Navy Showers: Water Saving Goes Hardcore

Here’s yet another post that came to us via the ever diligent community at Hugg (thanks jerryjamesstone!). While water-saving shower heads can cut back our ecological footprint drastically (which is why Simran was promoting them on Oprah last week), there is an even easier, though perhaps not as luxurious, option - the navy shower. This is the term used for a water saving technique for showering, popularized (well, invented at least) by the navy to save precious on-board rations. The basic idea is to get yourself wet all over, as soon as you turn the shower on, and then turn it off while you soap up before, finally, rinsing off. Apparently, a typical shower takes as much as 230 L (60 US gallons) of water, while taking a navy shower can use as little 11 L (3 US gallons); one person can save 56,000 L (15,000 US gallons) per year!

This author has actually been sporadically using this technique for some time, without ever realizing it had a name, and it’s not as uncomfortable as it sounds. The only drawback is having to contend with a weird reaction from your spouse when they ask what you are doing in the bathroom, and you tell them you are taking a shower, despite the complete silence.

OK, we’re pretty sure this isn’t going to catch on with everyone, but for those of you who are deeply concerned about your water use, and willing to try something new.