Kitchen water-saving hacks

From cooking and cleaning to brewing your morning cuppa, the kitchen is one of the busiest (and thirstiest!) parts of the home. But with a few small changes, you can save litres every day - without sacrificing convenience or cleanliness.

Bathe your veggies, don’t rinse

Give your produce a bath instead of a shower! Washing fruit and veg under a running tap can use up to 10 litres of water per session. Instead, try this:

Fill a clean container with 1 litre of water and 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda
Soak your produce for 12–15 minutes, then rinse briefly and dry
Save that soak water! It’s great for houseplants or your veggie patch

Reusing your kitchen water

You can reuse the water from washing produce or boiling pasta or potatoes - just let it cool and pour it on the garden (skip this if you’ve added salt).You can also soak your house plants.

BONUS add to a spray bottle/mister with two drops of ecofriendly dish soap, shake well, and use as an effective preventative fungicide on plants. This mixture is effective for preventing and treating fungal diseases like powdery mildew on vegetables, fruit trees, roses, and other ornamentals. Application and best practices for produce wash water + dish soap:

Timing is key: Spray on a cool morning when the plant isn't in direct sunlight to avoid leaf burn.
Test first: Before a full application, spray a single leaf and wait to see if there is any adverse reaction or burning.
Repeat as needed: Apply the spray weekly or every few days to keep the mildew under control.

Watch your drip (and your kettle)

Leaks and overboiling waste more than you think

A dripping tap can waste more than 9,000 litres a year - get it fixed ASAP.
Only fill the kettle with what you need - no need to boil for an army if it’s just your morning tea.
Install an aerator on your tap to reduce flow without affecting pressure.
When thawing frozen food, use the fridge or a bowl of water - not running water.

Clean Smarter

Scrape, don’t rinse: Before loading the dishwasher, scrape food scraps into the bin or compost - no need to rinse plates.
Only run full loads: Dishwashers use the same water whether they’re half-full or packed, so wait until it’s worth it.
Use the eco setting: Most modern dishwashers have a water-saving mode that still gets the job done.
Hand washing? Use a basin, not a running tap - and do glassware first, greasy pans last.
Bonus tip: Collect rinse water in a bowl under your dish rack. It’s usually clean enough to use on your plants!