11 Best Ways to Conserve & Save Water When Cleaning [2025]

One of the goals we should pursue in 2025 is to rethink our water use habits and try to conserve it even more. One way to incorporate modern cleaning practices that aim to improve efficiency while reducing water use or harsh cleaning chemicals that require lots of water to be wiped off. Whether at home or office, cleaning uses a lot of water. But there are several ways to save water when cleaning and move towards a sustainable cleaning practice in The New Year.

In this article, we’ll explore the best ways to save water when you’re cleaning all around the house.

#1 Clean Regularly

One of the effective ways to reduce water use when cleaning is actually by cleaning regularly. If you keep up with regular cleaning, you realise it’s just a surface-level and simple cleaning which not only requires less and less water but also helps you do it faster and with minimal effort.

With the right cleaning frequency and keeping up with a schedule, you can save water, money and time and end up with a clean and pristine living space or workplace.

#2 Use a Dishwasher

Despite common beliefs, dishwashers use a lot less water for a full load and deliver cleaner results compared to hand-washing dishes. This is especially true for modern and energy-efficient dishwashers.

Therefore, don’t underestimate the power of dishwashers and don’t feel guilty about using yours for washing dishes. However, to achieve the most efficient and cleanest results, always load the dishwasher efficiently as per manufacturer instructions and always use the dishwasher for full loads.

And an extra tip for using dishwashers: you really don’t need to soak or pre-wash dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. Just clean big and hard chunks of food with a paper towel and load them into the dishwasher. By selecting the right cycle, the dishwasher will go through pre-wash while still using less water compared to hand-washing.

#3 Soak Dirty Dishes

If you have a few dishes to wash, don’t have a dishwasher or don’t want to use it for any reason, there are still ways to wash dishes by hand and save water in the process.

Wipe off food bits and chunks off plates with a paper towel as much as you can before washing them. For hard and stubborn pieces, soak them in a bucket for a few hours or overnight. Add some vinegar to the water to help break stubborn food chunks faster. Afterwards, wipe off the chunks and wash them as usual.

Soaking Dishes Before Washing Them by Hand to Save Water

A benefit of wiping off plates before washing is that it allows you to use less washing-up liquid, which not only reduces the amount of water for rinsing it off but also reduces the use of harsh cleaning chemicals in general.

#4 Use Washing Machine Efficiently

Washing machines are incredible but they use a lot of water. The water they use is less compared to hand washing clothes but it is still a lot. We can’t refuse to use washing machines but we can use them efficiently.

All of us have enough spare clothes to only run the washing machine on a full load. This is usually once a week or once every two weeks. By reducing the number of times you use the washing machine, naturally, you will save water.

Using Washing Machine for Full Loads to Save Water

Also, selecting the right cycle on the washing machine helps you save water. In most cases, The quick wash cycle usually does the job and helps you conserve water while getting the same result as a longer washing cycle.

Read More: All Laundry Symbols Explained

#5 Choose Cleaning Supplies Correctly

Several cleaning supplies are foamy and soapy and need to be rinsed with water afterwards. However, if you choose the correct type of cleaning supplies, you can skip the rinsing process and save water.

Many cleaning supplies don’t need rinsing after cleaning, especially all-purpose disinfectants or eco-friendly and green cleaning products. Also, you can make DIY cleaning solutions at home using a mixture of vinegar and water. It’s a healthier, safer and cheaper alternative and doesn’t require rinsing after cleaning.

#6 Use a Bucket

During cleaning chores like wiping surfaces or mopping floors, having a bucket of water is helpful to clean the mop or clothes after each use. This helps you to clean all around the house or office with one bucket of water.

Using a Water Bucket When Cleaning to Save Water

This strategy is also good for several other cleaning chores like washing a car, cleaning windows and cleaning the garage.

#7 No Running Taps

One of the worst cleaning habits that wastes a lot of water is cleaning while the tap is constantly running. This mostly happens when cleaning the kitchen or toilet sinks, washing fruits and vegetables or washing the garage or backyard.

