Use minimal water to keep yourself clean

Out of all the things that required running water, it’s likely you may miss warm showers the most.

When taking a sponge bath is your only option, here are a few things to keep in mind:

You simply put water into a basin (you may at least have the luxury of warming your water), dip a sponge or washcloth into it, lightly soap up the sponge and then wash over your body. Pay particular attention to underarms, genital region and feet. Your face should be washed separately with a softer cloth. Rinse the soap off of the sponge or wash cloth and use the sponge to rinse the soap off yourself. It may sound icky but it works just as well as a shower to remove dirt and germs.

You may even wash some parts of your body without soap. Simply rub down well with a hot, wet washrag, rinsing the cloth frequently and reserve the use of soap for the hairy parts of the body, but this small amount of suds can usually be rinsed off with a damp rag.

Make sure you have a stack of fresh, clean washcloths somewhere in your home at all times. When they are used, make sure each family member hangs them up in a different place so they can be reused for the next ‘bath’. For hair washing we pour warm water in a basin and use a cup to wash hair. You may consider first washing your hair in a basin and then using that same basin of water to wash the rest of your body.

Remember to save the water you have used for washing for use in your toilet.