Up to 65% of the adult human body is made up of water. We use water to clean our bodies, clothes, and dishes. We gulp water down after a hard workout. We need water to survive.

The UN suggests that we each need 20-50 litres of water a day to use for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. In a world of over 7 billion people, conserving water is essential. But how can we do so on a daily basis, in our own homes?

While there are many ways to limit the waste of water, the following are the top 10 most effective ways to stop wasting and start saving this precious resource:

1. Wash right: When washing your dishes, brushing your teeth, or even taking a shower, don’t allow the water to run more than necessary. During dishwashing, fill one sink with soapy water and one with rinse water, and dip dishes from one to the other. If you have only one sink, fill two small plastic containers with soapy and rinse water and do the same. When brushing your teeth, wet your brush and turn off the faucet while you scrub.

Many people enjoy taking long, hot showers. Start cutting back by shaving five minutes off your shower time or installing a water-conserving shower head. If you feel the need to luxuriate, run a bath and sit as long as you like.

2. Run washers less: Purchase a larger laundry basket and wait until you have a full load before running the washing machine. Do the same for dishes, making sure to fill the dishwasher completely before turning it on. Doing so could save you up to 1000 gallons per month.

3. Collect and reuse water: No need to swap one healthy practice for another. When washing fruits and vegetables, consider pooling the water in a bowl and using it to water houseplants.

4. Watering right: If the shower is leaking, we are apt to notice. However, outdoor faucets and sprinklers are more likely to have leaks that go unnoticed. Be sure to give all of your water hookups a once, twice, and even thrice-over to check for places where water may be escaping.

5. Adjust your dishwasher setting: Dishwashers are great timesavers, but don’t disregard the settings that can help you save water while getting your cutlery sparkling clean. Check for an eco water saving mode and use it every time. Bonus: turn off the dryer setting for energy savings.

6. Reuse linens: Good hygiene is a must, but usually there is no need to wash your towels every day. Try using one towel for a week. Extend the life of your sheets by washing the pillowcases weekly and saving the rest of the set for big, twice-monthly washes.

7. Wash the car well: Think your hose is efficient? You can easily use up 60 gallons of water or more in five minutes of outdoor car wash fun (not including the spray-your-kids-when-they-aren’t- looking moments). Keep your vehicle sparkly and save water by using the WaterSavers program, popular with professional car washes, which uses 40 gallons or less per car and gives clean water back to Mother Earth.

8. Concentrate on cleaning: Using concentrated cleaning formulas not only gives you more cleaner for less, but uses less packaging and less production energy. This is a great example of convenience and water conservation combining forces, and you can take full advantage.

9. Keep cold water in a pitcher: Instead of running your tap water until it gets cold, chilling water in a pitcher allows you to keep water cold and ready, minus the waste.

10. Collect rainwater: Nature provides ample water for gardening purposes just by raining. By putting a barrel below your gutter, you can collect generous stores (more than half a gallon of water for every square foot of roof during a rainfall of one-inch) and use to grow those squash and tomato plants.

Saving water is as easy as you are creative. By considering the above tips and coming up with more of your own, you can limit water waste in your home and conserve energy. Want more tips? Contact your local plumber for professional water-conserving advice.