Joy feelings magazine September 2019 Issue | Page 29

Sweep your driveway and sidewalk instead of cleaning them up by spraying with the hose. Don’t do the dishes until you have a full load. Your dishwasher uses 12 gallons of water whether it’s full or half-empty. Wash a full load of laundry. Your washing machine uses 40 gallons of water. Run it full, or adjust the water level to the size of your load. Don’t let the water run while you shave or brush your teeth. Turn it on only when you need it. Every minute the faucet runs, five gallons of water go down the drain. Take a shorter shower. And switch to a low-flow shower head. Repair leaky faucets and toilets. You can tell if the toilet leaks by putting food coloring in the tank. If color shows up in the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak. Install faucet aerators. You can cut your water usage by up to six percent. Clean Land Recycle. If your community does not offer a recycling program, ask local officials to start one.