Avoid having to pack up and leave your boodocking spot because your fresh water runs out. Unlike electricity, the fresh water supply in your RV is not renewable. For this reason, your water supply will be the first resource to run out when boondocking. Showering, toilet flushing and dish washing can rapidly drain your water tank if you’re not conservation minded.
Make your fresh water last longer by following these water conservation tips.
1. Install Aerators On Your Faucet to Restrict Water Flow
Simply replacing the sprayer on your kitchen and bathroom faucet will use less water. You probably won’t even notice the difference when washing dishes.
Adjustable Low Flow Aerator
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If these water restrictors don’t work on your water faucet, get in the habbit of adjusting the water flow to a very small stream when washing hands and dishes.
2. Wipe your dishes down before washing
Before washing dishes, use a paper towel to remove any food. Spraying your dirty dishes, pots and pans to remove food uses a lot of water, so avoid doing that.
You’re dishwater and gray tank will also stay cleaner because less food will end up in there.
3. Use a large bowl for washing and rinsing dishes
Avoid using running water for dishes. Fill a bowl with enough soapy water to wash your dishes and soak your silverware. When finished, fill it with clean hot water for rinsing. Then set your clean dishes out to air dry.
4. Don’t let soapy dish water or shower water go to waste
Your gray tank will fill up faster than your black tank. So don’t dump dirty soapy water down the kitchen drain. Dump it into the toilet instead.
Also collect shower water into a bowl or bucket while waiting for it to heat up. Use that water to flush the toilet instead of water pumped from your fresh water tank.
Do this and your gray tank will thank you by not filling up as fast.
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5. Use a spray bottle for dish washing
Avoid turning on your faucet when washing dishes. Mix a solution of and soap and water in a spray bottle. Shake it up and spray it on your dirty dishes before scrubbing them down.
6. Use a spray bottle to shampoo your hair
Mix water and a little shampoo into a spray bottle then spray it on your hair and lather up. You’ll probably have enough for multiple washes.
Washing and rinsing hair can use lots of water especially if you have long hair. So give this one a try.
7. Take Short Showers
Rinse, shut water off, soap up, rinse, and get out. Yes…the ol Navy Shower. Get good at this and you’ll only use about a gallon of water per shower. Then you can shower more often.
I love taking long hot showers. Call it therapy, meditation, or just damn enjoyable. I know I’m not alone in this. But save it for those nights at an RV park with nice shower facilities, or the night before you’re going to dump your tanks and refill water. That’s the stuff there.
8. Take Fewer Showers
Master the wash cloth wipe down and you’ll feel “clean enough”. Depending on your level of activity, you may not need a full on shower each day. A warm wash cloth may just do the trick.
Using baby wipes to freshen up those critical areas can also give you that fresh feeling without using water.
9. Install a low flow shower head
A low flow shower head like this one from Oxygenics aerates the water to simulate higher water pressure without consuming more water.
Oxygenics Low Flow Shower Head
We installed one of these in our RV shower, got more water pressure, and used less water. Watch a video about this project.
10. Don’t let the water run when brushing your teeth
This should be self explantory. Put toothpaste on your toothbrush, get it wet, turn off the water, brush, spit and rinse. It’s that simple. I’ll admit it. I’m guilty of letting the water run, just not while boondocking.
11. Don’t flush the toilet each time
Flushing uses water. So less flushing uses less water. Enough said. Not everyone is onboard with this one, ourselves included. With that said, it is an effective way to save water.
12. Refill your fresh water tank while boondocking
Carry a large water container to refill your water tank. Use the water tank to bring extra water with you, or haul water to your RV from a nearby water source.
There are a couple ways to get the water into your fresh water tank. I’ll show you how to do it in this article.
Conclusion
Water conservation certainly involves a little bit of sacrifice. We’ve found those sacrifices to be worthwhile especially if it means you can enjoy boondocking longer in beautiful locations.
Give these tips a try and practice them. Before long, it will become second nature and you’ll be amazed at how long you can make your water supply last.