Benefits of a Green Bathroom
Tips on giving your bathroom a green makeover.
There are many benefits to having a green bathroom, such as reduced water consumption, improved energy efficiency, saving money on water usage and enjoying your new room with a clear conscience. Here a few tips on how to efficiently and effectively give your bathroom a green makeover.
Ideally, the first step is to build your bathroom properly by hiring a reputable contractor, using non-toxic materials and choosing quality fixtures that will stand the test of time and kids. The most important consideration when renovating your bathroom is saving water. By doing this, you will reduce the load on your utilities or well and septic system and still save money.
Installing more efficient fixtures is the easiest way to save on water consumption. Older toilets on average can consume 20.1 gallons of water per person, per day. That averages nearly 30 percent of an average home's daily per-person use. Making the upgrade from a 13 lpf (liters per flush) toilet to a 6 lpf model will significantly reduce your annual use by 14,800 gallons. That is an enormous amount. The newest generation of water saving toilets are the Dual Flush versions which allow users to choose between a 6 lpf for solids and 3 lpf for liquids. Check with your local municipality for Toilet Rebate Programs available in many areas.
Changing from a tub to a shower or wet room, or from a conventional to a low-flow shower head will also cut down on water consumption. Low-flow showerheads use as little as 1.25 gallons of water per minute, 40 percent less than conventional showerheads. More importantly, these new showerheads are engineered to deliver an invigorating spray using less water.
Another easy way to go green is by being more energy efficient and making use of natural light by optimizing your window space and placement. You can also prolong the life of your light bulbs as well as reduce operation costs by using energy efficient lights (LED, CFL).
Of course, you can always make everyday consumer choices to live greener and healthier by using body-friendly personal care and toiletry products and non-toxic biodegradable cleaners as well. You can also do little things each day such as turning off lights when you're not in a room or turning off the water while you're brushing your teeth. Every little thing helps, and having a greener bathroom with water saving fixtures is a great place to start.