Hair washing and bathing from a pitcher working great!

[lindenblossom]

Hey all,

Lately I have been trying to conserve water in the household, and have discovered that using a smaller amount of water from a pitcher works just as well for me as taking a bath (or a shower, if we had one). Here is what I have been doing (this info is from my profile):

I simply fill up a pitcher of water, stand in the tub, and pour the water over myself. (I try to get the water to pour off me into a pail at my feet.) I then lather up my hair and body with soap that is friendly to plants (currently using diluted Dr. Bronner's). Then I refill the pitcher and pour that over myself to rinse. The second pitcher rinses out my hair and the rest of me quite well. I am able to wash myself completely with about one gallon of water (about 3.79 liters) if I am washing my hair. I use half that amount if I am not washing my hair.

The extra water that falls into the pail is then used to flush the toilet or to water the garden outside.

Does anyone else do this, or something similar to save water? It's great knowing I can live happily with less, and my hair is no different than it was before I started using the pitcher.

On another note, all of our bathroom sink water is collected in a metal basin to re-use for toilet flushing or the garden, instead of going down the drain. My housemates still take baths sometimes, but we collect the bathwater as best as we can in a pitcher to re-use as well.

Thanks,

Lindenblossom

ETA: Sorry if this has been mentioned before!

[chopandchange]

I did that when we moved into our new house and the shower wasn't working. I don't like having baths due to my low blood pressure, so I used the method you describe.

I actually quite enjoyed it! Maybe I should start doing it again.

[lindenblossom]

I did that when we moved into our new house and the shower wasn't working. I don't like having baths due to my low blood pressure, so I used the method you describe.

I actually quite enjoyed it! Maybe I should start doing it again.

Right on! It's especially enjoyable in the summer weather.

[melikai]

In the Winter I mainly sink-bathe, and only use the bath once in a while for a *very* hot bath. I mostly do it because I get very cold! :lol: I usually wash my hair separate from my body, in the sink or over the bathtub, because I only wash it once a week or so.

Not too long ago, that was how most people washed, and I think it is much more conservation-minded.

I might buy one of those old-fashioned pitchers and try your method. It sounds very romantic to me for some reason!

[lindenblossom]

Not too long ago, that was how most people washed, and I think it is much more conservation-minded.

I might buy one of those old-fashioned pitchers and try your method. It sounds very romantic to me for some reason!

Yes, exactly ~ this is the way people bathed in the past, and many (if not most) people still do now. Running water is a luxury.

I also love the traditional pitchers (and basins), but for bathing I use an old plastic pitcher that was designed for kitchen use. Not as beautiful, but it won't break if I drop it.

However, I've always wanted to have a wash-stand with china/ceramic pitcher and basin in my bedroom, ever since I was very young!

P.S. Campers, hikers, and modern nomads have long used this method with various types of vessels. Apparently empty plastic jugs work great, and I've heard of people continuing to wash this way even after moving back into a house with running water because it's so simple.

[SHELIAANN1969]

When we were fixing up our house and didn't have running water yet, we would bring 15 gallon containers and fill up a solar shower bag (it holds 5 gallons) hubs and I were able to make do with one bag between us, the flow from the shower head was amazingly strong and sufficient.

We didn't save the water because I didn't think of it, we also flushed less and put pee pee tp in a bag instead of flushing it, thus making it possible to flush a lot less.

I try and flush less, but we still flush every 2 times, it kills me to waste so much water, We have 6 people (one is here only part time) and we have $100 water bill every month, it makes me sick! The water is about 40$ and the sewer is 60$. We are out of control and it is getting worse.

Our electric is $100 a month and we aren't using A/C, I want to conserve but when no one else is, I say *why should I be the only one going without*? sigh

You have inspired me to make more conscience choices, I am going to do better!

[lindenblossom]

When we were fixing up our house and didn't have running water yet, we would bring 15 gallon containers and fill up a solar shower bag (it holds 5 gallons) hubs and I were able to make do with one bag between us, the flow from the shower head was amazingly strong and sufficient.

We didn't save the water because I didn't think of it, we also flushed less and put pee pee tp in a bag instead of flushing it, thus making it possible to flush a lot less.

I try and flush less, but we still flush every 2 times, it kills me to waste so much water, We have 6 people (one is here only part time) and we have $100 water bill every month, it makes me sick! The water is about 40$ and the sewer is 60$. We are out of control and it is getting worse.

