How to shower‚ wash hair‚ shave‚ flush loo on five litres of water

Yes you can – brush teeth‚ shower‚ shave‚ wash and condition your hair with five litres of water and use what’s left to flush the toilet.

Capetonians have been all atwitter at the prospect of having to live on 50 litres of water a day – per person‚ per household – when level 6b water restrictions take effect on February 1. The new target has been reduced from the previous 87 litres per person‚ per day.

The city’s crippling drought has spawned a multitude of innovative ideas and DIY projects‚ shared by residents online.

Shana Kreusch‚ an operations manager at an organisation that helps disadvantaged primary school pupils‚ shared her five litre hack on the Water Shedding Western Cape Facebook page.

“Guys. I did it. I brushed teeth‚ showered‚ shaved and washed and conditioned my hair‚ using 5L of water‚ and caught it all to use to flush the toilet tonight. To be honest‚ it was actually so easy‚ I'm aiming for 4L tomorrow‚” she posted.

And then she spelled out exactly how it can be done.

1. Measure 5L hot water into a smallish bucket. 2. Take a quarter glass out to brush your teeth. 3. Wash your face. Best done first. 4. Flip your hair over the bucket and wet it‚ using a jug. 5. Rinse over the bucket to catch all the water you shower with. 6. Repeat 4 and 5 to condition. 7. Soap up. 8. Rinse yourself using the jug. Stand in a bigger container while you do this to catch all the water for your toilet. 9. Shave (do this last‚ otherwise it's gross).

“I thought it would be impossible but this is so doable! Try it tomorrow and challenge a friend to so the same. This thing is real‚” she wrote.

The post on Sunday drew widespread praise. James Thompson wrote‚ “Well done‚ Shana. Inspirational stuff! This crisis has adjusted us all‚ forever.”

“Where there's a will...there's a way!!! Well done and let us all take inspiration from these useful day to day experiences‚” wrote Neena Eddie.

Shafeek Davids‚ not to be outdone‚ posted a video of his shower routine‚ which uses just three litres of water.

Kreusch added: “After some great and challenging conversation over this‚ I realise it's important to acknowledge that thousands upon thousands in our city live like this every day.

“Except they don't get to fill the bucket with hot water‚ from a tap‚ in a bathroom‚ in a house.

"I certainly hope that through this‚ and through conversation‚ we can acknowledge the inequality of our privilege‚ and that this thing would become less about water and more about tackling some of the injustices around us.”