11 ways to make your bathroom greener...and we're not talking about paint color
Posted by Amy Siders on April 06, 2022 0 Comments
It's WORLD HEALTH DAY.
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day
The unparalleled value of good health is celebrated on World Health Day on April 7. Spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO), physical, mental, and emotional well-being is promoted and celebrated all over the world on this day.
The most environmentally conscious decision is always to reduce your overall consumption and buy less when possible.
ALEX PAYNE, PUBLICIST, TERRACYCLE
The Waterhouse team wants to share some ways that you can make your bathroom a little bit "greener" so you and your family can breathe easier (literally!) knowing that your footprint is smaller, your water is safer and cleaner, and your wallet isn't any lighter.
- Use natural materials for your fixtures
When you’re looking to renovate your bathroom, shop around for cabinets made from natural, organic materials. Natural materials are free from harmful, pollution causing chemicals and can be easily recycled later down the line.
Countertops made from glass, wood, or stone give a prestigious look and are better for the environment than acrylic, MDF or similar materials.
- LED bulbs
It isn’t just the water that you can save in your bathroom. LED bulbs can help you make great savings on your electricity bill, which also helps save the planet. LEDs have an 80-90% efficiency. This means that 80-90% of their energy is turned into light rather than heat.
Conventional incandescent bulbs lose 80% of their energy as heat and so are only 20% efficient. LEDs produce a range of lighting effects that can help you create the perfect look and feel, from accent lighting to spotlights for mirrors.
- Get rid of the shower curtain
Vinyl shower curtain liners are bad for the planet. They are not recyclable and give off harmful fumes when burned. A study by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), a non-profit organization who study and recommend ways to prevent chemical threats to health, shows that shower curtains can even be toxic to your health.
Non-PVC shower curtains are available, but if you’re renovating your bathroom, consider a shower screen instead of a curtain. They last longer, are easier to clean and are much kinder to the environment. Glass shower screens can also be easily recycled when the time comes to remodel.
- Fix that flush
Toilets use approximately 27% of the water consumed in your home — more than any other appliances or plumbing — including the washing machine, dishwasher, and shower.
Replacing your toilet with a low-flow model can reduce the amount of water flushed away and could save 5,000 liters of water of average. Since 1992, U.S. law has mandated that new toilets sold in the United States be low-flow or low-flush, which means that they consume no more than 1.6 gallons (6 liters) per flush. This means that most toilets available on the market today are low flow.
Look for models that are labelled as high efficiency toilets. These toilets will give you the most water and financial savings. And, in some locations in the United States, sizable rebates are available to water utility customers for these toilets.
- Build with a lifetime in mind
Finding small ways to help change the planet is something we should all be doing, it’s important to think about the big picture when you can.
If you’re designing or renovating your bathroom, consider building it with your future in mind. You might be fully mobile now, but in the future, you may not be. Building your bathroom with accessibility in mind, by fitting a wet room, positioning your outlet drains in certain ways etc., you can save on future renovation.
- Turn off the tap
There’s no need to keep the tap running when you’re washing your hands or brushing your teeth. If you want to be more eco-friendly in the bathroom, simply turn the tap off until you need that water to rinse.
Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save 8 gallons of water per day. If you do the same while shaving, you can save 10 gallons of water. Assuming you brush your teeth twice daily and shave 5 times per week, you could save nearly 5,700 gallons per year!
- Don’t ignore leaks and drips
Household leaks can waste approximately nearly 900 billion gallons of water annually nationwide. That’s equal to the annual household water use of nearly 11 million homes. In addition to costing homeowners thousands every year, water waste has a massive effect on the environment. Check all your fixtures and connections regularly. If a problem arises, fix it, don’t ignore it! Most leaks are a quick fix that don’t even require calling out a plumber.
- Fill your cupboard with recyclables
Natural bathroom products, such as moisturizers, face wipes and shampoos all do their part to help the planet. Using eco-friendly ingredients and recyclable bottles, these products are ideal for creating a greener bathroom. Natural products are also very healthy for your skin and body, so you’ll be looking after yourself as well as the planet.
- Clean green
In addition to natural beauty products, you can also get greener cleaning products for your bathroom. Just like your beauty products, choose cleaning products with recyclable bottles where possible.
You can also avoid some of the more damaging cleaning chemicals if you’re prepared to add in a little elbow grease. Vinegar and lemon juice can easily get rid of grime and mildew with a good scrub.
- Dry towels naturally
After a nice long soak, towels can be a hassle to dry. But rather than tossing them in the tumble dryer, let them dry naturally in a well aired area. It takes time, for sure, but you’re not likely to need to use the towel again so soon.
Allowing your towels to dry naturally also helps protect your towels. They take less wear and tear than they would if they went around and around in the tumble dryer.
- Be mindful about heating water
Did you know that the average household uses around 330 liters of water per day? Heating water for showers, washing up and baths accounts for more than 15% of expenditure on gas.
If you have an old boiler, it’s well worth looking into more modern alternatives, which may be more energy efficient. Combi-boilers tend to be a lot more cost-effective than other options, especially immersion heating. Using a thermostat can also help you to save money.
Only heat water when you need it and try and use it all up. Doing the washing up and then showering is a simple way to maximize your hot water usage.
Waterhouse offers thousands of options for your green bathroom (and for the pink, blue, white, and gray bathrooms, too!
Come check out our low-flow toilets, tankless water heaters, water saving faucets for your bathroom and kitchen, water saving showerheads and more!
125 E. Indiana Ave.