Did you know the average home wastes about 10,000 gallons of water a year due to running toilets and drippy faucets? One way to find out if you're wasting water is to turn off every faucet, shower, washing machine and anything else that uses water in your home. Note your water meter reading and come back a few hours later; if the meter reads the same, you're good to go. If it reads higher, somewhere in your home there's a leak that needs to be fixed.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If your water is supplied by municipal drinking water, you might want to consider getting a water filtration system for your kitchen faucet. Most municipalities use chlorine as a disinfectant to make sure the water is safe to use and drink. But chlorine is also bad to drink, since it can disrupt what’s known as “gut flora” in your stomach. To avoid bottled water, opt for kitchen faucet water filters that can safely remove chlorine and leave you with nothing but healthy H20 to stay hydrated with.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

There are lots of reasons to ditch paper towels in the kitchen. Obviously, the waste aspect is a big one, but there are health concerns as well. White paper towels are bleached and can contain chlorine and formaldehyde residue. Even recycled paper towels can contain the hormone disrupter bisphenol A (which is used in thermal receipts, which can end up in the paper recycling process). Skip paper towels and opt for reusable microfiber towels instead.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION