Daft advice

Why would anyone run water whilst brushing their teeth?! You should not rinse your mouth out after brushing teeth. You are rinsing away the good that the fluoride toothpaste is doing. This has been a known fact for many years.

Why Rinsing is Bad - Washes away fluoride: Water dilutes and removes the active mineral layer meant to shield your teeth. Lowers cavity defense: Leaving residue gives teeth a prolonged defence against everyday acids and bacteria. Weakens night protection: Saliva drops while you sleep, making overnight residue vital for fighting decay. Best Practices Spit, do not rinse: Simply spit out extra foam after brushing. Wait to eat or drink: Avoid food or liquids for at least 30 minutes after brushing. Floss first: Clean between teeth before brushing so you do not wash away fluoride when flossing after.

Enjoy every minute it will probably be raining for the next 9 months

The other daft advice is to not brush teeth with the tap running during a drought. Each person is saving perhaps a litre of water, which is but a drop in the ocean of what we use every day.

Maybe I’m doing it wrongly. I brush my teeth with an electric toothbrush for two minutes (the brush has a timer). I then rinse my mouth from a glass of water and give the brush head a good swoosh in the water that’s left. Why would I run the tap for two minutes while I do that? I don’t run the tap while I’m using the loo.

I like putting numbers on things. It helps to give perspective.

Water flow from a standard tap is about 6 litres per minute so 12 litres for a two minute teeth brushing, twice a day, is 24 litres.

55 million adults using 24 litres of water a day for teeth cleaning would be 1.3 million litres per day That’s enough water to half fill an Olympic-size swimming pool. Of course, children clean their teeth too.

24 litres of water a day costs about 5p and another 8p to clean the waste water. Not much but when you multiply that by 55 million adults that’s over £7 million. Multiply that by 365 days a year and that’s £2.6 billion being spent by people on unnecessary water use and waste water processing.

I suppose it all helps to fund bonuses for water companies CEOs and shareholder dividends.

That’s what’s daft.

Advice is just that. You do not need to take it, you know,

We are all adults, presumably sensible enough to remember to drink when we are thirsty, and to work out various different ways of keeping our rooms cool, if the heat bothers us.

As to saving water, any advice given and taken on that subject makes sense. There are shortages, due to the heat and the shortage of rain, but also due to the fact that in our part of the world we take water for granted, and most of us are guilty of using too much on a daily basis.

The earth's supply of all natural things is limited.

We shall carry on as we have always done: we keep a small container in the washbasin rather than fill the whole basin, that water then goes into a bucket to flush the loo, along with the wastage from water you run waiting for the hot water to come through, whether it's basin taps or the shower. We have a smart meter which tells us we are consistently in the top (i.e. minimum use) 20% of households in the area in similar properties and household composition.
I think it just comes naturally to be thrifty; to me it just seems logical not to use more of something than you need to, even if you can afford it financially.
I've found my electric toothbrush doesn't need wetting while brushing but it is helpful to rinse your mouth out BEFORE you clean your teeth, then just a little afterwards.

To keep the house cooler I have hung black fabric over the bottom (non opening) parts of the windows and let the breeze (when there is any!) still come in the open part at the top.

Salty food was recommended. Olives, feta, anchovies and sardines. And to drink diluted yogurt with mint. Also cool tea with mint.

I half fill a glass from the kitchen mains tap with water to brush my teeth. Have done since chemo when immune system was low and I didn't want to use the bathroom water which came from the old tank in the attic. Have done this for 5 years now.

I do draw the curtains and have a white sheet hanging on the outside of the south facing windows. It has cut down on the glare and the window glass is quite cool. 34 deg here today so it makes a difference. And my eyes are easily dazzled at the moment. One eye has a cataract and one has been operated on this month. So my vision is very sharp in that eye and dazzled.

But I have missed just sitting in the garden in the daytime. Early morning or late evening is thr only possibility.

I read some tips on line yesterday from people living in Egypt and other hot places. I shall have to try and find the article again amd re read it as I have forgotten most except wear loose long sleeved long legged clothes.

Each person is saving perhaps a lite of water.
Multiply that up by the number of people cleaning their teeth and you could probably top up a reservoir.

All my windows face South. It was just too depressing to sit with curtains drawn and a light on in the height of summer and this has gone on for seven weeks.
It’s no hotter indoors since I gave up keeping curtains drawn.

Charleygirl5, I'm with you on the water, I can drink squash if I'm pushed but prefer tea

I am fed up being told to drink water. I hate the stuff and never touch it. The next person who tells me to drink plenty I will say, really? I thought my morning coffee was sufficient.

The latest is are you eating well and looking after yourself? I have no idea how, but I have reached the age of 82, self caring.

I never run the tap while brushing my teeth.

The tip I remember from 1976 is Save water, bath with a friend!

We don’t have a water meter but I always switch off the taps when brushing, or washing my hair, as can hear my mum shouting ‘water meter’ water meter’!in my head 😂

grandMattie

Drink a lot?

Nothing wrong with that!
Back in 1976 I remember a panellist on Any Questions, when asked for his tip for saving water suggested “Brush your teeth with chilled white wine” !

Well the advice was to draw the curtains to keep the sun and heat out, it said nothing about sitting in the dark or being bored. Our south facing curtains have been drawn for almost a month but that doesn't stop us sitting by other windows or going outside when it's a bit cooler. The windows are opened in the evening, sometimes overnight, when it's cooler then closed again as temps go up.

Most houses have rooms facing in more than one direction. Pull the curtains in the rooms facing south, and those facing east in the morning and west in the afternoon, and sit in the room that doesn't have the sun beating in. Simples.

67 million people all saving a couple of litres a day awful lot of water.

Drink lots of lots of water and flush out your electrolytes.
I know from personal experience as to just how dangerous this is.
You are better off with an electrolyte mixture .

If you multiply that litre of water by the millions brushing their teeth twice a day, then it will add up to a significant saving of total water used if they don’t leave the tap running whilst brushing.

I found drawing the curtains on the sunniest side of the house did help (but appreciate it does darken the room somewhat). Not only that, but it helps to keep the strong sun off the soft furnishings and suite, helping to protect them from fading over time.

Drink a lot?