7 steps to a more eco-friendly bathroom

Seven steps to a more eco-friendly bathroom

The bathroom is a great place to start if you’re looking to make your home more eco-friendly. Not only are there some quick and easy steps to cutting down your water and energy usage, but there is also a lot of products on the market to make your bathroom routine more sustainable (and, in our opinion, a lot better all round!). Here are seven steps to a more eco-friendly bathroom.

Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel bars

Ditch the disposable plastic in your washing routine! With so many high quality bar shampoo, conditioners and shower gels on the market now, there’s something for every hair and skin type, meaning that you don’t have to forgo your luxury products to be sustainable. Not only do these bars require less water during your pamper sessions, but they also require less water during manufacture, giving you all the more reason to switch.

Sustainability pioneers Lush of course have a whole range of shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and even bubble bars to suit all hair and skin requirements, and in a variety of fragrances too. Yet recently product bars have slipped into the mainstream; they can now be found at Boots and Superdrug as well as online eco shops. Many eco stores also sell pots and pouches so you can keep your product bars clean and dry when not in use – so there really is no excuse!

Eco-friendly bathroom subscriptions

With a number of eco-friendly subscription services available for bathroom products, it is so easy to cut the plastic AND save money in the bathroom, all at your own convenience. Razor subscriptions like Estrid and the Dollar Shave Club allow you to keep the same razor handle while receiving new razor blades in the post as often as you need. The company Wild offers a refillable deodorant canister and will send you refills in your favourite fragrance as and when you want them. You can even get a toilet paper subscription with Who Gives a Crap, the company creating toilet paper that is good for the planet, good for the people, and good for the bum!

Even if it is just to avoid the manic run to the supermarket for emergency toilet paper or a razor on date night, these subscriptions are well worth it!

Reusable bathroom items

From cotton pads to nappies and sanitary towels, reusable household items are becoming more mainstream with high quality items available in many online retailers. Consider substituting your face wipes for reusable cotton pads; your disposable sanitary pads to reusable ones; and your disposable nappies for washable cloth nappies to reduce the amount of waste your household generates. Not only will this improve your carbon footprint, but it will actually save you money in the long run.

Sustainable dental care

Toothbrushes are one thing that do need regular changing – you’ve got to take care of those pearly whites! Luckily, bamboo toothbrushes offer a biodegradable alternative to the overwhelming number of plastic toothbrushes that are thrown away every year and are available at most supermarkets. Holland and Barrett also stock eco-friendly floss picks by the Humble Co to make your dental care totally plastic free.

For those wedded to their electric toothbrush, Live Coco have created recyclable brush heads, so you can switch your brush heads without the burden of climate change hanging on your conscience. Also, both My Little Eco Shop and the Humble Co have created a bamboo electric toothbrush, which is something to consider when buying your next toothbrush.

Ready, set, shower!

Whether it’s early morning dreariness, intensive pamper evenings or long sessions contemplating life under the water jets, it is all too easy to lose track of time when we are in the shower. But the reality is that our lengthy washes can be detrimental to the environment because of the volume of water and energy that it is wasted when we take longer than necessary in the shower.

Consider using an egg timer to keep your showers to five minutes or less. Not only will you be reducing your impact on the environment, but you’ll also avoid the morning rush as your household queues for the bathroom…

Eco-friendly shower curtains

PVC shower curtains are non-recyclable and can let off toxic compounds that are not healthy for your bathroom or your body. Luckily, there are plastic free, organic and even hemp shower curtains available on the market to make for a shower that is healthy for your bathroom, body and environment.

Turn down the heat

Are you one of those people that likes their showers and baths absolutely scorching hot? Consider turning it down a notch to save energy – if not for the environment, then for your skin! Even better, we hear that cold showers are an excellent way to start the day, however unpleasant…

Need help making your home more eco-friendly? Get a free quote from a PMP Approved contractor today.