Stuff you can buy that’ll help you use less water

Water you waiting for?

By Billy Cadden

Posted on Mar 1, 2019 6:02 PM EST

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For Pop Sci’s water issue, Sarah Scoles wrote about her week using as little water as possible:

As she notes in the piece, “of the 355 billion gallons of water that wash through American pipes daily, less than 10 percent is for domestic use.” A lot of it hinges on your consumption habits: buying and disposing of clothing, drinking coffee, and eating meat (as three kind of random examples) all require a lot of water.

If you’re starting to feel guilty, consider harnessing that for personal development. Habit changes add up. Need help getting started? These eight neat, H2O-saving products may help inspire you to start your own water-saving sojourn.

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
Reduce how much water you use by taking fewer showers. Living Proof’s Dry Shampoo is great at soaking up your scalp’s sweat and oil, which will help you stay fresh-looking sans shower. This particular dry shampoo also has a time-release fragrance that’ll keep you smelling decent all day. Amazon
Low-flow faucet aerator
One option to save water in the kitchen is to replace your dishwasher with a newer model that uses less fluid per cycle. Another—cheaper—option is a low-flow faucet aerator. This faucet aerator by Niagara is brass with a polished chrome finish, fits most faucets and keeps the needle spray water pressure consistent. They are incredibly easy to install and this pack comes with six aerators. It can reduce water usage by up to 77 percent. The aerator restricts water flow—reducing your water use— while at the same time increasing the pressure resulting in a strong flow. If nothing else, you will shave some bucks off your water bill. Amazon
High Sierra Reflection X Shower Mirror
First of all, while you wait for your water to heat, use the initial burst of cold water for other thirsty things. Water your plants, keep your pet hydrated, or use it to clean your dirty dishes. The award-winning Reflection X shower head by High Sierra—featured in our newest issue—is WaterSense certified, meaning it helps people reduce how much water is used. And the best part: hot water runs through the reflective shower head, creating a built-in mirror that, due to the heat behind it, doesn’t fog. It comes with a 10-inch adjustable extension arm, making it easy to place at different heights. If you use a low-flow shower head, you can save up to 15 gallons of water every ten minutes. Amazon
Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller
For those with a sprinkler system on your property, try out the Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller. It is easy to swap for your old, wasteful system. The Rachio has a waterproof casing, easily connects to your Wi-Fi, and is EPA WaterSense certified. Because of the Wi-Fi connectivity, you can control the device from your phone or computer. What makes Rachio so smart is that it adapts to local weather changes and automatically optimizes your watering schedule. For example: if you water your plants earlier in the morning, you will need less water since cooler temperatures will result in less evaporation. The best part is that it works with any sprinkler system, so you won’t need to replace your entire setup. Amazon
Rain Barrel
One way to save on water is to catch rain in a rain barrel. This one s made out of BPA-free plastic and designed to look like an old oak whiskey barrel. Attach your hose directly to the cask to use rainwater as plant watering fluid or driveway cleaner. It’s got built-in bug screens on top for protection and the flat back allows it to fit snugly up against a wall. This barrel fits 50 gallons of water and can link to others for more storage. A stand is recommended to make filling your receptacles easier. Amazon
Potato Scrubber
While this potato scrubber doesn’t actually reduce how much water you use, it is durable and can be used to get tough buildups off of your dishes or clean off fruits. Fill up a bowl with water, turn off the sink and scrub all the grease away. Plus it is a potato with feet and a face. Amazon


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Billy Cadden

Senior Director of Commerce

Billy Cadden is the Senior Director of Commerce for the science, tech, and outdoor group at Recurrent. He began working as the Commerce Editor at PopSci in 2017, where he spent 5 years diving deep into every product he could get his hands on. Cadden splits his time between Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, and Woodstock with his dog Wanda. He spends his time seeking new coffee shops and writing for his solo music project.