there are a few daily activities that people take more pleasure in than a nice, long, relaxing shower. i am without a doubt one of those people. but i recently found out just how much water i was wasting while standing there styling my hair with shampoo and singing 90s hits. standard showerheads use about 2.5 gallons per minute and some older ones use almost 5 gpm!

save our water, and save yourself some money.

check out these 8 things you should and shouldn’t do while you’re taking a shower.

do

take a morning power shower. a short five-minute morning shower just to wake you up is a perfect way to start the day. (if you really want a wake up jolt, just before getting out turn the water to cold for a few seconds.)

don’t

rig up your showerhead to double as a microphone. as awesome of an idea as this may seem at first, it leads to longer showers. a few years back, australians were encouraged to stop singing in the shower in an attempt to conserve water.

do

get yourself a low flow showerhead. you can save up to 15 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower.

don’t

definitely don’t do this. 

do

take a navy shower. when you’re soaping up make sure to turn the water off and then turn it back on to rinse off.

don’t

don’t let the water go to waste while it is heating up. capture the cold water in a bucket and use it for other things around the garden.

do

find a shower buddy. nothing could be cuter than having a little friend with you in the shower.

don’t

don’t take baths.  it generally takes about 70 gallons to fill a bathtub with water. it also leaves you powerless against an evil marmot being thrown in the tub with you. even if you are the dude.

how do you conserve water in your day to day routine? willing to shorten your shower, or shower with a friend? let us know in the comments.

leor reef and matt seedorff are seniors at the george washington university majoring in journalism.