With spring cleaning still fresh on the mind, it’s a good a time as any to chat about tips on greening the bathroom. Aside from the fact that I absolutely abhor cleaning the bathroom, a dirty–not to mention toxic–powder room is unacceptable, considering it’s an area that harbors some of the most bacteria in a home. And with kids constantly going in and out, taking showers, brushing teeth, sticking their head in the toilet (don’t ask), cleaning a bathroom is necessary evil for all us. So, why not green-it while you’re at it?
Yesterday, I attended an event where we chatted about healthy living, and in the gift bag, I received a complimentary issue Whole Living Body + Soul. It had great content relevant to greening your home, including an insightful section on the bathroom. So, here’s just a few takeaways from the article on greening your bathroom.
1. Avoid PVC Shower Curtains According Body+Soul, most shower curtains are made from polyvinyl-choloride, otherwise known as PVC, a plastic that can release hormone-disrupting phthalates into the air. Suggestion: If you haven’t already, ditch all of those gross-smelling PVC shower curtains and head to Target or Bed Bath and Beyond to get yourself a 100% EVA shower curtain or shower liner. They’re PVC-free, cost almost the same and are much better for your home.
2. Consider Low-Flow Showerheads One of the first things we did in our house after we first moved in, was replace the showerheads. Not only did we want to dispose old germs, but we wanted something that was eco-friendly and efficient. It’s recommended to replace older showerheads with Low-Flow models that deliver 2.5 gallons or less per minute. Suggestion: We went with Waterpik’s Eco-Flow showerhead, which boasts the WaterSense label, the water efficiency label from the EPA.
4. Fresh Air When bathrooms inevitably get smelly, it might be your first reaction to grab an air fresher. 
Problem is, most conventional air fresheners contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. Play it safe: opt for safer air fresheners that contain essential oils, or better yet, open a window. Suggestion: make your own natural spray by using 30 drops of essential oil with one cup of water in a pray bottle. I’ve tried peppermint, as well as lavender, but there are so many options. You can find brands such as Aura Cacia in health food stores.
5. Use Recycled TP and paper products If every family in the U.S. replaced a roll of conventional toilet paper with a roll of tp that contains recycled material, we’d save a lot of trees. A LOT. Some may complain that the consistency of tp made of recycled material isn’t as soft, but in the grand scheme of things, will that matter if our kids’ kids world is no more? Suggestion: check out the next post.