It's no secret that our planet is in bad shape. Many people feel like they can't make a difference because they are just one person, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. Every time you turn on the faucet, you make the choice to either improve or worsen the state of our planet's natural resources by the amount of water you use. It is surprisingly easy to accomplish the same tasks while saving hundreds of gallons of water.

Mother Earth is a single mom taking care of 7 billion children; be good to her.

1. Wash your hair every other day. Dry shampoo is your best friend--it removes oil and gives your hair volume to get you through that second (or third) day. I suggest this one. Not only is washing every other day better for your hair, it's also better for the planet. A 10-minute shower uses 40 gallons of water, but a seven-minute shower only uses 28 gallons. By washing your hair every other day, you are taking approximately three minutes off of your shower, adding up to 48 gallons of water saved per week and almost 2,500 gallons saved per year.
2. Use Nair instead of shaving. Or if you're not a fan of Nair, fill a cup with water and dampen your legs (apply shaving cream if you desire) and shave before you get in the shower. Shaving takes approximately 3-5 minutes, which can waste as many as 20 gallons of water. If you shave before you get in, or apply Nair in place of shaving, you'll only use about 1 cup of water as opposed to 20 gallons each time you do it. After doing this 7 times, you will save 140 gallons of water!
3. Keep track of how long you're in the shower. Make a fun playlist and listen to two songs while you shower, or set a timer to go off after a certain amount of time. It's really easy to lose track of time when you're in the shower, especially after a long day. Using music or a simple timer will help you remember to shorten your shower.
4. Apply conditioner before you get in the shower.While you let the conditioner soak in, you can shave, hang out, or just get started on your shower. By putting conditioner in before the shower, you aren't wasting water while you apply. Additionally, while you wait to rinse the conditioner out, make use of the time by washing your body, exfoliating, etc. By the time you're done with that, it'll be time to rinse!
5. Turn off the sink when you're brushing your teeth, washing your face, etc. By not letting the water run, you are saving 3-5 gallons each time. That adds up to 6-10 gallons per day and 2,184-3,640 gallons per year.

To learn more about how much water you really use (it may surprise you!) click here.

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