Eco-friendly tips for the bathroom

Your bathroom design may be beautiful, but is it eco-friendly too? The two don’t have to come separately. In fact, helping out the environment in a big way doesn’t have to mean going through extensive bathroom renovations. Here are a few simple, yet effective, ways to go green in your bathroom:

Switch out your light bulbs
Simply swapping your light bulbs with longer lasting incandescent light bulbs can save energy and money in the long run. Your bathroom might not notice a difference, but your energy bill will!

Use eco-friendly tiles
Backsplashes and kitchen flooring often use tile because the material comes in a wide variety of colors and can stand up to the moist and humid environment of the bathroom. However, some tiles are more eco-friendly than others. When installing flooring or a backsplash in your shower or sink, opt for shimmery recycled glass tiles or ceramic tiles, both of which are durable, low maintenance and have a low toxicological impact.

Opt for low-VOC paint
Painting the walls of your bathroom can give life and personality to the space. But before you head to the store to pick out the perfect color, consider using paint that is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs can emit pollutants into your bathroom, reducing the quality of your indoor air.

Fix leaky faucets
Go through your bathroom and complete a full inspection to see if there are any leaky faucets that may need to be fixed. A slowly dripping faucet may not seem like a big deal, but that constant dripping can cause you to lose more than 20 gallons of water per day. If you find that you do have a faucet in your clawfoot tub or sink that needs to be fixed, make that a priority.

Create homemade cleaning products
Some of the cleaning products available in stores may contain toxic ingredients, but the good news is, you can make your own cleaning solutions that are safe and eco-friendly. For instance, to make a shower cleaner, just mix 2 cups of water with three drops of tree oil, shake and pour the solution into a spray bottle. Using this mixture on your shower walls will help to keep mildew and bacteria from growing and spreading in your bathroom.

Check your shower curtain
Vinyl shower curtains are commonly found in bathrooms, but they contain polyvinyl chloride, which can release VOCs into the air. Simply swap out your shower curtain for one that’s made of organic cotton or bamboo.