There are loads of ways to be more environmentally friendly in the bathroom, from ways to reduce the amount of energy and water you use to switching to more eco-friendly bathroom products.
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How to have an Eco-Friendly Bathroom
1. Use eco-friendly bathroom cleaning products
The amount of chemicals we use to clean our bathrooms is quite surprising and considering how small and often how poorly ventilated the ‘smallest room in the house’ is they can’t be good for your health. Find yourself green bathroom cleaners which don’t allow harmful chemicals to go down the drain. Alternatively there are plenty of home-made options you can try as well. Baking soda and vinegar are your friends!
Read: The Eco-Friendly Way To Clean Your Bathroom
2. Turn down the heat on your water heater a bit
Does your hot water have to be as hot as it currently is? If not reduce the temperature the bit. It’ll save energy and money over time.
3. Use LED light bulbs
Just as you should be replacing light bulbs everywhere else in the house with LED or more energy efficient light bulbs, don’t forget to replace the bathroom lights as well.
4. Buy eco-friendly toilet paper
Americans could save more than an almost unbelievable 400,000 trees if each household bought just one roll of recycled toilet paper, according to Greenpeace. Check out lots of Eco-Friendly Toilet Paper & Toilet Paper Alternatives.
5. Use organic cotton or bamboo towels and linen
Most towels are made of cotton, and although that sounds nice and natural the truth is that the cotton industry is pretty damaging to the environment. Towels made from organic cotton or bamboo are a much better choice for the planet.
“Cotton uses 3% of global water, and the damage from cotton farming is $83bn.” – The Guardian.
6. Swap your shower curtain
PVC shower curtains do nothing for the environment or you. Not only are they not recyclable but they let off harmful toxic compounds which are not great for the air quality in your bathroom or your health. It is possible to get PVC free plastic shower curtains or even better why not go for a hemp shower curtain which is naturally resistant to mould? (Just make sure your bathroom is well ventilated)
7. Save water
There are loads of simple ways to reduce to the amount of water you use and waste in the bathroom, from installing low-flow taps to having shorter showers. Read How to Save Water at Home for lots of handy tips.
8. Reduce
Have a look around your bathroom and in the bathroom cabinet. There’s probably loads of plastic around, from cotton buds to toothbrushes and shampoo bottles. Fortunately people are catching on and there are lots of plastic free alternatives. Why not try a bamboo toothbrush, use a shampoo bar or buy plastic free cotton buds? And don’t forget to swap disposable razors for safety razors too!
You might find that your bathroom is full of items that you don’t really need. Do you really need 4 different types of bath bubbles, why not use bath salts instead? Reduce the amount you’re buying!
9. Refill
Another way to reduce plastic is to find a local shop that offers refills for bathroom cleaners, shampoos, body washes etc. You don’t need to throw away every spray bottle and buy a new one every time, buy a refill or make your own to fill it.
10. Reusables
The amount of cotton pads or balls that are thrown away each day after removing makeup or using them for cleansing can be massively reduced by buying reusable makeup removers. And don’t even think of buying disposable cleansing wipes (for your face, bum, countertops, glass or anywhere in the house). Not only do wipes come in non-recyclable packaging but you’re creating so much more waste with these single use items than if you just used old rags, microfibre or washable cloths / flannels. For the women you could also look into reusable sanitary products, it’s easy to have plastic free periods.
Got any more handy tips for having an eco-friendly bathroom? Make a comment below.
Don’t forget to use up everything you already own before buying the eco-friendly version. There’s no point in sending unused items to landfill!
Check out this comprehensive list of eco-friendly bathroom swaps.
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Thank you for these tips! They are great! I would also suggest considering eco shower head installations. You get more than just a lower water bill when you invest in an eco shower head. You also get to help the planet because your home won’t consume as much water once you have it installed, as homes with an eco shower head installed will use 40% less water than homes that use traditional shower heads.