If you have been wondering how to conserve water and energy in your bathroom and cut down the costs on your utility bills, then going green is the way to go.
An eco-friendly bathroom not only improves efficiency in your home but also has a huge impact on the environment.
Many households grapple with huge monthly utility bills as a result of the facilities they have installed in the homes.
Most home appliances and facilities consume huge amounts of water and electricity which result in negative ecological effects.
One of the areas that households consume a lot of resources is the bathroom. From the conventional flush toilets to high flow shower heads and water heaters, the list is endless.
There are numerous ways through which you can increase efficiency in your bathroom and save on some of these resources.
Here are some of them.
8 Eco-friendly Tips for Your Bathroom
Here are some of the ways in which you can achieve a green bathroom.
1. Install a Waterless Toilet
A typical conventional water closet uses 6600 gallons of water per flush, making it inconvenient if you wish to save water in your home.
A great alternative to the traditional flush toilet is the waterless toilet technology which uses little to no water for waste disposal.
The eco-friendly toilet comes in different designs and you can tailor them to the needs of your home.
For instance, if you have limited space you can opt for the homemade composting toilet.
An incinerating toilet design would not be pocket-friendly therefore if you are seeking an affordable waterless toilet you can go for a composting toilet.
There are several green toilet designs that will help you achieve your goal of an eco-friendly design.
2. Set-up a Low-flow Toilet
If you are irked by the thought of a completely waterless toilet you can consider the environmentally friendly toilets that do not consume as much water as the conventional flush toilets.
A low-flow toilet is a necessary acquisition for a green bathroom despite the negative reports given that they don’t offer a completely desirable flash.
Users may be forced to tap the flush handle twice to achieve a good flush with a low-flow toilet but it will save the owner gallons of water and extra utility bills.
3. Install a Low-flow Shower Head
Another bathroom addition that will help you go green is a low-flow showerhead. In most houses, overhead showers account for a big percentage of the water utility in the home.
To reduce the number of gallons consumed by a shower per minute, change the shower head you use in your modern bathroom.
A low-flow showerhead will drastically cut down the number of gallons used by an average family in a year. This will leave an ecological footprint by saving tons of water.
4. Switch to LED Lightbulbs
Changing your incandescent bulbs and switching to LED lightbulbs helps in reducing energy consumption in your bathroom.
The technology used in the production of LED lightbulbs helps in ensuring that the bulb lasts many times longer than the incandescent bulbs while consuming way less energy.
With approximately 25,000 hours of rated life, the LED lightbulb uses lower wattage and goes a long way in saving on costs of your electricity bill.
You don’t have to worry about the issue of heating or light quality since the technology used in their production ensures that the quality of light is not compromised and LED Lightbulbs that bring warmth to a room are available.
In addition, LED light bulbs are available in the amber colored glow that is popular in most households.
Saving on the amount of energy consumed through lighting in the bathroom is an efficient way of going green.
5. Use Motion Sensor Taps On sinks
If the bathroom sink is not checked, it can be another avenue through which a lot of water is misused.
A lot of people including those who don’t wish to waste the scarce resource tend to let the water run as they brush their teeth or wash their faces or hands.
Most people tend to use water in excess of what is actually intended. This is where motion sensor taps come in.
The faucet will use the motion sensor to allow water to flow only when you are ready to use it. This will help you save on the scarce resource while cutting back on your water utility bills.
Additionally, the motion sensor tap is hygienic as it prevents the spread of germs and recontamination from one user to another from the filth that is normally found on the tap handles.
6. Use Aerators on Water Outlets
Using aerators on the shower nozzle helps in conserving water by adding air and reducing the amount of water that flows from it.
The upside of adding aerators on taps is that despite reducing the amount of flow from the nozzle, the water pressure is still conveniently high.
The aerators retail for affordable amounts making the devices cost effective for most households.
7. Regular Maintenance
Poorly maintained bathroom equipment can cause leaks which not only make the lavatory hazardous but also lead to wastage of resources.
Any drips in the bathroom should be fixed immediately to conserve water and cut back on the water bill.
8. Energy-Saving Water Heater
The efficiency of bathroom devices is key. It is important to go for bathroom equipment that uses the minimum amount of resources available while maximizing output.
One such device is the water heater. For an eco-friendly bathroom, go for a water heater that consumes the least energy when heating bath water yet does not store the water in any hot water tank.
This is because such hot water tanks run on energy to maintain the water at that high temperature.
For a green bathroom, a water heating system that is not built with a storage tank will help in saving on electricity bills.
Conclusion
Having an eco-friendly home has its benefits.
There are numerous other eco-friendly tips for your bathroom, including using homemade products and recycling grey water for other uses.
The bottom line is if you love Mother Nature then reduce your ecological footprint on her.
Go green!