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by Liesl Bradner

Want to make your home eco-friendly? Instead of taking on the entire house all at once, why not try one room at a time. Since the bathroom is a place we all tend to spend a lot of time in, let’s begin there. Here are some simple solutions to green your bathroom.

TOILET
We spend a lot of time here and every flush counts. Every flush uses between two to seven gallons of water.

• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet. During the 70’s water shortage in California, people were advised when it’s yellow let it mellow.
• Install low flush or dual flush toilets

SHOWER
Most people take at least one shower a day and use it as a place to relax, think and unwind. Unfortunately that Zen-shower experience is wasting tons of valuable water.

• Take fewer showers and make them shorter. Buy a shower timer if you have to. If you know you are heading to the gym later in the day, take one then and forgo the morning shower.
• Replace your showerhead with a low-flow version. If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, then replace it with a water-efficient showerhead. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow without adjusting the water temperature knobs.
• Buy a Hemp shower curtain - a great alternative over the vinyl curtains which are tough to recycle and end up in landfills. Hemp fabric is strong, durable, quick drying and has a natural resistance to mildew and bacteria.
• Use Organic Soap
• Try using baking soda to scouring the tub/shower. (It may take some extra elbow grease).
• To prevent clogged drains (thus causing mucky buildup and the need for harmful chemicals), use a hair trap over the bathtub drain.

SINK/VANITY AREA

• Use organic, cruelty-free or handcrafted natural wild soaps. There are a wide variety of choices but essentially be sure that they are made with no synthetic detergents, foaming agents or petrochemicals.
• Choose a cup and soap dish made from recycled glass rather than plastic.
• For ambiance, try soy or beeswax candles. 100% beeswax candles are natural, non-toxic, non-allergenic and have a long burn time
• Use vinegar to clean the mirrors and windows.
• As for every room in the house, use compact fluorescent bulbs.

TOWELS

• Choose towels made from organic cotton, bamboo or hemp.
• Agave fiber washcloths are soft and mildew resistant yet durable.

Start today with some simple changes that can make a big difference!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 at 10:12 am and is filed under Bathroom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.