The best way to clean outdoors is to get out the broom and sweep. Using the hose to wash down sidewalks, driveways, and pavements is a wasteful and unnecessary practice, especially during a drought.
During a drought you should completely avoid washing your car with a hose at home. If your car desperately needs a bath, take it to a car wash that recycles water. You could also use some old rags and a bucket of water to do the job with much less water waste.
Figure 1
If you must hose down pavements or wash your car, be sure to attach a shutoff hose nozzle (such as the one shown in Figure 1) on your garden hose. A good quality hose nozzle should not leak or drip when in the off position. Check to make sure that your hose is not leaking at the hose bib connection either. A hose washer will usually take care of hose bib leaks.
Hose spray and shutoff nozzles are available at hardware stores and garden supply stores. If you purchase a hose nozzle and discover it doesn’t completely cut the flow or that it leaks, take it back and get a better one! A good quality hose nozzle will completely stop flow without any leaks.
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