Tips on Creating an environmentally Friendly Bathroom

We all need to do our part to conserve and to make our home more environmentally friendly.  What better place to start than the bathroom?  It could be the most used room of your home.

First, begin by thinking about your water. Could it be time to update that showerhead?  Did you know that outdated showerheads allow for more water waste than the newer ones?  While you are taking a bath you could be wasting about 3 gallons more water than you need to be using, if you just simply buy a newer showerhead.

Next, take a look at the bathroom itself.  What do you see?

Do you see a plastic shower curtain?  Don't you think you would be better off with a fabric one?  Fabric ones can be washed.  This means mold and mildew would not have a place to grow.  This also means you would have a nicer smelling bathroom.  Look for a fabric liner made from cotton or even better organic linen.

Now look around at some of the little things such as your bathroom towels and mats.  Look at their labels.  Are they made from organic materials?  What about the dyes?    Look for products made from natural or low impact dyes.

Do you have a lot of hair products or beauty products lying around your bathroom?  Would some nice baskets make the room look prettier and more organized?  Think about placing some of your things in bamboo baskets. 

Why should you consider bamboo products?  Bamboo helps to repel bacteria and humidity.

Take a break and now consider the cleaners you used in the bathroom.  What are their major ingredients?  Did you know that you could do a lot of cleaning with products made from natural ingredients, especially vinegar?

Of course, when you are talking about making environmental changes in the bathroom you must consider the type of toilet paper you use.  Look for toilet paper labeled 100 percent recyclable toilet paper.   No, this type of paper isn't rough and it isn't always hard on the wallet.

While you are in the mood of making changes in your bathroom, you may also decide it is time to repaint.  This isn't a bad idea and it doesn't have to hurt the environment, if you choose the right paint.  While you are shopping for paint at your local paint store ask if they carry recyclable paint, many places do now. 

Finally, don't stop your evaluating until you check the settings on your hot water heater.  Most of us have the setting too high.  This means we are wasting energy and money.