The Green Bathroom

Water conservation. Add an easy-to-install low-flow aerator to your sink faucet. It not only reduces water consumption by increasing the amount of air in the spray, it also will help you save on the costs of heating water and on water and sewage bills. Fit an aerator onto your showerhead or get a low-volume showerhead model with different spray patterns that will provide the sensation of higher-volume sprays. Some models come with features that let you temporarily shut off the water but keep the desired temperature while you are lathering up. This video provides a step-by-step guide. The Ashfield faucet by Price Pfister has a trough design that reduces water flow without compromising the water experience. Fix a leaky toilet. A leaky toilet can lose from several gallons to nearly 100 gallons a day. You may have already noticed a few of the clues: having to jiggle the handle to make it stop running, hearing toilet water sounds when it is not in use or hearing the toilet water run for several seconds when no one has touched the handle. Replacing the toilet flush value is an easy, efficient way to stop leaking and save thousands of gallons of water per year. Here’s a simple video to show you how. Repair a dripping faucet so it stops wasting water and your money. Make this the time when you also green your behavior. Turn off the tap when you do not need running water. Cleaning products. Check your stock of bathroom cleaning supplies. Read the labels so you can be sure the ingredients are nontoxic and environmentally friendly. If they are not, dispose of them safely. Contact your local government office for information on disposal of residential toxics. Check the Greenguard Environmental Institute’s Web site for products such as toilet, glass and floor cleaners that it certifies as having met its eco-friendly criteria. Check out these green cleaning ideas. Coming clean in the bathroom means more than just scrubbing up the room. Go for eco-friendly body products as well. If you need help in determining the safety of ingredients, check out the Web site of the Environmental Working Group. The nonprofit environmental research organization keeps an online database of products rated for safety. Lighting. “Fluorescent lighting is by far the best choice for efficiency and low cost,” says Patterson. “Take care in disposing of these bulbs, but they will last for two to three years and manufacturers are producing fluorescent bulbs in all shapes and sizes now.” And don’t forget the Sun. Make the most of any natural lighting provided by bathroom skylights or windows. Recycled and organic. Take your eco-friendliness a few steps further. Consider towels and wash cloths colored with low-impact dyes and made with organic cotton that is grown without pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. For your facial tissues and toilet paper, consider switching to forest-friendly tissue products made of 100 percent post-consumer fiber. Greenpeace, an international environmental organization, provides an online guide to these sustainable products. Want to make other rooms in your home greener? Check out “The Green Kitchen,” “The Green Bedroom” and "The Green Office."

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