It's a hot day outside and I have a feeling that this might make water efficiency tougher. All the advice says that you need more water as the temperature goes up and obviously there's the potential to smell alot more.
The day starts with washing up and I'm proud as 3 litres of water gets me through two loads - last night's takeaway dishes, which make the water smell of crispy duck and hoi sin sauce, and the usual breakfast plates and cups. The water lasts surprisingly well despite it's strange odour.
I head into Islington to do some shopping with my boyfriend and his sister and am pleased to be out of the house, although I don't feel great. I am actually dirty now, it's got past the stage of worrying what others think, it's more the annoying self knowledge that you're just not clean. And being around others who are emphasises that.
Having said that, I'm not stared at and I don't detect any judgemental looks from shop assistants or people walking by. I try on hats in Mambo and feel bad that I might be contaminating them, but do decide to buy a nice light blue trilby sunhat.
Boyfriend's sister asks, "When was the last time you washed your hair", when I tell her Sunday she is surprised and asks why my hair is not filthy. I am secretly delighted but tell her it is, she says it looks more like I've just sprayed a lot of hair spray on - which is probably quite accurate. When I take my hair out of a ponytail it has gravity defying forces and stays put where it is, needing encouragement to move back down to usual hanging position. It's very unpleasent.
As we pop in and out of shops I feel pretty rough. I have a headache, am tired and grumpy, as well as feeling too hot, sweaty and very thirsty. I'm unable to eat-out (can't track the water footprint) so we head home for lunch and I feel guilty again that this obssession with water is affecting other people's lives. There is just no room for compromise and socialising doesn't fit into the rations.
Back at home the thirst continues. I start to get a small cloudy dot moving across the sight line of my left eye - this happens sometimes when I get very dehydrated so it's not scary but mildly frustrating. I worry that my body is punishing me for cutting back my water intake so quickly and piling in a load of pesticides - it can't say 'wash before use' on fruit and veg for no reason.
After food and a much need extra 0.75 litres of rehydration I am feeling better and say good bye to the holiday makers as they jump in a cab to the airport. The flat is clean, the dishes done and the toilet flushed so my water needs for the day are taken care of.
I start to think about shower day tomorrow. So far I've used 69.25 litres of water and saved 30.75, add further savings tomorrow and I've made the 35 litre allowance I need for a full five minute shower. It will be such a treat to be clean.
Water used:
8 litres - 1 toilet flush
3 litres - 2 sets of washing up
2.25 litres - drinking water
0.5 litre washing
0.5 litre - teeth and retainer cleaning
Total: 14.25 litres
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