would you reuse your shower water for flushing?

"I mean, seems like a smart way to save water, but I dunno, maybe some people find it kinda weird or gross."

Honestly, once you've seen the inside of enough pipes, shower water is practically pristine compared to what's already flowing through your toilet plumbing. 😂 But seriously, greywater setups can be tricky - soap residue and hair buildup can clog valves pretty quickly. If you're hesitant about shower water, maybe start small with sink runoff first? Easier to filter and less "ick" factor for beginners...

"greywater setups can be tricky - soap residue and hair buildup can clog valves pretty quickly."

Yeah, learned that the hard way. I tried rigging up a basic greywater system from my shower to the toilet tank last summer. Worked great for a few weeks, then suddenly the flush valve got jammed with hair and soap scum... not fun cleaning that out. Still think it's worth it, but definitely recommend a solid filter or starting smaller with sink water first.

That jam would make me weigh the upkeep pretty heavily against the water savings. I’d consider reusing shower water only if cleaning the filter and keeping the flush parts clear stayed manageable; if it turned into recurring valve trouble, I’d rather keep the toilet simple.

What level of upkeep would still feel worthwhile to you - occasional filter cleaning, say, or would even that make the water savings less appealing?

Occasional, predictable filter cleaning could still feel worthwhile to me. Having to clear hair and soap from the flush parts repeatedly would cross my line; then the hassle would outweigh the savings. That’s my personal threshold, not a rule for everyone.

For you, would the initial “gross” feeling or the ongoing upkeep be the bigger hurdle to reusing greywater?

The ongoing upkeep would be the bigger hurdle for me. The initial “gross” feeling seems like something I could get used to, but repeated cleaning or valve trouble would keep costing time and could make the savings feel not worth it.

Shower water may seem cleaner than toilet waste, but “practically pristine” is too reassuring: greywater is still non-potable and can contain soap, hair, and other contaminants. Whether it’s suitable for flushing depends on a properly designed system, not just where the water came from.