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People use – and waste – more water in the bathroom than in any other room in the house. Add to that all your water consumption from polluting soaps and shampoos, the energy you use to heat the water, and more – and your bathroom can be harmful to the environment.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many things you can do to bring some greenery to your bathroom. Here are just a few.
Energy saving light bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs are 90% more efficient than incandescent bulbs. Light bulbs lose most of their energy as heat, making them a fire hazard as well.
The best lighting in the bathroom is bright enough for you to shave or apply makeup without squinting, but at the same time soft enough to look flattering when you do. Choose bright white energy-saving bulbs and soften the light by hanging it at eye level on either side of the mirror or by placing it behind frosted glass.
Double-flush toilets. Most new toilets use around seven or eight liters of water with each flush. Older toilets use 9-12 liters. However, you don’t need that much water to flush a toilet.
If you want to save water, replace your toilet with a dual flush model. Dual flush toilets have one flush for waste water and the other flush for solids. Of course, less water is needed to flush the waste water.
Water-saving faucets. Leaky taps waste millions of liters of water each year and are costly too. To prevent leaks in your bathroom faucets, replace your old faucets with self-closing ones that shut off the water as soon as you stop pressing the button. This ensures that the water doesn’t stay on while you brush your teeth or shave, and the faucet doesn’t leak.
Think green in the shower. We waste a lot of water in the shower – plus a huge amount of energy used to heat up the wasted water. If you want to save water and the planet at the same time, consider installing a low-flow shower or an air shower. .
A typical shower head delivers 25 liters of water per minute, while a low flow shower head only 6 to 15. Cut your bath time in half and use a low flow head and you will save a lot of water.
However, if you really want to save water, consider an air shower. The air shower can be attached to the existing shower head. Pumps every drop of water full of air. This makes each drop of water larger, making it as wet and strong as a typical shower head. Research shows that air showers can reduce water consumption by an additional 30%.
Recycled tiles. If you are designing your bathroom from scratch, choose recycled materials such as recycled glass tiles. Glass is completely waterproof, making it great for walls, floors and vanity tops.
Choosing glass also makes ecological sense. Each recycled glass bottle saves enough energy to run a 100 watt light bulb for approximately four hours. In addition, glass accounts for around 6% of all waste in landfills, and takes over a million years to decompose.
Heat water efficiently. Most people wait for their water heater to break down to buy a new one. This puts you in a position where you need to find it quickly, without the luxury of shopping. But if you take the time to find a suitable water heater, it can pay off in the long run.
The most common type of water heater is the storage heater: a large storage tank that is constantly heated. Since it is always warm, this type of heater loses energy even when it is not in use. However, there are some new models designed to minimize standing heat loss.
However, if you want a really efficient hot water heater, look for a tankless or solar heater. The tankless heater passes the water pipes directly through the boiler, and the solar heater uses solar energy to heat the water. Both of these options will cost more to install, but will cost less to run.
Use non-toxic shampoos and soaps. Many regular soaps and shampoos contain chemicals that can be harmful to your health. Many carcinogenic chemicals are found in deodorants, soaps, shampoos and body sprays. Some of them persist in the environment, accumulate in the food chain, and come back to haunt us long after they’re gone.
Be skeptical about products labeled “natural”; Under current UK marketing laws, only 1% of the product needs to be of natural origin to be able to use the label. Look for soaps and shampoos that contain no artificial fragrances – essential oils, however, are fine. Avoid mineral oil, which is just another name for petroleum oil. In addition, choose soaps and shampoos that have minimal, biodegradable packaging.
Making your bathroom more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Changing the soap you use, reducing your shower time, and installing water-saving appliances can make all the difference. Whether you’re planning a few simple changes or a major renovation, a greener bathroom is within your reach.
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Source by Ray Dobson