Shortening Our Showers

Some view the shower as an opportunity to think about the day ahead of them (or the day that passed!) or just to relax and this must change. The water consumption in the United States is signifigantly higher than anywhere around the world and long luxerious showers are a big part of the problem. The average water consumption per day for individuals living in the United States is between 60 and 120 gallons and more than half the world lives on less than 25 per day. Think about that difference.

During a typical shower, anywhere from 1.5 to 5 gallons are used per minute. That could be up to 75 gallons for just a 15 minute shower.

Water usage involved in flushing the toilet, dishes, washing machines, and drinking water are more out of our control because they are slightly more necessary. Not that showers aren’t, there are just ways we can cut down time spent in the shower to reduce water consumption.

Today, and for the rest of the semester we will cut down our shower time to 5 minutes and under and you should too! Along with this, we will take only one shower per day. It’s not going to be easy, but it will make a big impact. Here are some tips for cutting down shower time:

1. Next time you purchase shampoo and conditioner, choose the combined (2 in 1) option.

2. Don’t consider the shower a time to think and relax. Rinse and get out!

3. Leave less time (before work/class) to shower.

4. Take a luke warm or cold shower (trust me, you will want to get out).

5. Use a timer or create a playlist to listen to that is less than five minutes to know when your time is up.

Good Luck!

Ellie Booth