You don’t have to join the latest climate change protest or volunteer your time picking plastic out of the ocean to make a difference. No, you can make small changes at home to become more eco-friendly.
The bathroom is one of the most used rooms in the home and one of the highest energy consumers. In this post, we will look at what you should consider when designing an eco-friendly bathroom so you can save the planet and your wallet.
Faucets and Fixtures
The biggest change you can make when it comes to conserving energy in the bathroom is from using low-flow faucets and fixtures.
Low-flow faucets stem the flow of the water so you only use what you need. They work by using gravity to create more pressure to flush waste away rather than using more water.
Other water-saving measures you could implement are to set more rules around the house when using the bathroom.
You could limit shower times, only fill the bath to a certain depth, make sure to turn off the taps when you are brushing your teeth and fix any leaking taps.
By carrying out the above you could save over 40,000 litres of water a year which is great for the environment and your pocket.
Companies like Bathroom Supastore have a wide range of bathroom fixtures and fittings that can make your bathroom more eco-friendly while sticking to a budget.
LED bulbs
80% of a conventional light bulb’s energy is waste. Only 20% of the energy that comes off a conventional bulb is used as light, this is a massive waste of energy and for a small investment in LED lighting, it can be avoided.
90% of the energy that comes off an LED light is light, and only 10% is used in waste. If you have switched to low-flow toilet systems and want to now focus on saving electricity, changing to LED bulbs is the way to do it.
Organic Towels
One of the cheapest investments you can make to become eco-friendly in the bathroom is to invest in organic towels.
Not only do organic towels feel better on your skin but they also absorb more water than a traditional towel, this leads to the towel being dried less often in the tumble drier, once again saving on electricity.
Change your cleaning products
Most of us are guilty of using bleach in our bathroom because of its antibacterial properties. Bleach works, but it’s not the most environmentally friendly product to use.
There are many cleaning companies out there that specialise in eco-friendly products, but if you are on a budget why not make it yourself? White wine vinegar and lemon does the job that bleach does at a fraction of the cost while being less harmful to the environment.
Natural products for your body
Before becoming environmental conscious I would use many branded products on my body from the high street. Then I realised none of the companies that produced the products cared about the environment. They would use non-recyclable packaging and after use, they would go straight into the bin.
Eco-friendly companies often use minimal packaging and the actual product is better for your skin. A win-win in my book.
Solar power heating
Ok, hear me out, before shouting “solar power heating isn’t cheap”, you are right. The initial investment for a new heater is going to be substantial, but long term you are going to save thousands.
Solar power heating systems can replace the conventional heater which uses electricity so fast. Replacing a traditional boiler with a solar power boiler could result in a 10% saving in energy usage.
Conclusion
Saving energy at home isn’t easy, especially if you run a large family home, but with a few little tweaks and a conscious effort, it can be done.
Do you have any eco-friendly bathroom design ideas? if so please leave them in the comment section below.
Author Bio
Sarah Jones is a blogger who mainly writes about home improvement, interior design and saving the planet one step at a time. When she is not writing she spends time with her small family at home in the UK.
What do you mean by “faucet”? Do you mean “tap”. This is Britain: please use British English!