This question may be different depending on how much time you spend in your RV versus a sticks-and-bricks home. In your RV, you’re probably much more water-conscious, so you may not let the water in the sink flow while you wash your hands. But maybe when you’re at your (or someone else’s) sticks-and-bricks home, you let the water run freely.
So tell us: When you’re washing your hands, do you let the water run or do you turn it off while you lather up with soap?
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I use foaming soap, I work the lather around, then rinse.
In the kitchen, Dawn’s spray platinum power wash allows me to use less water.
Water running on hook ups, water off when dry camping!
No. That’s why they make soap in pump foam. Foam on hand, arms where ever then rinse off.
It depends if we’re connected or not but even then, the water’s on only if hands are under the faucet.
It depends on the dirt persistence. If the dirt is of an oily nature, I’m probably trying to minimize touching the faucet – and likely removing the grime in layers with repeat applications of fresh soap. If the above is the case, I often leave the water run, but not full blast.
Whether or not I let the water run depends on how dirty my hands are and if it’s oily or not. Sometimes you need a lot more water to get the job done.
Not when boondocking!
Yep. Lots of things change when we are boondocking.
Yes, but only a trickle not full force like in the photo. Even with foaming soap it starts to dry before it has done its job.
A yes answer would imply the person doesn’t boondock.
I spent 20 years in the US Navy, my job was to make steam for motive power and making potable water and boiler feedwater for the ship. Water being a precious commodity I never waste it, including when I’m washing my hands, doing dishes or cleaning my vehicles.
Nope, never. Learned that water was a sparse commodity when growing up. Reinforce on ship in the navy when many days we were on not allowed to use for showers, ( after 8 hrs in engine room at 90+ temps). Today if I working outside I have a bucket of soapy water and one to rinse hands off, use it several times during the day before I finish.
Absolutely not! Water is too precious to just waste it down the drain.
We don’t boondock, so yes, all the time.
When I trained to be a medical assistant — we were trained to turn the water on with a paper towel in our hand … leave it run … use soap … lather … and then turn the water off with another clean paper towel. No use to put your dirty hands on the faucet … clean them and then put clean hands on the faucet … “clean” doesn’t happen that way.
I’m with Greg, Tom, and Dan A. I never let the water run while I’m washing my hands or my dishes. I grew up on a farm that was on a well, plus I boondock every chance I get. I can remember as a kid and young adult not having enough water from the well, and having to carry it from the spring to the house to take a bath. If you were really good, my grandmother would warm up the water on the wood stove in the kitchen for the bath. I seem to remember a lot of cold baths when I was younger…
I conserve gray tank space, not water.
At home or in a public restroom, I let it run. In the trailer, I turn it off–even with full hookups so I don’t have to empty the tanks as often.
I installed super low-flow aerators (0.5 gal per minute) in the trailer. Most aerators are 2.2 gal per minute.
Having spent many years in California with drought conditions water is conserved. I turn on the water to wet my hands then turned off, I use bar soap and suds up my hands, wash for 20ish seconds, then turn on the water using my elbow, rinse and turn off the water again with my elbow. Back in the day in public restrooms you had to get your hands wet before getting the Borax soap. Now with the liquid and foam soaps, I still have the habit of getting wet first. In the RV we don’t keep the water heater on and I can wash just as well with unheated water.