Greening Your Bathroom

The bathroom is a room where you can make a major difference in saving water. A 1.6 gallon per flush (gpf) toilet flushed 3 times a day uses 1752 gallons a year. That's pretty good. But, by using a WaterSense™ toilet that uses less than 1 gpf, you will use 700 gallons less a year--just with one toilet, used by one person. If you add a water saving shower and lavatory faucet, a household of 4 can save as much as 20,000 gallons a year.

Our planet has a finite amount of water. Diminishing drinkable water is a larger worldwide crisis than the increase of carbon in the atmosphere. In other words, if we keep going the way we have been, we will run out of drinkable water before we run out of breathable air. When we pollute the water in our own back yard, we pollute the entire system. When we wash our car with harmful chemicals and phosphates, the water runs straight into our valuable waterways, unfiltered. Water treatment plants can't possibly keep up (and don't) and are non-existent in many highly populated places. We need to think of this when we flush things down the toilet or wash them down the drain. Think about all that nastiness going into the sippycup of your favorite little cutie-pie.

Not only can we save water, we can keep the embedded energy (the total energy it takes to create something&em;including transportation) down by re-using and recycling materials. Some good examples are used fixtures, recycled glass tiles, etc. We bought used tubs from an architectural salvage (Caravatti's) On the first floor, we used the concrete of the existing floor and made concrete vanity tops. On the second floor, we used linoleum--NOT VINYL--flooring. It lasts longer and comes in amazing colors.

By now, most people know now that lighting is a place where we can truly cut down on energy use. Many fixtures will accommodate Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs), although we found one of our salvaged sets of lights kept burning out CFLs. So we placed a timer switch, which is a great way to make sure that lights are not left on when no one is in the room.

The air quality in bathrooms can be a big issue. Humidity can do damage in the form of mold/mildew and can interfere with the comfort of the rest of the spaces--especially in the summer. So ventilation is not a place to scrimp. We installed exhaust fans in our baths that have moisture sensors and automatically turn on when the humidity gets too high. Once it goes back down to normal levels, the fan turns off. It can be turned on manually as well. Try to have a window in each bath to let in fresh air when weather permits.

Supplying the bathroom is also a place for greening. We use 100% recycled paper products as well as chemical free soaps, shampoos, and cleaning products. Vinegar cleans the glass, disinfects, and is cheap. We have also discovered that bamboo makes wonderfully soft, absorbent, and long lasting towels. If you can't find affordable bamboo linens, organic cotton is the next best thing. Make sure that the textile plant that processes the terry doesn't pollute the water and use excessive energy. Preserve shavers and toothbrushes are made from 100% recycled materials and are fully recyclable for a cradle-to-cradle process. Cork bath mats are very comfy and eco-friendly too. Google "eco-friendly bathroom" and get all sorts of ideas. A great place to start is Galam.

Once a bathroom is "greened," we have to remember to keep it that way. Keep your low-flush toilet in top working order by periodic adjusting according to manufacturer's directions. Make sure that you (and your guests) do not brush teeth with the water running. On demand water heaters (I'll post more details when discussing mechanical systems) are one way to lower wasting water while running to get to the right shower temp. When filling the tub, start with hot full on and no cold to get to the right temp sooner without having to mix hot and cold later. And finally, another way to save energy, water, and money, is to use towels more than once before sending them to the laundry. And, of course, use phosphate-free, chlorine-free laundry products.

Oh, and don't forget to recycle all the plastic and cardboard--including the toilet paper roll and packaging of toiletries and medications. Try to get those products with as little packaging as possible. Even recycling takes energy.