Laundry Pod

This little washer pod is great for small loads – especially a bunch of dedicates that can’t go in the washing machine anyway, but are a pain to handwash separately! The device was derived by industrial design company RKS Design and utilizes technology of a salad spinner. The catch is that it uses only human power and very little water. 

From Dexigner:

Laundry POD is designed for the times you need to do a small load quickly and don’t want to waste water, energy, or a trip to the Laundromat. Intended for delicates, hand-washables, and small “in-between” loads, Laundry POD’s spinning action gently washes, rinses, and then extracts water to improve drying times. This ability to rid consumers of the need to wring clothes dry, potentially damaging them in the process, is one of Laundry POD’s key advantages.

Although this may never replace a washing machine, it should certainly cut down on the amount of energy & water you may use with smaller loads. And you’ll tone those triceps!

Ladybug Hot-water Saver

This is a cool gadget. If you have to wait a long time for hot water in the shower, just install this (supposedly a very simple installation), turn the water on, and wait a bit. The kicker? It doesn’t let any warm water out, as it automatically stops water from flowing after it reaches 95 degrees.

I’m ambivalent about this because while a warm shower is a nice luxury, I would hesitate to use this unless it’s REALLY cold because you still waster quite a bit of water. But since the installation is simple, you can plug this into your faucet when the weather’s too cold to hop into 70-degree water.

Regardless, less waste is better than more. Buy the Ladybug through Terrapass for $29.95.

Faucet Pedal

When brushing your teeth or hand-washing the dishes, there is so much water that goes unused because your hands are too busy to turn off the faucet, only to turn it on again seconds later. That’s why a pedal installed under the sink will help reduce water usage while also keeping your hands free to scrub.

I could not find many places that sold non-commercial faucet pedals, but Chicago Faucets offers a number of nice-looking pedals for little investment. The Foot Faucet also offers a sort of pedal for residential installation.

Quick video: How to green your bathroom.

Weekend Project: DIY Rainwater Collection Barrel

This post from Apartment Therapy describes how to make a simple rainwater collection barrel from gutter water. By attaching a hose, you can easily use this water for gardening and don’t have to worry about purifying.

Low-Flow Showerheads

The first of these low-flow showerheads is more affordable, but has a a lower gpm rating (2.25 versus 2gpm). Both seem to be viable options though and, most importantly, will return in savings much more than what it costs to purchase. *The Gaiam showerhead claims a $250/year savings for one family.

Lowest Flow Showerhead: $12.00 at Gaiam

Ultra Oxygenic Hand-Held Showerhead: $55.00 at Real Goods

Fun and clever way to get sustainable, clean drinking water.

Kids in rural Africa play on a merry-go-round in order to pump and purify water.