Our electric is $100 a month and we aren't using A/C, I want to conserve but when no one else is, I say *why should I be the only one going without*? sigh

You have inspired me to make more conscience choices, I am going to do better!

Very cool! I understand the frustration about waste. We were getting tired of flushing perfectly good fresh water down the toilet, even after spacing out the flushing (not doing it every time). Now we collect as much water as we can from bathing and the bathroom sink and store it in a bucket until there is enough water to pour down the toilet to get it to flush without using fresh water. Usually throughout the day there is enough recycled water to do this if it is spaced out. I think we are down to only one or two fresh water flushes a day at this point.

[UltraBella]

Wow, and I thought I was doing well because I finally managed to get my teenage daughter to quit taking twenty minute showers. She is down to about eight minutes. Not so worthy of bragging about after reading this thread..........

[countryhopper]

I did a variation of this once for about a year and a half during my country-hopping. :)

I was living in a country and house that had only a toilet, no shower. So DH and I would heat our bath water on the stove and put it in a (clean) bucket. I would stand over the bucket with my hair hanging over it as I used a plastic cup to scoop up and pour water over my hair (and it would fall back in the bucket). Then I'd wash it and rinse it in the same way. Then I'd soap up a cloth and wash the rest of me, and use the plastic cup again to rinse all over. I'm happy to say that I got good enough to use only half a bucket at each bathtime!

It's really amazing how little water we really need to get equally as clean, but yet how much we waste in reality :(

[chopandchange]

One of the things I noticed about it was that it obliged me to be quicker when bathing, because in between pouring the water over myself, I would get shivery, so I didn't hang about. When having a shower, I am guilty of keeping the water running just to keep warm, even if I'm lathering up my hair or doing something else that doesn't require the water to be flowing. :o

[ohiofritty]

Thats a terrific idea. I take baths now (broken shower here) and I always feel like I'm wasting a ton of water.

[ArienEllariel]

However, I've always wanted to have a wash-stand with china/ceramic pitcher and basin in my bedroom, ever since I was very young!

:agape:Me too!! I don't know why.. perhapse it was from reading the Little House books about Laura and Mary. Every time they mentioned washing their face in a basin, I always wanted to try. And pumping water from the well sounded so interesting. I can safely blame my mother for getting me interested in living simpler. lol even if "simpler" really means more work. :D

[Carolyn]

:agape:Me too!! I don't know why.. perhapse it was from reading the Little House books about Laura and Mary. Every time they mentioned washing their face in a basin, I always wanted to try. And pumping water from the well sounded so interesting. I can safely blame my mother for getting me interested in living simpler. lol even if "simpler" really means more work. :DI'll bet Laura and Mary were thrilled when they finally got indoor plumbing :p

[gypsychild]

I might try this method to get me as far away as possible from long, hot showers. Mostly I've heard of taking "military showers" by turning on the cold water for just a few seconds and then shutting it off to lather, like turning the facet off to brush one's teeth.

On another note, I've also always wanted a ceramic pitcher and basin. My grandmother had a set from when she was little, but the last time I saw it she had it housing silk flowers instead.

[Purdy Bear]

With our boiler you need to be pretty fast in the shower, or you get stone cold water. With the soap I use you can add it to water (like a bubble bath), so I use that so I can pretty much shower in about a minute now.

In the Summer, we usually get hose pipe bans etc, so I now make it practice to put any washing up water over the plants, this can also be done with bath water as long as nothing nasty (the bubble bath etc) is in it.

[seedge]

When I was a child, we lived in a house way out in the hills with no indoor plumbing. We had an outhouse (icky, hated that trek out in the dark with coyotes calling) and had a pump ouside the front door that had a tendency to freeze in the winter time. Pumping will give you nice biceps (a bonus - you really are 'pumping iron' :))

It is NOT glamorous. It IS a lot of work. We used a pot bellied stove to heat the living room and the bedrooms had no heat, just lots of quilts. We heated bath water on the stove and poured it into a small wash tub. Littlest to biggest child. Kerosene lanterns for only a short while at night. Usually when it got dark, we went to bed and rose when the sun did.

So now? I love the showers and the hot water. When I remember life back then, I am even more grateful for the luxuries I have now. Luxuries like toilets and central heat. :p Ah life.

I would not be interested in doing those things again. If necessary, yes. But willingly? not so much.

