If you need a hot rag for cleaning purposes or perhaps a hot towel, most likely you run the tap until the water becomes hot.

This not only wastes a lot of water, but the amount of hot water you actually use is probably equivalent to the hot water that's left in the pipe to your sink by the time you've gotten the water you need. Your hot water service then replaces the water used, heats it again, which costs you money.

There's a very easy way to prevent all this wastage - simply dampen the rag or towel using straight cold water, wring out any excess and then put it in the microwave. For a standard sized cleaning rag, you'll only need to microwave it for 10 seconds.

What's the cost of doing it this way?

Let's see:

- the average microwave chews about 800 watts per hour
- the US price per kilowatt is around 8c currently
- Divide 800 watts by 3600 (number of seconds in an hour)
- Multiply the result (.2222) x 10 (the number of seconds in the microwave)
- The amount of power used is only 2.2 watts, well under a cent

Using this method saves power, saves water, saves you money and also is a more environmentally friendly method! While the savings might seem minimal, imagine this scenario happening millions of times a year throughout the world. As the popular saying goes; "look after the pennies and the dollars will look after themselves"

Do you have tips or comments you'd like to share regarding this article? Please add them below.