1. Start with a little pre-shower exercise, like some sit-ups or push-ups or a few jumping jacks. Just something to get the blood running so that you're not depending on the running water to wake you up.2. Turn on the water and get in the shower. Extra points if you don't wait the 30 seconds it takes to warm up.3. Get moving! Use your hands and run that water over your arms, legs and torso and over your head.4. Turn the water off. Yes, off. This is the so-called boat or navy shower.5. Now you can take your time soaping up. Leisurely soap one arm, then the other. Repeat for your legs. Think about what you'll have for breakfast, your goals for the day. Soap the bottom of your feet, behind your ears. Solve a few of the world's problems. Shampoo your hair. Leisurely scrub. Think of more problems to solve.6. Now turn the water back on and shift back into fast shower mode. Rinse your hair and let the water rinse some of the soap off your body. Rinse your feet. Get your hands moving to help. Rinse all the places in between. Rinse behind your ears.7. Turn the water off!8. No cheating. No dallying. If you want to check your progress, just start counting as soon as you turn the water on and by the time you turn it off, you should be up to 120.Don't worry if you don't hit it the first time. The important thing is to drop your shower time down say by 50% and keep cutting until you can get below five minutes. After that, it just takes a little practice.9. I notice that I count quicker when I start and slower as I'm finishing but I don't think it's so bad that I need to go out and buy a timer. The point is that if you put your mind to it, a short shower is possible. And you get on with your day quicker.10. Some showers use up to five gallons of water per minute so every minute you cut off your shower will save another five gallons of water. This means you'll also use less energy for the hot water heater. It will also put you in a positive frame of mind as you get ready to tackle other, larger problems. Sustainability starts at home.
Friday, August 10, 2012
How to Take a Three Minute Shower
1. Start with a little pre-shower exercise, like some sit-ups or push-ups or a few jumping jacks. Just something to get the blood running so that you're not depending on the running water to wake you up.2. Turn on the water and get in the shower. Extra points if you don't wait the 30 seconds it takes to warm up.3. Get moving! Use your hands and run that water over your arms, legs and torso and over your head.4. Turn the water off. Yes, off. This is the so-called boat or navy shower.5. Now you can take your time soaping up. Leisurely soap one arm, then the other. Repeat for your legs. Think about what you'll have for breakfast, your goals for the day. Soap the bottom of your feet, behind your ears. Solve a few of the world's problems. Shampoo your hair. Leisurely scrub. Think of more problems to solve.6. Now turn the water back on and shift back into fast shower mode. Rinse your hair and let the water rinse some of the soap off your body. Rinse your feet. Get your hands moving to help. Rinse all the places in between. Rinse behind your ears.7. Turn the water off!8. No cheating. No dallying. If you want to check your progress, just start counting as soon as you turn the water on and by the time you turn it off, you should be up to 120.Don't worry if you don't hit it the first time. The important thing is to drop your shower time down say by 50% and keep cutting until you can get below five minutes. After that, it just takes a little practice.9. I notice that I count quicker when I start and slower as I'm finishing but I don't think it's so bad that I need to go out and buy a timer. The point is that if you put your mind to it, a short shower is possible. And you get on with your day quicker.10. Some showers use up to five gallons of water per minute so every minute you cut off your shower will save another five gallons of water. This means you'll also use less energy for the hot water heater. It will also put you in a positive frame of mind as you get ready to tackle other, larger problems. Sustainability starts at home.
No comments:
Post a Comment