To flush or not to flush?

the_bet_maker

Of course I am only talking about urinating .

Recently I got a rather higher than expected water bill so am trying to make efforts to scrimp on my usage.

Most of it I have surmised comes form having a shower most days with a shower which is more powerful than my last one (recently moved flat a few months ago and got the 1st bill here).

I have always gone to the toilet alot and when I looked up how much water it uses- up to 9 litres per flush- each time I flush now I think another X litres going to the toilet (pun intended).

Now of course we must take personal hygiene into account and it is less than an appetizing sight to see a deep orange oily liquid greet you every time you go to the toilet again but the question of wasting more money is also unappetizing so it is a matter of weighing up costs/benefits.

I keep the lid down and it doesn't smell but it still isn't a pretty sight.

In practical terms I also thought that over time it is probably going to stain the toilet which is a minus although a swab of bleach would likely rectify that will little trouble.

I think I can get used to it but if guests come then naturally I'd want to flush before they arrived as such things would make a poor impression.

So, being fellow scrimpers, what are other's on the 'flush factor'?

Olliebeak

Have you got one of those 'water-saving devices' from your local Water Supplier? Those CAN help. OR you can make your own - can't for the life of me think how it's done, but I'm sure somebody on here will be along in a few minutes to tell you how to do one.

You don't leave the tap running when brushing your teeth, do you? - amazing how much that uses. I just fill a tumbler with water and use that to rinse my mouth a couple of times and to finally rinse my toothbrush.

Water saving programme on your washing machine? Only doing a wash when you've got enough for a decent load? Water Butt for watering the garden instead of using the metered supply?

Good Luck.

[Deleted User]

flush but put a wrapped brick in the in the cistern

use an eco-camel showerhead

adelight

With my family we don't flush everytime, think it gets done once before everyone goes out in the morning, a few times in the evening and last thing at night. There isn't enough pressure for a shower so everyone has shallow-ish baths.

With my dehydrated flatmates that's not so practical as when they forget to flush i'm greeted with a horrible stench and rust coloured toilet water!!
I don't flush everytime, not at all during the night, but you wouldn't notice, it just looks like someone dropped a square of tissue in a freshly flushed loo. We don't actually pay the water bill but I don't like to waste water anyway.

cheeks

'if its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down'!

kippers

There was a program on tv a couple of years ago and the lady on it said "If it's yellow let it mellow"...meaning leave the wee and flush the number 2's

Edit: you just beat me to it 'cheeks'

mrs_motivated

I flush everytime (cant help it - it happens on autopilot) ... I do have one of those loos with a big and little flush though, so only use the little flush for a wee.

If you think your shower is the problem, how about one of those 'saving water shower heads' and a shower timer. Also like the previous poster think about small things like turing tap off when brushing teeth.

Fruball

Thank goodness i am not on a meter but if i was i would not be flushing every time. I would probably also leave my bath water in, keep a bucket in the bathroom and fill the cystern with that!!!

I don't waste water but still very glad I am not metered.

adelight

mrs_motivated wrote: »

Also like the previous poster think about small things like turing tap off when brushing teeth.

And washing up! I'm always horrified when I see people washing up by just letting the tap run and scrubbing plates under it. What a waste of water and washing up liquid!

Sue14

The cost of our water is in with our rent, so from a cost point of view I don't really think about it, but if we did have to pay for water separately, I would seriously think about it before I did flush. We have a dual flush, so usually only use the short flush unless it needs a bit more.

midnightraven3

we have one of those dual flush toilets
put a brick in the cystern, takes less water to fill it up then
and you can get a "thing" for your shower, as suggested, usually for free

bleach isnt the answer as it just bleaches limescale(if you have any) so any smells will linger