8 TikTok hacks for National Water Saving Week - from what to do with your bath water to how to cut shower time

One of these hacks can save hundreds of litres of water per year
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Looking after the environment is important for many people, and as part of efforts to do that people are doing what they can to save water. Using as little water as possible is also key for cutting down household costs as all bills continue to rise during the cost of living crisis.

The careful use of water was also brought into public consciousness during the droughts of 2022. A record high temperature of 40C, multiple heatwaves and no rainfall lead to water shortages as levels of water in rivers, reservoirs and canals across the country fell dramatically. To help preserve the limited water supplies available at the time, providers implemented a series of hosepipe bans which lasted for weeks. At the time, people used as little water as they could, followed the water restrictions in their area and became used to following water saving measures. Many continued to follow them, even after the droughts ended and the hosepipe bans were lifted.

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So, this National Water Saving Week, (15 to 19 May), it’s no surprise that people are eager to share their best tips to help reduce water consumption every day - and they’ve taken to popular social media site TikTok to share them. Just what are some of the best water saving TikTok hacks, and how can you use them in your own home? Here’s everything you need to know.

Use the small button on a dual toilet flush

This hack comes from property guru Kyle Mattison, known as The Property Guy. In fact, it’s such a useful hack that Mattison has posted about it twice on his TikTok page @ThatPropertyGuy. In each video he advises people to use the small button on a dual toilet flush because the smaller button uses much less water, around 3 to 4.5 litres per flush, whereas the larger button uses between 6 and 9 litres. He did acknowledge that sometimes 3 litres won’t be enough, but urged his followers to save water where they can.

Save cold water from when you first turn the shower or bath on

This hack comes from TikToker and eco champion Anna Masiello, who regularly posts sustainability tips on her TikTok page under the username @Hero_to_0. She advises people that instead of letting water run down the drain while they are waiting for the shower or bath water to warm up, they should collect that cold water in a container and re-use it. In the video, she told her users that she saves hundreds of litres of water per year by doing this. She said that she saves 4 litres of water with every shower, and that she uses this water to drink, although she does add a natural filter first to improve the taste. She also advises that people could use the water in their gardens.

Reusing bath water through your outside hose

People will be more used to getting baking tips from Nancy Birtwhistle, who won the fifth series of The Great British Bake Off in 2014, but she’s also got a really helpful water saving tip. On her TikTok account, @Nancy_Birtwhistle, she said had originally used the tip, which involves reusing bath water, in the 1970s. She shows in her video how you can use your hose pipe to move the water from the full bath and out into your garden to water the plants. The water could also be used to wash the car, if the hosepipe can reach.

Use a shower timer

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There are many TikTok users who are promoting the use of shower timers on their pages, including The Property Guy. These are small sand timers which can be used for someone to monitor the time they spend in the shower and ensure it’s no longer than four minutes. You can get one of these for free from the environmental organisation Save Water Save Money. It’s really easy to order one, all you have to do is go on the website and enter in your postcode. Alternatively, you can also set a timer on your phone. Although a relatively simple hack, cutting down your shower time by just one minute could save you over £70 per year, according to Bathroom expert Warren Kinloch, from bathroom supplier Bathroom Deal.

Regularly check your toilet for leaks

TikToker Mitch Couch has shared a cheap and easy hack for checking to see if your toilet is leaking and therefore wasting water - and it involves using something many people will already have in their kitchen cupboards, food colouring. In a video on his TikTok page GoodlyEarth, he advised people to put a tiny squirt of colouring into the tank and wait to see if this transfers to the toilet boil. If it does, this indicates there’s a leak. Kinloch said: “You can get it checked and sorted quickly so it doesn’t cost you more in the long run.” If you don’t have food colouring, you can also order free leaky loo detection strips from the environmental organisation Save Water Save Money.

Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth

This is another hack that is spoken about by many TikTok users, including That Property Guy. Simply turn the tap on to wet your toothbrush but then turn it off again while you are brushing your teeth.

Wash larger loads and clothing

Washing clothes is one of the household chores that uses the most water, but one of the ways you can cut down on the amount of water used in this way is to wash as infrequently as possible - and by that we mean only washing when you have a full wash load. This is another trick that is promoted by That Property Guy, who also advises people to use the eco setting on their machine to help even further.

TikTok users have shared their top hacks for how to save water.TikTok users have shared their top hacks for how to save water.
TikTok users have shared their top hacks for how to save water.

Have less baths

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In terms of personal hygiene, baths take the most water. So, one simple way to save water is to have less baths and instead have more showers. It’s another hack suggested by That Property Guy. You could possibly even go further, if appropriate, by washing using water in the sink.

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