Tips to Help You Save Water in the Kitchen
In Partnership with Finish Canada
Today I’m partnering with Finish Canada to share a few quick tips to save water in the kitchen, helping you live a little more sustainably. Canada is home to 20% of the world’s freshwater resources and 35% of Canada’s water is renewable. However, there are many places where the abundance of water and water quality is threatened. I’m excited to share that Finish is partnering with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to help preserve Canada’s freshwater supply. Together through this campaign, we’re hoping to help Canadians and people across the world implement small changes to make a big impact. If you’ve been around my blog for a while, you’ll know that I’m all about taking small, simple steps to living more simply and sustainably.
Alright, let’s get into the tips!
Partnership Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Finish Canada and some items listed below were gifted as part of this partnership. I earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) on sales made through the Amazon storefront link which helps to support this blog as well as my other social channels. As always, thanks for your continued support!
Soak, don’t rinse
The first tip is to soak your produce instead of rinsing it under the tap. This helps to save water because instead of keeping the tap running using both energy and water, you can sufficiently clean your produce in one large bowl of water. This tip also goes for stubborn pots or dishes. Instead of running the tap to clean these dishes, let them have a good soak and the food should come off easily.
Use a vacuum flask
This tip is especially useful during the fall and winter seasons. JT and I turn on the kettle in the morning to start our days with a cup of coffee. We then pour the remaining hot water into a vacuum sealed flask so that throughout the day we have access to hot water whenever we need it. This saves energy and water because you don’t need to turn on the kettle for a new pot of water each time you want a hot cup of tea or a hot drink.
Try waterless cookware
I’m just learning about waterless cookware now and am quite impressed by how it works. These pots don’t look drastically different than your regular every day pots, but they are supposed to help save energy and water while helping you make delicious, healthy meals. After a little bit of research on my own, the thing that makes waterless cookware unique is that it is consists of three layers. The main outer layer is usually made of stainless steel, while the heating surface of the pot is often copper or aluminum. The middle of the pot is usually made of iron. I found that the pots heated up significantly faster than my usual ceramic or cast iron pots and pans. This in turn helps to save not only energy, but also time. When cooking with waterless cookware, you’re supposed to allow the steam to help cook your food which reduces the amount of water you need to use when cooking. Check out my YouTube video to see the little experiment we did with our veggies.
Reuse water when cooking
When you’re in the kitchen preparing meals, try to reuse water where possible. For example, when you’re making pasta, save some pasta water to be added to the sauce instead of turning on the tap for water. If you like to boil your veggies, save that water to make your own veggie broth with any vegetable scraps you’ve saved up.
Use appropriately sized pots
My final tip is simple! Whenever you’re cooking, choose an appropriately sized pot for whatever you are making. Specifically, when boiling, select a pot that will have just enough water to cover your food.
Don’t pre-rinse your dishes
Opt to use the dishwasher when you can, but make sure it’s a FULL load. This will help save a ton of water and is a lot more energy-efficient. Don’t forget, that when you use the dishwasher, you don’t need to pre-rinse your dishes. Simply scrape off the larger chunks of food and let the dishwasher do its job.
More sustainable kitchen swaps
I also wanted to mention a few of my favourite sustainable swaps specifically for the kitchen. You’ve most likely heard me mention these, but if you haven’t given these a try, I highly recommend making these simple changes. These are all swaps that I’ve been using for over two years and haven’t looked back.
Beeswax Wraps
Beeswax wraps are probably my favourite kitchen swap because they are SO useful and effective. They are the perfect alternative for cling wrap and help reduce food waste and keep your food lasting longer in the fridge.
Swedish Dish Cloths
I honestly can’t get enough of these dish cloths. Swedish dish cloths are made of cellulose plant fibre so they are not only super absorbent, they are also compostable at the end of its life. I use Swedish dish cloths or old rags to wipe up spills on my counters and table top surfaces. You might not be at the point where you can cut out paper towels completely, but these are a great swap to at least help you reduce the amount of paper towel that is used in your household.
Reusable Straws
Reusable straws are probably the most accessible swap you can make these days. They also come in various materials like glass, silicone, stainless steel, and bamboo, so you can choose what you prefer and what best fits your lifestyle.
There are so many more swaps I could mention, I’ll leave a link to my eco-friendly storefront so you can shop some of these swaps when you’re ready to make the change.
I hope these tips were helpful and inspiring. It’s all about taking small steps to make big changes. These tips will not only help you save water but will also help you save energy and money in the long run. I’ve also filmed a new vlog over on my YouTube channel walking you through some more simple sustainability tips while putting Finish’s Quantum Ultimate dishwashing pods to the test. If you can’t get enough of these water-saving tips or want to learn more about Finish’s commitment to water conservation, head over to www.skiptherinse.ca to learn more.