Twice per day (or more!), many of us scurry over to the bathroom sink, flip the water on, grab our toothbrush, and get to cleaning. The act of brushing your teeth can be quite simple — there’s water, toothpaste, a brush, and you. About two minutes of cleaning go by, you rinse, and you’re done — but wait! During those few moments of plaque removal and surface cleaning, one thing’s been a constant, and that’s the flow of water. For many of us, turning the sink on to brush our teeth comes natural, and we don’t actually turn it off until we’re done — and that should be something you strive to change. Below are a few reasons why you shouldn’t leave the water on while you’re cleaning and protecting those pearly whites.
Wasteful Practices
Similar to taking an unnecessarily long shower, leaving the faucet on while you brush can seem harmless, but in reality, it’s an extremely wasteful practice that occurs far too often in homes around the country. On average, two gallons of water flow from a sink faucet per minute, which means a two-minute brushing session can waste up to four gallons of water! When you measure that up to how much you use to brush, it’s a lot of wasted h2O! Four gallons of water equates to EIGHT times the amount of daily water recommended for consumption by the average human.
What You Can Do
You might be asking yourself “how can I reduce my waste while brushing?”, and the answer is quite simple. Here are a few things you might want to try:
- Turn the water off as soon as you begin brushing, and only turn it back on to rinse and clean off the brush. This can cut your usage to a mere 5% if quick!
- Fill up a cup of water before brushing and only use that amount to rinse and clean off when you’re finished. If you do the numbers, 12oz of water vs 4 gallons (512oz!) makes a huge difference.
- Reducing your water pressure can result in less ejected water while the faucet is in use, which in turn lowers the amount of water used and wasted.
- A new aerating faucet can also reduce your usage, as this will introduce tiny air bubbles into the water, using less as it passes onto your toothbrush and into your mouth.
We can help you find the perfect solution for your home’s plumbing needs, no matter the job! Contact us at Plumbing & A/C Medic, Inc. to schedule a service call and learn more about improving your bathroom plumbing & habits today.
