put that in their dish.

There are tons of safe ways to reuse water. You just have to use your imagination. I might add these tips are also useful in case of an emergency when water may be scarce.

Have an idea? Share it below and I will add it to the list!