CLEAN your Brita pitchers

If you have a Brita pitcher to filter drinking water (or something similar), PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember to clean it! Just because it only has water in it doesn't mean that it doesn't get dirty, bacterial-ridden, or worse. I have seen some pitchers that send me running for tap water - yes our gross, DC, city tap water!

Follow the rule of twos: clean your pitcher about every two weeks and change the filter every two months.

It's quick and easy: take out the filter and set it aside. Take apart the other components. Wash each separately in hot water with dish soap, rinse thoroughly, then put back together. Just do it along with your dishes and it's not a separate chore!

Also don't leave Brita backwash in the pitcher. Every few days when it gets down to a small bit left, just dump it out before filling it up again. That water gets funky and disperses into your "fresh" water.

If you don't have the kind of pitcher that keeps the date of the last filter change on it, make a note for yourself on the fridge when you change it. Every two months is about standard - you really should every month if you've got four or more people using it in your household.

Finally, on the savings note, buy your filters in bulk! The cost difference is huge. Of course if you belong to Costco, buy them there. I buy mine in five packs on Amazon - it ships free with SuperSaver shipping and breaks down to about $5 per filter. When you buy them in onesies in stores like CVS or the grocery store, they can be as much as $10 or $12 a piece. Stock up and store them - then you only have to worry about buying them twice a year, which is also an important TIME saving!