10 Ways to Green Your Bathroom
Fewer places in your house need more cleaning and potentially use more chemicals than your bathroom. Often a windowless small space, with high humidity and warmth, it is the perfect breeding ground for hold and mildew.
As well, it is a room that uses a lot of resources and can contain a number of articles made of synthetic, chemical emitting objects.
So here is a list of suggestions to make your bathroom cleaner and greener.
1. Keep your bathroom well--ventilated : Make sure to open a window or run a fan for a few minutes after you shower. This will help reduce the humidity and cut down on the mold.
2. Chose a shower curtain that is friendly to the environment: the best green materials are linen, organic cotton and hemp. Vinyl and PVC are OUT!
3. Switch to homemade/natural cleaners: conventional cleaners create toxic fumes. Your best choice of ingredients for homemade cleaners are baking soda and vinegar. If you spray your shower after each use with a mixture of diluted vinegar you will prevent mold growth. There are also many choices of green products on the market.
Simple Daily Shower Spray Recipe
Combine in a spray bottle, shake and use daily:
- 1 part white vinegar or apple-cider vinegar
- 3 parts water
Vinegar-Free Daily Shower Spray Recipe
Combine in a spray bottle, shake and use daily:
- 1 part rubbing alcohol
- 3 parts water
4. Buy and install a low--flow shower head : these shower heads consume half the water of a normal shower head.
5. Remember to turn the water off : it is not necessary to brush your teeth or shave with the water running. Conserve as much as possible.
6. B uy organic cotton or bamboo towels, bath mats and wash cloths : Conventionally-grown cotton uses 25% of the world's insecticide. Bsamboo is a good option since it has natural antibacterial properties.
7. Buy all--natural personal care products : read labels and try to stay away from petroleum--based ingredients when buying shampoo, soap, deodorant and cosmetics. There are many natural care products on the market to choose from.
8. Use environmentally friendly lightbulbs : both LED bulbs and CFL bulbs (Compact Fluorescent Lights) are efficient, less expensive in the long term, reduce air and water pollution and offer high quality light.
9. Add some greenery to your bathroom : there are a lot of houseplants that thrive (and that will freshen the air) in the bathroom's conditions of low light, warmth, and humidity.
All of the above can be accomplished on a low budget-- you will be healthier and your bathroom more pleasant to use for these changes. And don't forget, if you are making big changes in your bathroom such as flooring or cabinets, consider to natural products as well.
