So you have decided to welcome the eco-friendly lifestyle in your own home? One of the easiest ways to start is to pay attention to the smallest and perhaps the coziest parts of your home – the bathrooms. These little personal hygiene areas are qualified for a “go-green” makeover since they are prone to careless water and energy consumption and usage of toxic substances which may negatively affect the environment.
There are three things you have to keep in mind when redecorating your bathroom: water conservation, energy management, and usage of sustainable materials. With just a few redecorations and simple adjustments, you can transform your cozy and comfortable cleansing room to an eco-friendly suite that embraces sustainability and healthy lifestyle.
To break them down, here are some of the eco-friendly additions you may utilize in redecorating your green bathrooms.
WATER CONSERVATION
1. Use aerators
One of the easiest and simplest ways to conserve water is by using aerators for faucets and shower heads. Aerators can be simply screwed onto the fixture, creating a no-splashing stream but still can deliver that same high-pressure flow. These simple tools can help cut down your water usage by 30% compared to standard flow, and are a great start when striving for green bathrooms.
2. Switch to motion sensor faucets
Another guaranteed way to minimize water consumption is by installing a motion sensor faucet in your bathroom sink. The state-of-the-art faucets release water only when you need it. They can also make your sink cleaner and untouched by nasty gunk build-up.
3. Install low flow fixtures
The recommended amount of time for taking a shower is five minutes if you’re aiming for water conservation since typical shower heads use 5 to 8 gallons per minute. Luckily for people who love to linger inside the shower, you can stay longer and save water at the same time by using low flow shower heads. You can enjoy the same water pressure of traditional shower heads and only use 2.5 gallons or less.
Toilets also have their low-flow counterparts. A large amount of water in the household is wasted only in toilet flushes. Low-flow toilets address this problem by cutting down the water consumption to only 1.2 gallons per flush. Dual flush toilets are also useful for water conservation and can minimize water usage by up to 30%.
4. Invest on a greywater system
Concerned about the soapy water wasted on your showers and sinks? You can still make them useful by installing a greywater system. The advanced system allows you recycle water from baths, basins, showers, and washing machines to irrigate your gardens and lawns and even flush toilets.
The drained water is filtered, delivered to a pump chamber, and automatically released from a drive pipe to a garden sprinkler system. With this kind of system, you can expect your water bill to reduce by around 35%.
The #greywater system was installed in 3 hours. Watch water from the washing machine going into the garden #eNCAeco pic.twitter.com/JqQ50NNBLM
— Bianca Ackroyd (@Bianca_Ackroyd) May 15, 2016
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
5. Use tankless water heaters
Indulging in steamy hot showers in the midst of a cold season feels gratifying. However, it takes a lot of energy to heat the water. You may reduce your energy consumption by replacing your traditional heaters with a tankless water heater. These water heaters will only heat the water needed, and thus, use 20% less energy on average compared to their traditional counterparts.
6. Turn your LED light bulbs on
Instead of going for incandescent light bulbs, stick to their LED counterparts. On an average, a single LED light bulb consumes 80% less energy and lasts 25 times longer than other outdated light bulbs. It can also be great additions to knock hundreds of dollars on your energy bill. LED lights are also available in cozy and warm color temperatures to replicate the distinguishing feature of incandescent light bulbs.
If all of India uses LED light bulbs, it’ll be like taking 17M cars off the road! https://t.co/NVs5LcXdCZ pic.twitter.com/i2CwjPUCuc
— World Bank (@WorldBank) May 23, 2016
7. Let natural light in
Aside from installing these energy-efficient artificial lights, nothing reduces energy better than switching them off during the daytime. Let natural light enter in your bathroom space through windows and skylights. If you’re seeking more privacy, you may also use a sun tunnel or tubular daylighting device (TDD).
8. Choose energy efficient vent fans
Vent fans are essential in controlling the moisture in the air which might become mold in your walls. With this, it is great to settle for an energy efficient fan, usually the ones with ENERGY STAR-rated seal. These vent fans will provide you with 60% energy savings over your old models.
USAGE OF SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
9. Patronize recycled and re-purposed materials
Green bathrooms will never be complete without reusing old and salvaged materials. Aim for tiles made from recycled materials like glass, pebble, terrazzo, linoleum, bamboo, cork, and wood for your floors, baths, showers, and countertops. For your shower curtain, ditch vinyl and choose hemp, linen, or organic cotton shower curtains for they are biodegradable and can resist mold.
Another trick is repurposing or “upcycling.” Instead of throwing your old furniture and materials away, you may repurpose them by transforming them into a medicine cabinet, toilet paper holder, and floating shelves. These DIY pieces add beauty and character to your bathroom.
Take a look at this #upcycled bike bathroom sink!#upcycling #recycling #recycle #reuse #repurpose pic.twitter.com/9d9td9x2Yn
— Bakers Waste (@BakersWaste) May 15, 2016
10. Switch to natural and organic products
Products made from natural materials are not just more eco-friendly but are more beneficial to your body and skin. The ingredients in traditional toiletry products are frequently laden with petrochemicals and toxic preservatives like parabens which are harmful to your health. You may research on products you currently use and discover their healthy alternatives like handmade soaps and natural air fresheners like beeswax candles.
Harsh chemicals are also present in your cleaning materials, which are usually placed in your bathrooms. When you look for a cleaning product, always pay attention to the government-mandated warning labels like “caution”, “poison or danger”, and “warning”. Aim for products that only have a “caution” sign for these are usually less toxic.
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Author Bio: Carmina Natividad likes the idea of finding a home that matches one’s personality. Her keen interest in real estate and interior design helps her in writing for Thomas Property, a boutique real estate agency based in Australia that aims to improve the consumers’ experiences in leasing, selling, and buying properties.