Making your home eco-friendly is good for the environment and often good for your bank account too. You can keep more money in your pocket by being careful about the energy and water you use, as well as the products you buy. In your bathroom, there can be more that could be bad for the environment than you might realise. Both the things you have in there and your habits when you use the bathroom could have an environmental impact. If you want to make a change, there are lots of things you can do, even in this small room.
Over the past 7 years I have become more and more interested in healthy living which extends to non-toxic living in the home and caring about the environment more. It’s an ongoing journey, but there are plenty of changes you can begin to make to ensure you are looking after the environment as much as possible. Let’s start in the bathroom.
Take stock of your health and beauty products
The things you use in the bathroom can affect the environment, so it’s a good idea to take a look at them and assess them. This might include your shower and bath products, makeup, medication, first aid, and anything else you use while in the bathroom. Some products can be swapped for those with more eco-friendly ingredients. Switching to a natural deodorant or an organic shampoo could not only be good for the environment, but it might be better for your skin and hair too. One thing you should choose to avoid is plastic microbeads, which are used in scrubs. It’s also possible to buy cotton buds with organic cotton and bamboo sticks, as well as bamboo stick toothbrushes with bristles made from plant sources. Often people seem to forget that everything they use, such as shower gel, ends up washed away and back into the environment, so it’s important to choose the most natural products possible.
Fit flow restrictors
Using too much water in the bathroom isn’t great for the environment, and it can leave you with big bills too. Fortunately, there are several ways to avoid using too much. Flow restrictors or low-flow faucets and shower heads allow you to reduce the flow of water when you shower, bathe, wash your hands or do anything else. You don’t have to give up on your power shower either as there are clever heads that give a fast flow, but still reduce the amount of water needed. There are other options too. Installing a dual flush in your toilet means you can choose the intensity and water volume of the flush. For a more low-tech solution, filling a plastic bottle with water and putting it in your tank will stop it filling up so much.
Repair leaks
Unintentional water usage is important to look out for too. If there are any leaks in your bathroom, it will waste water. Not only that, but it can be very annoying if something is dripping, and you could end up with water damage. Leaks could be a sign of a bigger problem too, so getting them fixed should be a priority. You’ll need to investigate the cause of any leaks so that you can get them fixed or perhaps even repair them yourself if you have the skills. We had a huge leak when we moved into our home that caused water damage to the floor and ceiling below. Unfortunately we didn’t spot it until it was too late, but if we had of then we’d have avoided a huge repair bill and a huge waste of water.
Get an eco-friendly shower curtain
If you’re using a PVC shower curtain, you might want to rethink it. PVC isn’t great for the environment because it releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These can affect air quality and your health. For a more eco-friendly healthier option, you can find PVC-free shower curtains. Some of them might be made from cotton, hemp, polyester or PEVA. While cotton and hemp might be more eco-friendly, the other two materials are slightly more practical for your bathroom. We decided to ditch the shower curtain altogether and installed a glass bath screen instead. This is long lasting and hard wearing so shouldn’t need replacing for a very long time, if at all.
Make your bathroom more eco-friendly with a few changes to your bathroom products and habits. Not only will it help the environment, but it will be good for you too.
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