March 27th's Tip
Brushing Your Teeth: This tip is redundant, I know, but I think we all need a little reminder every now and then. TURN OFF THE WATER! If you leave the water on while brushing, you're wasting about 2 gallons of water per brushing session. You're also wasting money on your water bill.
Get in the habit. Turn the faucet on, wet your brush, turn the faucet off. Don't turn it back on again until you are done brushing and ready to rinse. I know old habits can be hard to break, but this one should be easy!
While we're talking about brushing teeth, let's talk toothpaste. Many standard toothpastes contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a foaming agent that (if you pay attention to Focus Organic!) you know is one of the main ingredients to avoid in personal care products (it's also quite common in shampoos). Want an alternative? I suggest Tom's of Maine toothpastes. Search their SLS-Free varieties.
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9 Responses
1
Linda
March 27th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Is Tom's toothpaste available in stores or only online?
thanks for coming by and giving me good wishes for being 1 year old.
2
GregR
March 27th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
What about the old brick in the cistern to reduce the amount of water being used in the toilet?
3
VinC
March 28th, 2009 at 1:28 am
2 Gallons of water per brushing section OMG ! I don't think that just one section of brushing could took that much of water
4
web design
March 28th, 2009 at 2:16 am
yes, i leave the water on while brushing but reading to this post i realise that i am wasting the water and definately i will try to stop this old habit, thanks for the nice tip.
5
Mr.Dirty Boots
March 28th, 2009 at 5:02 am
A very good tip. It is easy to overlook the simple ways to save water.
6
Edgy Old Dude
March 29th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Living on a boat teaches the most sound conservation policies imaginable. Shower: Wet down - turn water off. Soap up - rinse. It makes turning off water when brushing teeth and washing dishes habitual. Not saying live on a boat unless you want - just practice your habits as if you are.
7
Marlene
March 29th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
My father used to put a little bit of water in a glass and use it to wet his toothbrush, and then to rinse his toothbrush, and then to rinse his mouth. I thought that was a good way to save water!
FYI I buy Tom's of Maine at Wal-Mart.
8
Stefanie
April 9th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Linda, I get mine at Target.
GregR, that's another great tip!
VinC, it's surprising, isn't it?
web design, glad you'll think about it from now on. There's really no reason to leave it on!
Mr.Dirty Boots, it definitely is easy. Some of the simplest things we can do to be more environmentally friendly are overlooked because they are so simple.
Edgy Old Dude, I'll take living on a boat! That's been one of my dreams
Marlene, that's a wonderful tip!
9
Anna
April 21st, 2009 at 8:04 pm
People just think of other things while brushing, they tend to forget that they'd wasted enough water the whole time.
I also suggest to use a glass or tumbler when brushing. This also helps in saving water.
Anna