Avoid Running Taps When Washing or Cleaning to Save Water

Here’s how to clean everything without leaving the tap running:

Instead of washing fruits and vegetables under the stream of water, fill the sink with water and soak fruits and vegetables for a few minutes before taking them out.
Use a bucket of water or fill up the sink when cleaning kitchen or toilet sinks. Use a sponge for cleaning sinks and rinse it after every few uses.
Instead of cleaning the backyard or garage with running water, use a broom to clean leaves, dust and debris. Then, spot clean oil stains or other stains with a firm scrubber, relevant cleaning supplies and a bucket of water.
Clean the shower and toilet when you’re taking a shower and use the wastewater to wipe the bathtub, sink and toilet seat.

#8 Reuse Waste Water

There are several instances where wastewater is safe for reuse in other applications like watering plants, cleaning garages, etc.

In general, wastewater from the following applications can be used safely for other applications provided in parenthesis:

Washing fruits or vegetables (watering plants, cleaning windows, cleaning the garage or the backyard, washing the car and soaking dishes)
Water used for soaking dishes (pre-washing the car, watering plants and cleaning the garage or the backyard)
Water in the bucket after being used for mopping floors, etc. (cleaning the garage, cleaning the backyard, cleaning the toilet basin, washing the car and cleaning windows)

Therefore, you can simply save a lot of water by reusing wastewater in applications that necessarily don’t require fresh and pure water.

#9 Take Care of Dripping Taps

Taps, pipes and plumbing at home or office require maintenance to ensure they aren’t leaking or dripping. Many people act fast when they spot a leaking pipe, maybe underneath the sink. If they don’t have it repaired right away, the water can damage the floor and soon get out of hand and cause water damage to the building.

Fixing Dripping Taps and Leaking Pipe to Save Water

However, when it comes to dripping taps, the water goes directly to the sink and doesn’t damage anything. Therefore, we tend to ignore it and postpone repair as much as we can. Water dripping from taps may seem insignificant, but it wastes a lot of water.

This is also common with faulty toilet flush mechanism where the the water get out of the flush tank to the basic very slowly and the mechanism always working to keep the tank full.

It is crucial to treat dripping taps like a major leak and have them repaired as fast as possible to avoid wasting perfectly clean water. If you notice the tap is always dripping or the toilet flush mechanism always makes a hissing noise, call a handyman and have them fixed.

#10 Washing The Car

A common and old practice for washing a car is to soak it wet with running water, scrub some car shampoo and then rinse off with running water again. This wastes a huge amount of water.

Washing Cars with Special Cleaning Supplies to Use Less Water in The Process

The best solution to save water while getting the same clean and glossy finish at the end is to use specific car washing solutions. There are several car cleaning solutions available that allow you to clean your car thoroughly with the minimum amount of water. They all work the same and give similar cleaning instructions:

Get a bucket of water (can be wastewater) and a sponge and pre-wash the car.
Apply the cleaning solution and clean the car all over with a clean sponge.
Use a soft microfibre cloth to dry the car’s body and prevent streaks and watermarks.

That’s it! Your car is now as clean, and maybe even cleaner, as washing a car in the old traditional way. However, this way, you save a huge amount of water.

#11 Collect Rain Water

This may not be a cleaning tip but it saves water for cleaning indirectly. If you have a front or backyard and are able to place a water butt, you can easily collect rainwater and use it for several cleaning and non-cleaning purposes.

Collect Rain Water with Water Butt to Use for Cleaning Purposes

In a country like the UK where it rains a lot throughout the year, rainwater is a free and clean source of water, perfect for watering plants, washing the car, cleaning windows and washing the garage or front/backyard.

Conclusion

Many common cleaning practices involve using a lot of water. With water being a precious and scarce resource, it is important to start The New Year with the goal of saving water and moving towards sustainability. This article provided the best ways to save water when undertaking various cleaning activities at home or other places.

The information provided by this article can help you conserve fresh water and save a large amount of water by doing many chores and common cleaning tasks without sacrificing cleaning and hygiene quality.

How to Save Water When Cleaning All Around The House? [Best Tips]