As Perth’s climate becomes drier and hotter, we encourage all residents to practice good, waterwise habits. One way to reduce your water consumption at home is in the kitchen.
The following tips and tricks could save you money and water:
- Scrape rather than rinsing dishes and utensils before loading them into the dishwasher. Pre-rinsing dishes can double your water use. Also, did you know around 30% of blockages in our wastewater system are caused by fats, oils and grease solidifying in pipes?
- Choose water-efficient appliances in your kitchen e.g. 4.5 WELS star rating or higher
- Use the dishwasher only when full and on eco mode – running a half load doubles your water use
- Re‐use as much greywater as you can on the garden using a bucket/bowl or filling the sink instead of rinsing products and utensils under running water
- Wipe vegetables and fruit with a damp cloth instead of running water
- Avoid thawing foods in running water ‐ instead, use a microwave or thaw in the fridge overnight
Tips and tricks to help reduce water when cooking:
- Create one-pot dishes to avoid more washing up
- Choose the right size pots to avoid needless water use
- Steam when possible – uses less water than boiling
- Make larger meals to increase leftovers – avoid more washing up the following day
For more water-saving tips, head to Water Corporation WA.
References:
Property 24. ’10 easy ways to save water in the kitchen’ https://www.property24.com/articles/10-easy-ways-to-save-water-in-the-kitchen/25475
Water Corporation. (n.d.). ‘Water saving tips.’ Available at: https://www.watercorporation.com.au/Waterwise/Waterwise-advice/Kitchen-and-laundry (Accessed 22 April 2020).