Issues > October/November 2007 (#122) > Bathroom Revamp: Savings by the Gallon

Bathroom Revamp: Savings by the Gallon

by Emily Main

8 Ways to Save Water Without Spending a Dime

1. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.

2. Fill a milk jug with stones and place it in your toilet tank to displace water.

3. Dig up an egg timer from your kitchen and use it to cut showers down to 5 minutes.

4. Turn off the water while shaving.

5. Fix toilet and faucet leaks immediately.

6. Don't use your toilet as a trash can.

7. Collect "warm-up" water to irrigate your lawn and flowerbeds.

8. Conserve energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that .47 gallons of water are lost for every kilowatt-hour of power generated by coal power plants.

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Photo: Bathroom Revamp: Savings by the Gallon

Seven Green Items No Bathroom Should Be Without
1. Recycled, processed-chlorine-free toilet paper and tissues. Look for Seventh Generation (www.seventhgeneration.com), Marcal (www.marcalpaper.com), Planet (www.planetinc.com) and EcoSoft brands (www.ecoproducts.com).

2. PVC-free shower curtain. Your cheapest alternative to conventional PVC curtains are polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) liners, as durable as PVC without the hormone-disrupting, asthma-inducing phthalates. Or you can splurge on the eco gold standard, hemp, which also resists mildew. Ikea's remarkably cheap Näckten PEVA shower curtain ($1.79; www.ikea.com); Vita Futura PEVA curtains in various styles and widths ($24.99 and up; www.vitafutura.com); hemp shower curtain ($84.95; www.greenfeet.com)

3. Low-Flow showerhead. If the Delta H2OKinetics 1.6-gpm showerhead is out of your price range, you can still get a remarkably affordable, ultra-efficient 1.75-gpm model, such as the Niagara Chrome Earth massage showerhead ($5.25; www.energyfederation.org).

4. Petrochemical-free personal care products. Read ingredients lists diligently and watch out for the chemicals listed in The Dirty Dozen Chemicals in Cosmetics.

5. Organic cotton bath linens. These can be pricey, but you can build your collection slowly. Fortunately, national retailers like West Elm ($6-$19; www.westelm.com), Pottery Barn ($8-$26; www.potterybarn.com) and Bed, Bath & Beyond ($7.99-$14.99; www.bedbathandbeyond.com) are selling them in brick-and-mortar stores, so there's no need to pay for shipping.

6. CFL vanity bulbs. Repeated on-and-off use of compact fluorescent bulbs and the humidity of bathrooms will reduce their lifespans by a few months, but switching to CFLs still cuts energy use considerably; Philips 16W A-Shape low-mercury Alto bulb ($10.50; www.blackenergy.com).

7. Green Cleaners. If you don't want to make your own cleaners using baking soda (a non-abrasive scouring powder), vinegar (a natural disinfectant) and tea tree oil (an effective mildew killer), choose least-toxic alternatives. See the "Household Cleaning Supplies" category in our new Products A-Z at www.thegreenguide.com/products.

GG Bathroom Resources

* How Do I Choose a Tankless Water Heater?

* Lead, Straight From the Tap

* DIY Household Cleaners

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Filed under: Energy efficiency, Green home, Water saving measures, Bathroom

Green Guide 122 | October/November 2007 | For Your Home