Last Updated on January 7, 2022 by lindseymahoney
Today I am sharing 10 simple ways to make your bathroom more eco-friendly!
Bathroom renovations have been on my mind because the bathrooms in our new home are original to when the house was built in the 1970s. This means that they are very colorful and not very efficient. I am hoping to complete a mini-makeover for our bathrooms in the next month and I can’t wait to take you along for the ride.
10 Eco-Friendly Updates for Your Bathroom
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1 | Use LED light bulbs
LED bulbs use 90% less electricity than standard light bulbs. Swapping out your lightbulbs is the quickest and easiest way to save energy in your bathroom.
2 | Simplify Shower Products
These days you can buy a specific product for everything! By simplifying the products you use in the shower, you are consuming less and saving space in the shower. As we focus on consuming less, we will have fewer empty bottles to dispose of.
For example, I skip the gender-specific body wash options and buy a fragrance that can be used by all genders! I also stopped buying shaving cream years ago and use my conditioner to create a lather.
3 | Recycle Empty Bottles
If your bathroom has space under the sink or in a closet, add an empty box to place all of your recycled products. Once the box is full, empty it in your recycling bin and return it to the bathroom. The bathroom is one of the most overlooked places to recycle because it is not in front of our faces like when we are in the kitchen.
4 | Install Low-Flow Shower Head & Sink Nozzle
I think there is a misconception that low flow means low pressure, and that is not the case. You can easily swap out the shower head and sink nozzles for a low-flow option and save on water. This is another easy, eco-friendly bathroom fix that also helps your wallet.
5 | Nix Bath Products With Exfoliating Beads
I will admit, the marketing around exfoliating body wash is compelling, but it is terrible for our water! The tiny plastic beads are difficult to separate when decontaminating water and it is hurting the fishies. There are lots of ways to exfoliate your skin without washing thousands of plastic beads down the drain.
6 | Replace Your Old Toilet
Our old blue and green toilets are SO inefficient! Low flow toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush. Older toilets can use up to 5 gallons a flush! You will save a lot of water and money by switching to a low-flow toilet. I would also recommend one that has the dual button flush for number 1 and number 2. Every little bit helps, right?
7 | Use Chemical Free Bathroom Cleaners
Buy cleaning products for your bathroom that are chemical-free. There are so many eco-friendly cleaning options out there, this should be a relatively easy switch. If you want to DIY your own bathroom cleaner, check out my homemade tile grout cleaner that will really make your tile sparkle!
8 | Buy Compostable Toothbrushes & Reuse Old Ones
I recently bought my first compostable toothbrush and it works great. It is made of 100% biodegradable products that can be added to your compost or will decompose in a landfill, unlike plastic.
Give your old plastic toothbrush a second chance at life and use it to clean your house! If you work with your hands, keep one in the shower to scrub your fingernails. I am constantly working on home projects and find myself having to scrub paint and other materials off of my fingernails. A toothbrush is a great tool to clean tile grout too!
9 | Buy Recycled Toilet Paper
Yes, I know that triple-ply feels fantastic on your little booty, but using TP that is a little thinner and made with recycled paper works too!
10 | Reuse Soap Bottles
Buy soap in bulk and fill reusable containers in the bathroom. This cuts down on the amount of plastic we throw away or recycle and the reusable soap dispensers are pretty too!
Whether you implement one or all of these eco-friendly bathroom ideas, they all make a difference!
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Portella
Tuesday 25th of October 2022
Cool ideas! Thank you! Another thing I really want to suggest is replacing the shower curtains with a glass door. This completely changes the look of the bathroom and adds luxury to it. Plus, the lifespan of glass shower doors is longer, and they are easy to clean with green products. There are two options of glass shower doors to choose from: framed and frameless.