[lindenblossom]

When I was a child, we lived in a house way out in the hills with no indoor plumbing. We had an outhouse (icky, hated that trek out in the dark with coyotes calling) and had a pump ouside the front door that had a tendency to freeze in the winter time. Pumping will give you nice biceps (a bonus - you really are 'pumping iron' :))

It is NOT glamorous. It IS a lot of work. We used a pot bellied stove to heat the living room and the bedrooms had no heat, just lots of quilts. We heated bath water on the stove and poured it into a small wash tub. Littlest to biggest child. Kerosene lanterns for only a short while at night. Usually when it got dark, we went to bed and rose when the sun did.

So now? I love the showers and the hot water. When I remember life back then, I am even more grateful for the luxuries I have now. Luxuries like toilets and central heat. :p Ah life.

I would not be interested in doing those things again. If necessary, yes. But willingly? not so much.

Thanks for adding this! Many of us are so lucky to have these luxuries now, and it's also great to remember to appreciate them and also conserve them.

[lindenblossom]

I'll bet Laura and Mary were thrilled when they finally got indoor plumbing :p


I wonder when that happened for Mary ~ if the Ingalls house in De Smet ended up with that or not. Laura and her husband Almanzo likely added indoor plumbing when they built their farm in Missouri.

I have just re-read The Long Winter and both Pa and Ma observe how newfangled things can make people more dependent on them, and then unable to survive without ~ they were referring to the relatively new phenomenons of trains and kerosene (both of which, thanks to that long winter, were unable to reach the town so people were starving and without supplies).

This makes me think of today, and how many of us would be in trouble without things being transported to us. Again, while we can appreciate the luxuries we do have, it is important not to take them for granted, and to learn skills that might help when/if things start to not work out anymore.

[Annalouise]

I started washing this way because I'm doing a water experiment with soft water. I have really dry hair and skin and I wanted to know how much hard water is contributing so I just use (heated) reverse osmosis water for washing. :)Anna

[Miasen]

Wow, I do nothing like this. I do take showers, but I tend to keep them pretty short though, I see no need to spend anymore time than neccessary in there. Also, since I live in a student dorm building I don't pay anything besides rent, everything from electricity to internet is included, so I don't have to worry about any cost. If I had to pay for it I would probably be more motivated to save.

[kabelaced]

One of the things I noticed about it was that it obliged me to be quicker when bathing, because in between pouring the water over myself, I would get shivery, so I didn't hang about. When having a shower, I am guilty of keeping the water running just to keep warm, even if I'm lathering up my hair or doing something else that doesn't require the water to be flowing. :o

I have a friend who tries to take 3 minute showers, and I really admired her effort in trying to save water. I'd like to try what I read that you do, but I too am guilty of keeping the water running to keep warm...the shower is almost like my special "me" place to relax!

I would still like to try this in the future, though! (Maybe when I have to pay for the water bill, haha.)

[Squeak toy]

This thread seems right for me. I am guilty of keeping the water on for the wonderful warm feeling but am becoming more enviromentaly aware lately. I really should give this a try. I also love doing things the old fashioned way.

[emmabovary]

This is really cool! And great timing, as our shower gets flooded every time it's used. Just one question, do you stand in the shower while using the water from the bucket? Hmm... maybe it's warm enough to go outside and do this. I shall definitely try it the next time I wash my hair :)

[kristymarie87]

I couldnt survive without a good bath personally. And i use way too much water!!

I like it burning hot so i can just relax!

We had no hot water last night and it killed me to wash without a proper bath! It actually stressed me out!

I do recycle though so could i be forgiven?! Oh and all my kitchen appliances are in Class A for energy consumption....i think thats good? Forgive me i only just moved out!

[Fairlight63]

That reminds me of when I was growing up we lived in an old farm house & the tub didn't work it was plugged up or something, water would not go down it.
The sink also didn't work, was plugged up, so my Dad took the pipe out from the sink to the wall. So the way that we took a bath was to wash in the sink, collect the water below in a bucket & pour it into the toilet to flush the toilet.

Now since growing up the house that we live in now everything still works, but I HATE taking showers, especially in the winter time, so I will only take a shower about once a week & the rest of the time take a "bird bath" in the sink. Plus if I shower every day my skin gets to dry & itchy.
For washing my hair I wash it 2 times a week bending over the side of the tub & wash it under the faucet. Then "plop" my hair in a towel for a while.

[TheLuckyLurker]

I'm glad I found this thread. I usually take showers, but it's broken and I have no idea when it'll be fixed, so...