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Using natural and ecofriendly products is huge in my household. Having curious cats and an active baby make it extra important that not only are my products good for the environment, but that they are safe for all members of the family. An often overlooked place is the bathroom. Harsh cleaners, plastic liners, disposable products… the list goes on. With a few improvements at a time, you can easily green up your bathroom.
*note* I’m also a huge fan of using what you have until it wears out – and then replacing. After all, it’s a huge waste to throw something away only to replace it with something else – even if that new thing was sustainable made.
- Disposable Products – By far one of the most wasteful products in bathrooms are disposable products. This includes paper towels, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, and disposable razors. To limit your impact, try switching to recycled toilet paper and paper towels, and unbleached natural tampons or pads. Seventh Generation carries all of these and more (available on Amazon.com (affiliate) or Grove Collaborative (affiliate link), and most health stores). For maximum impact, switch to reusable items, such as towels instead of paper towels, a reusable razor, anda menstrual cup or mama cloth instead of pads or tampons. And yes… some people even use cloth instead toilet paper.
- Bath Mats & Shower Curtains – Often overlooked, bath mats inside and outside the shower are used almost everyday, so you spend a lot of time with them in a small, often ventilated area. Did you know most bath mats and shower curtains are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) AKA vinyl?. Did you know that PVC is a known human carcinogen? It has been even been http://www.healthychild.org/easy-steps/reduce-your-use-of-pvc-in-plastics-and-other-household-products/! That smell you get when opening up a shower curtain is actually harmful chemicals being released into the air. Not something we want our little ones or ourselves to be exposed to. For a shower curtain, consider changing to a door, an organic hemp shower curtain which is naturally mold resistant (available on Amazon.com – affiliate link) or a PVC-free shower curtain liner (available on Amazon.com – affiliate link). For a bath mat, consider natural rubber (available on Amazon.com – affiliate).
- Cleaning Chemicals – Harsh chemicals are quiet common in the bathroom, but do you really want to bathe in the same tub that was covered in bleach a few days ago? For a more gentle approach, try switching to a brand like Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers, or Dr. Bronners. All are available on Amazon.com (affiliate) or Grove Collaborative (affiliate link), and most health stores. Alternatively, you can make your own using essential oils. There are a lot of great recipes on Pinterest.
- Bath Toys – So many kids toys are made out of plastic, and this includes bath toys. Plus, bath toys get the added bonus of sitting in hot water… yikes! Luckily, there are other options. Hevea and CaaOcho (available here on Amazon – affiliate) both make rubber bath toys. TweetToys on Etsy and Our Green House (affiliate) have some great wooden sailboats meant for bath time, and Get the best in natural baby products at The Natural Baby Company (affiliate) has some great recycled toys.
- Showerhead
– Feel closer to nature with a natural shower head. I absolutely ADORE the Nature’s Waterfall therapy shower head. It contains the essence of flowers as well as gem stone therapy. Studies show that we absorb more chemicals like chlorine and flouride from a ten minute shower than from drinking 8 glasses of the same tap water! In nature we would be bathing from river and streams that contain healthy imprints from the Earth. Nature’s waterfall therapy shower head helps provide the balance between our modern and natural world. I’ve noticed a huge difference in the way my skin feels, just switching to this shower head! It’s currently available on VibesUp.com (affiliate).
And of course, if that’s not your thing you can always purchase a low flow showerhead on Amazon (affiliate).
Have you taken any steps to green up your bathroom? What would you recommend?
I am not surprised by the shower curtains because those things smell horrendous, but gross! Thanks for all the links, especially for safer bath toys!