Go Green

When I was about 14 years old some American college students came to England and stayed with my family there. They had just finished a trip around Germany and this is how I came to know about the German shower.

I can’t really find any solid evidence to prove all Germans shower in the way the girls described - but the people they stayed with certainly did.

Basically, the girls said that when they showered in Germany they were “advised” (read, “told”) by the hosts to turn on the water, get damp (not even wet) and then turn the water off. Then - while standing in an arid, cold bathtub - do all the soaping, hair washing, shaving etc.

Once fully soaped up, turn on the water for less than one minute and get clean.

I tried this recently.

Let me tell you - it’s no fun. Especially when you live in my house which has minimum insulation.

I’m not going to do this again anytime soon.

However, it did highlight to me just how much water is wasted when I shower. From now on, I’m going to make an effort not to be wasteful and unnecessarily hang around in there (my husband might also appreciate getting to use some hot water one of these days). It’s not worth the environmental guilt to spend 15 minutes in the shower watching the water make a whirlpool down the drain.

The same thing applies for brushing teeth. Just get the brush wet and then turn the tap off - it makes a huge difference to me when I consider I brush my teeth at least three times a day and for no less than two minutes a time.

Also, when washing dishes, fill up a bowl with hot water and use just that. Don’t leave the tap constantly running for the entire soapy time.

The smallest things can make a difference and it’s up to every one of us to take small steps to making this earth the best it can be.

- Linds