If you’re looking to go green, saving money on your energy bills, your bathroom is a great place to begin! According to the California Urban Water Conservation Council, 60 percent of a home’s water consumption takes place in the bathroom! Many opportunities are available to decrease your water usage and create a greener bathroom.

Toilets can use up to 5-gpf (gallons per flush), especially older models. Updating your commode could save you hundreds of gallons of water a month! Newer toilets use as little as 1.6-gpf. If you think a low-flush toilet just won’t cut it in your household, look into a dual-flush one. These toilets provide two flush options: a full flush for solids and a reduced flush for liquids. Low-flush and dual-flush commodes have become easier to find than ever.

More toilet tips:

• To gain the most efficiency from your toilets, change parts every five years. If you have a leak, fix it immediately. Make sure to ask for low-flush replacement parts at the hardware store.
• Use recycled toilet paper.
• Close the toilet lid before flushing. This prevents a flow of bacteria through the air.
• Don’t flush anything but toilet paper. This will use up less water and decrease pollution.

Showers now contain many options for water-saving efficiency. Showerheads use way more water than needed. A showerhead should only use 2.5-gpm. Even if you have this type of showerhead, they are often used improperly. Make sure that your showerhead is dishing out appropriate amounts of water. Steer away from dual-heads, which use way more water than necessary.

More shower tips:

• Purchase a tankless water heater and your water will heat up in a mere 30 seconds. This will save tons of water in the long run.
• Use a PVC-free shower curtain in order to not release chemical gases and odors into the bathroom air.
• Take cooler showers or shorten the length of showers. Turn off the water while you shampoo your hair or while shaving. If you take daily baths, only fill the bath halfway.

Faucets constantly spurt more water than what is necessary. They should use around 2.2-gpm or less. A low-flow faucet gadget costs little to nothing and can save ample amounts of water.

More faucet tips:

• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth or wash your face.
• If you shave in the sink, fill the sink halfway with water and dunk your razor into the water instead of leaving the water running.

Besides saving water, here are other ways to create an all-around green bathroom:

• Add a skylight or a glass-block window. These allow natural light to stream into your bathroom and leave the bathroom lights off during daylight hours. They still provide privacy. If these are not options for you, use compact fluorescent lights that use less energy and last longer.
• Add or replace your ventilation fans to keep the room dry. By doing so, your light bulbs will last longer and you can keep mold and mildew away.
• Use organic cotton bath linens or bamboo linens. Regular cotton linens are filled with chemicals that can cause harm to you and the environment.
  If you are looking to entirely revamp your bathroom, add flooring and a vanity with recycled products that are good for the environment! Bamboo cabinets, recycled linoleum/ceramic floors and recycled aluminum countertops are all excellent choices.
• When keeping your bathroom tidy, use green cleaners or homemade cleaners to do the trick! Click here to learn more about these types of cleaners.