A lot of cleaning goes on in the bathroom – both of your body and the room itself! Considering the products and amount of water you use is central to making changes in the bathroom.
Scrub-a-dub, three men in a tub
Water usage
Yep, three men in a tub does save water… If you’ve got children of the right age, sharing bath water saves bath water.
Showers can use less water than a bath – depending on how you shower of course. While you’re showering, catch what’s called the “grey” water in a bucket and use it for watering the garden.
Spend less time under the shower, or fill your bath up just a little less.
Brushing your teeth with the tap running uses six litres of water per minute; turning the tap off while you brush and using a cup can save 5.5 litres of water.
Flushing the toilet accounts for around 30% of daily water use, so consider fitting a water saving device to cut down water used by flushing the toilet.
Beauty products
Great swaps you can make in the bathroom include:
- Soap bars instead of shower gel
- Shampoo bars – their effectiveness will depend on the water hardness in your area, so definitely check out what people who live near you are using.
- Natural deodorants – it can take a month for your body to get used to it, but so worth it!
- Reusable and plastic free sanitary products. We found the website https://putacupinit.com/ great for advice and information. You can even complete a quiz there to find out what will suit you best. There are also a range of period pants and pads by different companies that are worth considering. No post is too personal in our Facebook group; there is plenty of discussion about these delicate matters there.
- Recycling your contact lenses and accessories. Vision Express run a great free scheme for any contact lenses (not just their own).
Beauty products, cosmetics and make-up can contain chemicals that are harmful to us and the environment. Often packaged in hard plastic they can also be tricky items to recycle.
- Check out our tips on recycling tricky items.
- Look at the credentials of the brands you buy.
- Source from ethical stores or brands.
- Invest in refills.
- Be more aware of what different ingredients are and how they affect you and the environment.
Cleaning products
Consider the cleaning materials you use; products, containers, sponges and cloths.
Many are sold in single use plastic packaging and contain chemicals that are harmful to us and our environment.
Try making your own cleaning products. There are a lot of recipes online and in our Greener & Cleaner Bromley (& Beyond) Facebook group.
The next time you run out, buy more natural or eco-friendly versions.
Look for refills to cut down on unnecessary packaging. Many companies offer a subscription service that saves money too. You can always ask in The Hub or Facebook group for suggestions of things, recipes or brands to try. There are a lot of posts with information and advice about this. We hear citric acid is great for cleaning toilets!
Towels and laundry
These items are bulky to wash and dry, and release microfibres in to the environment. Try to air dry rather than use a tumble drier; this will save you energy and money too.
When towels have reached the end of their usable life, dispose of them responsibly. Animal shelters often take donations of towels for the creatures they care for.
And if your dirty laundry is stacked in the bathroom – check out our kitchen page for washing tips.
Creating unnecessary waste
One tip to be mindful of – as you start your eco journey don’t be tempted to just replace everything you have with eco-friendly alternatives. That creates a lot of unnecessary waste and can cost a lot.
Instead, think about extending the life of what you have until it no longer serves its purpose, and then moving to a more eco-friendly alternative. Or sell on what you already have and don’t use, to make some money to pay for the things you do want.
Also check out our advice for recycling, including our A-Z Wiki, rehoming, and borrowing.