Top Eco-Friendly Tips for a Healthy Bathroom
It might be one of the smallest rooms in your house, but it is also where the most amount of waste is created. Water is used in abundance, there never seems to be enough cleaning products to keep all the different surfaces clean and let’s not forget about lighting, insulation, ventilation and building materials. Don’t despair, however, because there are some very simple fixes that will help you sleep soundly at night, without having to worry about the damage you’re doing to the environment and the size of your bills.
Make Your Own Cleaning Products
Take a look at some of the cleaning products you use in your bathroom. How many of them have HAZARDOUS written on the label? We’ve been lulled into a false sense of security and think that nothing will work better at cleaning grime from our various kitchen and bathroom surfaces. It is possible to clean in a far more eco-friendly and safe way by using baking soda and vinegar. Using lemon and various essential oils will also add a pleasing smell and provide you with an antiseptic and antibacterial alternative.
Use Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Bath Products
Many of the products you use in the bathroom such as toilet paper, hand soap, shampoo, shower gel and bath towels can be switched out for products that are greener. As well as being kinder to the environment they will also be safer and healthier for your body and skin. Not only are conventional toiletry products made using petrochemicals and toxic preservatives, many of them contain palm oil, have been tested on animals, and are sold in plastic containers.
Moreover, when it comes to discarding of bath products like paper, sanitary napkins, and such, investing in a recycling bin from online stores such as EKO Home (ekohome.co.uk) can be a good idea. This can make separating multiple waste items from your bathroom easier, which can lead to better recycling or disposal of said waste.
Use LED Light Bulbs
Do you still use incandescent light bulbs in your home? It’s about time to change over to LEDs because they are one of the best ways to reduce your energy bills. They consume 80% less energy and last 25 times longer. Now is also a great time to make the switch because many of the incandescent light bulbs are now being phased out. It might not be long before you can’t buy them anymore.
Install an Efficient Heat Source
It’s comforting to have a warm bathroom to step into when you need to relax in the bath or get ready for work. Space means that your options are sometimes very limited. One great alternative is to install column radiators, such as those offered by Warmrooms in the UK. The large surface area of the panels means they can offer maximum heat output.
Low Flow Toilet and Shower Head
Did you know that your toilet uses as much as 24% of the water in your home? That’s more than the shower or washing machine. Replace your old toilet with a low-flow model and you could save several gallons of water every time you flush. The shower head you use is another place where you can make considerable savings on water. Typically, a showerhead uses between 5 and 8 gallons of water per minute. Use a low-flow head and this can be reduced to 2.5 gallons or less.
If you’re starting with a clean slate, it’s easy to use greener materials and products. However, even if your bathroom is several decades old, there are ways you can be more eco-friendly.
