Tips on How to Make Your Bathroom Greener and More Eco-Friendly
Use these easy tips and you can eliminate waste and harmful chemicals from your bathroom:
1. Switch That Plastic Shower Curtain to an Eco-Friendly Material
If you have a plastic shower curtain, it’s probably made of PVC or polyvinyl chloride. According to the Center for Health, Environment & Justice, PVC shower curtains release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These chemicals turn into gases that pollute the air we breathe. Side effects include, but are not limited to, cataracts, heart arrhythmia, liver and kidney damage.
To make your bathroom greener and more eco-friendly, toss your plastic shower curtain and replace it with one that’s made of hemp, organic cotton, bamboo or linen.
2. Use Green Towels, Rugs, Window Curtains and Bath Mats
Replace your existing towels with organic cotton or bamboo. Cotton window curtains will also make your bathroom greener. And, the best green bath mats are made from teak. Teak resists mold and mildew…naturally!
3. Take Navy Showers to Conserve Water
Since taking showers can use thousands of gallons of water per household annually, it’s a good idea to drastically cut your water consumption by taking Navy Showers: 1) Get your entire body wet. 2) Then, turn the shower off. 3) Lather up with soap and shampoo. 4) Turn the shower back on to rinse off.
4. Buy Recycled Toilet Paper and Facial Tissues
Another tip on how to make your bathroom greener and more eco-friendly is to skip regular toilet paper and facial tissues, and buy recycled instead. These products don’t contain irritating dyes or perfumes, and the toilet paper is perfect for low-flow toilets.
5. Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products in Your Bathroom
Getting rid of cleaning products that contain toxic chemicals such as bleach and hydrochloric acid is another step you can take to make your bathroom greener. Besides making this room safer, this tip can save you money too!
You can buy green cleaning products. Or, you can easily make your own natural cleaners. Check out Irene Lynn’s article, “Green Works Vs. Seventh Generation- A Review of a “Green” Cleaning Product for the Environment” and Hillary Marshall’s “Homemade Cleaning Products” to help you choose.
6. Switch From Using Disposable Razors
According to the EPA, approximately 2 billion disposable razors help fill up the landfills in the United States annually. How many are you responsible for? Yea, me too until I researched for this article. A good alternative to using disposable razors is using an electric or a battery-operated-rechargeable shaver instead.
7. Use Eco-Friendly Household Items to Unclog Bathroom Drains
Have a clogged drain in your bathroom? Forget using caustic store-bought chemicals if you want to make your bathroom greener and more eco-friendly. Simply get out the baking soda and vinegar. Pour a half cup of the soda directly into the drain. Then, pour in the vinegar. Let the mixture bubble for a few minutes. Then slowly- and carefully so you don’t get splashed- flush the drain with boiling water. Repeat the process if necessary.
