Making eco-friendly choices is not just about buying organic. There are so many things that you can do to reduce your impact on the planet. The bathroom is no exception. Previously, we covered going green in the bedroom and going green in the kitchen. Now we can examine one of the most frequently used rooms of the house.
If you missed the first part of this article, click here: Going Green in the Bathroom.
Go Low Flow
Installing low-flow toilets and fixtures can greatly reduce the amount of water that you use. There are low-flow toilets, shower heads, and bathroom fixtures that can all work together. Installing these low-flow devices is an easy way to greatly reduce that water consumption. In the short term, you can add a brick to the toilet tank to reduce the water needed to fill it. For the shower, consider turning the water on only half way. This can be less effective than a new shower head, since eco-friendly ones are designed to give you the water pressure you expect while using less.
Unplugged
Unplug all of your bathroom appliances when you are not using them. Chances are that they are still consuming energy even when they are not in use. I recently found out that a hair dryer consumes energy while plugged in! Can you believe it? Charge your electric toothbrush to full and then unplug it until it runs down. You’ll use less energy and maintain the battery for a longer life.
Lower the Light
Dimmers don’t have to just be for living areas. A dimmer in the bathroom makes perfect sense to conserve energy. Consider using only as much light as you need. Adding a skylight to a bathroom brings in plenty of natural sunlight, reducing your dependance on artificial light. Replace any bulbs in the vanity or overhead light with CFL bulbs.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
Related Articles: