Michael Phelps, the greatest swimmer of all time, made the news today in an article titled “Michael Phelps: How you Should Brush your Teeth.” At first I thought the article would discuss a novel approach to the brushing technique. However, the article brings attention to a very important topic, especially in the state of California: water conservation. Michael Phelps is raising awareness about water conservation and one of his prime example is tooth brushing.
According to current estimates, 42% of people leave the faucet running when they are brushing their teeth. This wastes 64 glasses of water each time you brush for two minutes. I am certainly guilty of being one to have let the water run while brushing. However, since moving to California 5 years ago, I have become much more aware of how precious water is. This little tip from Michael Phelps can help us conserve a great deal of water.
So let’s all be a little more like Michael Phelps- moisten your bristles, shut off the faucet, brush for two minutes, and rinse!