This month we’re focusing on conservation and mitigation. So, I propose that we try out a 5 Minute Shower Challenge. Now don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean you have that you only have this amount of time to hop in and out of the shower. This challenge suggests you limit your water consumption during showers to only five minutes.

Taking a 10-minute shower doesn’t seem too long, right? However, taking a 10-minute shower can use approximately 80 gallons of water and generate up to 4 pounds of CO2 emissions! Plus, you have to take into consideration the energy used to produce hot water.

If you think about it, it’s not necessary to keep the water running when we are lathering or scrubbing our body with soaps, body scrubs and so on. Sure, it keeps us warm, but let’s think beyond ourselves! I challenge you guys to turn off your water supply when you don’t need to rinse your body and try to limit your water usage to only five minutes.

It may seem uncomfortable at first, but trust me you’ll get used to it! Also, you’ll probably end up using less soap and other shower products since it will no longer be promptly washed away by your shower head. So if you think about it, you’ll be saving water, and saving money! It’s a win for you and a win for the planet!

Try using a timer on your phone, or if you can, get your hands on one of these suction cup timers that you can stick on your shower wall. You can purchase them off of amazon or sometimes snag complementary timers from the city. Let’s challenge ourselves to save more water this month (and hopefully continue to do so afterwards)!

Sources:

http://www.greenlifestylechanges.com/take-5-minute-showers/

http://www.peta.org/living/humane-home/five-minute-showers-save-time-planet/