“Eat your vegetables!” – “Save your dessert for last!” – And, my personal favorite, “If you’re too full to finish your dinner, then you’re too full for dessert!”
How many times did you hear those words come out of your mom’s mouth? Moms spend a lot of energy raising their kids well. This year on Mother’s Day, spend some time with your mom and tell her how much you appreciate all of her valuable lessons.
Did your mom teach you any of the following plumbing system-related things?
NEVER AIR-DRY GLASSWARE
If you want your glassware to look pristine, make sure you always wipe it dry.
With or without a water softener, minerals can build up on the outside of a glass (although more slowly if you have a softener).
Speak with a professional if you’re considering installing or replacing a water softener. If you do notice that you’re getting buildup on your glassware, try this mom-approved trick:
Fill your sink with water, either cold or hot will do, and add a couple of cups of plain vinegar. Put your glasses in the water and let them soak. The length of time it’ll take will depend upon the amount of mineral buildup. Start with 1 – 2 hours and go up from there.
After the glasses have soaked, simply rinse them and wash them like normal. They should sparkle like new! Just remember to wipe them dry once you’ve washed them to keep them looking their best.
DON’T TAKE LONG, HOT SHOWERS
Your mom didn’t hurry you out of the bathroom just so that your sister could spend an hour in there doing her hair.
No, she had some other very good reasons. First, long, hot showers strip moisture from your skin.
Especially if you live in dry climates, keep your skin healthy by turning the temperature down a bit and reducing your time under the spray. A second crucial reason to take shorter, cooler showers is to save money.
You know mom is always looking for ways to save a penny here and a penny there. Small changes in your water temperature and shower time can lead to significant reductions in your water and electricity bills. The larger your family is, the bigger the savings could become.
A final reason to encourage your entire family to take shorter showers is to extend the life of your plumbing. With excessive use, your pipes can begin to corrode. Replacing your whole system of pipes will cost you a lot of time and money. You can eek extra years out of old pipes by scrubbing up quickly.
DON’T WASTE RAINWATER
Did your mom or grandma ever collect rainwater?
The practice fell out of popularity for a while, but now with the renewed attention on environmental conservation, more and more people are reducing their water usage by collecting rain.
Rainwater has a lot of great uses. If your mom collected it, she probably used it to water her garden, flowers, and indoor plants. She may have used it to fill your dog’s water dish. She might even have used it to wash the vegetables she picked from her garden.
Rainwater that you collect in a freestanding drum is ready for use right away, but you’ll need to filter any water you collect that drips from your roof. It contains dust and other particles, so it’s not safe to use for cooking or drinking unless you treat it first.
Give your mom a call to tell her that you’re thinking about her this Mother’s Day. We bet she’d love to hear about all of the water-saving methods you use that you learned from her.
If you’re curious about additional ways you can reduce your water bill, give Service Plumbing Inc a call at (352) 525-2255!