So, you want to start living the “Green Lifestyle”, but you are not sure where to start. How about the bathroom? Your bathroom is a great place to start because there are a lot of eco friendly home improvement bathroom ideas for you to choose from.
How about starting with saving water? Your bathroom is the place where the most amount of water is wasted. Here are some home improvement ideas to make your bathroom eco friendly:
1. Low-Flow Aerators
You can install these low-flow aerators on all of your faucets and you can also get one for the shower heads. These are great because what they do is add air to the water before it comes out of the faucet which in turn spreads the water out over a much broader area. So, you don't need to use as much water to shower, brush your teeth, wash your face, etc. These low-flow aerators restrict the flow of water but they increase the force and pressure of the water coming out, making that smaller amount of water more effective.
2. Paint your bathroom green,but it can be any color you want. Painting your bathroom will give it a great new look but you do not have to spend a lot of money doing it. Also, you should purchase “green” paint, which is paint that is low or free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These types of paint contain natural pigments that come from vegetable sources. Since bathrooms are generally small spaces, you don't want to use paint that contains harmful vapors.
3. A great way to save money and use a lot less water is to upgrade your toilet. An older model toilet uses 3-5 gallons of water for every flush. The modern toilets only use one and one half gallons of water per flush. That is a savings of one and one half to three and one half gallons of water for each and every flush. If you add up how many times you flush the toilet every day, you can see where this upgrade can save you a lot of money. You will recoup the cost of the new toilet in no time. If you really cannot afford to upgrade your toilet right now, you can convert your older one to a low-flow toilet by placing a weight in the tank.
To make a weight, find a water and rust-proof container, like a plastic milk jug or a plastic 2-liter soda bottle. Fill the bottle with gravel or sand and put the cap on tightly. Put the bottle into the toilet tank, making sure that the flapper, the float, the flush arm and all other components in the tank do not touch the bottle. The purpose of this is to displace some of the water in your toilet tank. When your tank fills, it will fill up with less water.
Something else that you can do if you are not in a position to replace the toilet is to install a dual-flush system in your old toilet. This gives your visitors a choice of using a little bit of water or a lot of water. You can purchase and install this yourself for around $30.00.
4. Replace your plastic shower curtain with one made of natural fibers. Plastic shower curtains give off toxic vapors because of the nature of soft plastics. You can buy a linen or cotton shower curtain or make one yourself.
5. Another option is a tank-less water system for your bathroom. Instead of pulling hot water from your hot water heater, the water is held in a separate reservoir. You don't have to run the water until it gets hot. It is heated as it comes through to your shower head or sink faucets. This change alone will save a lot of money, not only on water but on your electric bill also.
The items above are not only eco friendly ways for you to make home improvements in your bathroom, but they are ways for you to save money on your water and electric bill.
