The most effective way to conserve water while washing your hands is to avoid letting the tap run continuously.
In order to save water, turn off the tap while you scrub! By following a few simple steps, you can significantly reduce the amount of water used during each handwash. While the water saved per person might seem like a small amount, if everyone adopts this habit, it adds up to a lot of water being saved globally.
Here is a practical guide based on this water-saving technique:
- Wet your hands before adding soap. Use just enough water to get your hands wet.
- Turn off the running water.
- Apply soap and scrub your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. This includes the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. The tap should remain off during this entire scrubbing period.
- Then rinse your hands under running water to wash away the soap and germs.
Adopting this habit is a simple yet powerful action for water conservation. It ensures you use water only when it is actively needed for wetting or rinsing, eliminating waste during the scrubbing phase.
