Those of us who grew up in drought-prone areas of the country well remember the motto: “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down.”

Just sayin’ …

Oh, heck yeah. I’m letting my house smell like a nursing home that can’t keep it clean. What a welcome for guests and family alike.

How about us guys just go outside and pee on the dead grass instead? (Ladies are welcome to join us in this pursuit of water saving if they wish.)

Oh, heck yeah. I’m letting my house smell like a nursing home that can’t keep it clean. What a welcome for guests and family alike.

Jim, I wouldn’t recommend “letting it mellow” so long that it makes your house smell. Usually after the third use it’s time to flush.

You close the lid, Jim.

This is actually one of the things to do that saves the most water the most easily.

You close the lid, Jim.

Sigh. That would require putting the seat down, NM. And there, I believe, is the crux of the problem ….

I follow the same rule around here.

seat? there’s a seat? it goes down?

seat? there’s a seat? it goes down?

Another (not so gross) thing you can do–that most people don’t even think about–is turning off your ice maker.

Most automatic ice makers run all the time. Unless you’re having a party in the near future or you have a family of more than five people, chances are you can stand to run your ice maker about 30-50% of the time without noticing any drawbacks.

You can put a jar of water or two in the toilet tank as well - this lets it fill to the line without using as much water.

Or a couple of bricks.

Don’t newer houses (or recently rehabbed ones) tend to have those low-water-use toilets, though? So the brick or jar thing shouldn’t be necessary.

I’ve gotten in the habit of turning off the shower while I lather. It gets a little cold, but you get a lot better lather.

Don’t newer houses (or recently rehabbed ones) tend to have those low-water-use toilets, though? So the brick or jar thing shouldn’t be necessary.

Yeah I think it’s the law. They outlawed the old fashioned ones and all the new ones sold nowadays are low-flow.

I’ve gotten in the habit of turning off the shower while I lather. It gets a little cold, but you get a lot better lather.

OK that’s a little exreme for me, although I do turn off the water while I brush my teeth. Always have. It’s just stupid to have water running down the drain just cuz you have a toothbrush in your mouth.

nm, guess that would make it a super low flow. Some folks (like my parents) still have the old toilets, believe it or not.

Well, we have one of each, but we’re in a rehabbed house.