| The need for eco-friendly bathrooms is on the rise. | | | | washing machine and washing tub and used for |
| Water conservation products are becoming | | | | procedures which do not require clean water, such as |
| increasingly popular as trends point consumers into | | | | flushing the toilet and garden irrigation and some |
| the direction of responsible water use. However, | | | | systems even clean the grey water using a |
| fashion aside, the planet has a dire need for water | | | | bio-mechanical treatment and not requiring any |
| conservation efforts. Every person can help to save | | | | chemicals for treatment. A grey water recycling |
| water by making some changes in the place which | | | | system is able to save thousands of litres of water |
| uses the most water in every household: the | | | | as water is used twice, where possible. |
| bathroom. Harsh chemicals used in cleaning and body | | | | Avoiding Toxic Chemicals |
| products also lead to polluted water, causing a lot of | | | | An eco-friendly bathroom should not only save on |
| environmental harm. | | | | water, but should avoid all harsh chemicals which are |
| There are approximately 1.4 billion cubic meters of | | | | deadly to wildlife and eco-systems and aim to save |
| water on Earth, 2.8 million cubic meters of which are | | | | energy. A geyser is often heated to far higher than |
| available for use, an amount of only 0.1%. Water is a | | | | necessary, wasting electricity used to heat the water |
| precious resource becoming scarcer each day. A | | | | inside. Reducing the temperature setting on a geyser |
| single bathroom can use up to 100 litres of clean | | | | saves electricity, as does using a geyser blanket |
| water daily; multiply this amount by the many | | | | which keeps the geyser heated with less energy. |
| households situated all over the planet and the | | | | There are a variety of organic cleaning products |
| picture becomes somewhat alarming. Contemporary | | | | available which will clean a bathroom without |
| water conservation efforts and eco-friendliness have | | | | expending harmful toxins into the water and |
| begun focusing on making small changes in bathroom | | | | environment. A simple way of preventing mildew is |
| features and recycling ‘grey’ water (used | | | | to install a fan above a bath or shower to remove |
| water not contaminated by human waste). | | | | excess moisture in a bathroom, eliminating the need |
| Reducing water wastage | | | | to use heavy chemicals to remove the substance. |
| Bathrooms use water for showers, toilets, baths and | | | | Bathroom cabinets should ideally be made of |
| wash basins. On average, a shower uses almost 23 | | | | wheatboard, wheatstraw or other natural materials |
| litres of water a minute, a toilet flushes with 8 litres | | | | which do not contain a binding substance as these |
| of water and a bath uses almost 152 litres of water. | | | | usually contain formaldehyde. Ceramic tiles for |
| Cutting down the amount of water used in a | | | | bathroom floors and to decorate the areas around |
| bathroom is not as difficult as it may seem however. | | | | the bath, shower and basin are eco-friendly, especially |
| A bath uses twice as much water as a shower, so | | | | is made from recycled materials. Bamboo floors are |
| having a short shower is the first step towards | | | | also an eco-friendly option for bathroom flooring. A |
| saving water. Keeping the shower to a maximum of | | | | shower curtain made from fabric is far more |
| five minutes is also efficient in saving a lot of water. | | | | environmentally friendly than a plastic curtain. |
| Replacing a showerhead with a low flow fitting can | | | | A grated cover over the plughole of a shower, bath |
| help reduce water used by almost 16 litres. Do not | | | | and washbasin will prevent materials from becoming |
| leave the tap running when using a wash basin for | | | | clogged in drains and avoiding the need to clear out |
| brushing teeth or for other reasons as this allows | | | | blockages with extremely heavy corrosives which are |
| water to literally disappear down the plughole. | | | | extremely harmful to the environment. |
| Conventional toilets are being fitted with a ‘dual | | | | Every individual living on the planet has a responsibility |
| flush’ mechanism, a system which has two | | | | to help with the preservation of natural resources. A |
| different flush settings: one for water waste and one | | | | bathroom can be extremely taxing on the |
| for solid waste. When a person flushes the toilet, | | | | environment, and if each person instituted some |
| they have the option of choosing the type of flush | | | | eco-friendly practices into their bathroom, the world |
| required: solid waste or water waste. Water waste | | | | would save water, have less pollution and greater |
| requires far less water to flush than solid waste and | | | | hope for the future. |
| the dual flush mechanism therefore saves water as a | | | | Design need not be compromised, as many bathroom |
| strong flush is not required every time. | | | | fitting specialists have turned their focus onto |
| Various bathroom and kitchen fitting producers have | | | | producing luxury, designer fittings that have a duel |
| begun to sell systems which recycle grey water. | | | | purpose: designer look and eco-friendly. |
| Grey water has been used for household purposes, | | | | A little goes a very long way when people recycle |
| but not contaminated with toilet waste. Grey water | | | | grey water, purchase water conservation products |
| can be taken from a sink, wash basin, bath, shower, | | | | and sustain eco-friendly bathrooms. |