To meet the ambitious 2050 net-zero targets set by the UK government and ensure a healthier planet for future generations, we are increasingly adopting greener habits in our daily lives. Minor changes can make a significant difference when we all work together. Water conservation is one of the simplest ways to start making an impact, yet many of us still cherish a relaxing bath at the end of a long day. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to reuse bathwater at home, allowing us to indulge in an occasional bath while staying eco-friendly. In this blog, we will explore some easy and creative methods to repurpose bath greywater and further reduce our environmental footprint.
Watering Plants
The most obvious and common way to recycle your bath greywater is to water outdoor plants, shrubs, and trees with it. Just make sure the water is free of harsh chemicals like bubble baths or salts. While bathtub greywater is relatively clean, it can contain chemicals and bacterial which may be harmful if consumed by your children or pets. Always avoid using bathtub water for drinking (including pets), brushing teeth, food preparation and food handling, and try to reuse your bathwater as soon as possible. It not only avoids nasty smells, but it can also stop bacteria from multiplying and becoming a risk to your garden and home.
Similarly, let the water cool down and then use it to water houseplants. It is particularly useful for non-edible plants.
Flushing The Toilet
You might feel like a character from a Dickins novel but using a bucket to transfer bathwater into the toilet tank or directly into the bowl to flush, can save a significant amount of clean water.
Cleaning Outdoor Spaces
Bathtub water may not be good enough to drink, but it is ideal for cleaning patios, driveways, or other outdoor surfaces. If your bathwater is relatively clean, you can even use it to wash your windows or car.
Pre-Soak Clothes
If you have a football or rugby player in your household, or a gardening enthusiast, mechanic or another hobby or profession where dirty or heavily soiled clothes are a given, you can use your bathtub water as a pre-soak to get rid of the bulk of the mud and dirt before running them through the washing machine.
General Cleaning
Whether you are mopping floors, cleaning surfaces, rinsing gardening tools or paintbrushes, scrubbing the front doorstep, or giving your front door a spruce up, why not use your leftover bathwater for the job?
Composting
If your bathwater contains mild soap, it can be used to moisten a compost pile, aiding in the decomposition process.
Greywater Irrigation System
If you are green fingered, but worried about using water to water your plants, why not set up a simple greywater system that redirects bathwater to your garden, automating the process of watering plants.
Cooling Down Hot Surfaces
On hot days, you can use bathwater to cool down outdoor spaces like driveways, garden paths, patios, a hot car bonnet, or the patch on your patio where your dog or cat loves to lie.
Emergency Water Storage
In case of a water shortage, store the bathwater for emergency uses such as flushing toilets or basic cleaning.
Create Water Toys For Children
Use the bathwater to make your young children or grandchildren a water table or creative pirate scene to play with. If you are not the creative type keep things super simple by filling a bowl or paddling pool with the bathwater, plonk some fish toys or some household containers inside, and watch them play for hours!
If you do need help with a plumbing problem or are in need of expert advice, do not hesitate to give the Happy Dog Plumbing team a call – we would love to help.
