The bathroom is the room where we begin and end each day, with a variety of cleaning routines designed to help keep us healthy. Odd then, that the room in which we clean our teeth, our skin and the rest of our bodies (not to mention dispose of our waste) is often filled with toxic chemicals, and, even then, not very clean itself. So, how do you stay clean, promote good health, and go green in your bathroom?

Top Green Bathroom Tips
Don’t Let So Much Water Down the Drain
There are a trifecta of water-saving opportunities in the bathroom. By installing a low-flow showerhead, a low-flow faucet aerator, and a dual-flush toilet, you’ll save thousands of gallons of water each year. The first two are easy DIY jobs–learn how to install a low-flow faucet here–and a toilet can be done with a little homework. To really go for the gusto, and go for a water-free toilet, check in to composting toilets (get the details in the Getting Techie section).

Flush the Toilet with Care
When it comes to using the toilets themselves, be sure you’re reaching for toilet paper created from recycled sources–remember, rolling over is better than rolling under–and avoid using products made from virgin boreal forest trees. The Natural Resources Defense Council has a solid list of recycled paper sources, so you aren’t literally flushing virgin trees down the toilet. And when it comes time to flush, close the lid before hitting the button to prevent the spread of bacteria around your bathroom. Ready for the next step? Install a dual-flush toilet or dual-flush retrofit on your current toilet.
Ditch Those DisposablesToilet paper is about the only “disposable” product allowed in your green bathroom, so when it comes time to clean up, avoid the temptation to reach for disposable products. That means paper towels and other disposable wipes should be replaced by reusable rags or microfiber towels for mirrors, sinks, and the like; when it comes time to scrub the toilet, don’t even think about those silly disposable one-and-done toilet brushes. In the same vein, more and more cleaners are being sold in refillable containers, so you don’t have to buy so much packaging and can reuse the perfectly-good spray bottle, instead of buying a new one each time you run dry on glass cleaner.
Think About What Goes in Your SinkOnce you have your low-flow faucet aerator installed, your behavior can also help keep water flow down. Be sure to turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth–some dentists even recommend a dry toothbrush–and you’ll save six gallons of water each day (assuming you’re diligent about brushing twice a day). Boys: if you shave with a wet razor, put a stopper in the sink and don’t leave the water running. Half a sink-full of water will do the job.

Clear the Air with Green Cleaners
Bathrooms are notoriously small and often poorly ventilated, so, of all the rooms in the house, this is the one that should be cleaned with green, non-toxic cleaners. Common household ingredients, like baking soda and vinegar, and a little elbow grease will do the job for most everything in the bathroom (more on that in a sec). If DIY isn’t your style, there are a bevy of green cleaners available on the market today; check out our guide for How to Go Green: Cleaners for all the details.

Take Green Cleaning into Your Own Hands
Doing it yourself is a great way to insure that you’re going as green as possible, since you know exactly what went in to the products you’re using. A few reliable favorites: Spray surfaces that need cleaning–sinks, tubs, and toilets, for example–with diluted vinegar or lemon juice, let it sit for 30 minutes or so, give it a scrub, and your mineral stains will all but disappear. Getting lime scale or mold on your showerhead? Soak it in white vinegar (hotter is better) for an hour before rinsing it clean. And to create a great tub scrub, mix baking soda, castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s) and a few drops of your favorite essential oil–careful, a little bit goes a long way here. Follow this recipe for a non-toxic bathtub cleaner and you’ll never have to buy caustic bathtub cleaners again.

Keep Your Skin Free and Clear with Green Personal Care ProductsAnything that’s a struggle to say three times fast doesn’t belong in your bathroom, and that certainly goes for personal care products like soaps, lotions, and cosmetics. For example “anti-bacterial” soaps often include endocrine disruptors, which, in addition to breeding “supergerms” resistant to these cleaners, may be doing your body serious harm and are wreaking havoc on fish and other organisms after they escape into the water stream after you flush. That’s just one example; remember the rule goes like this: If you can’t say it, don’t use it to “clean” yourself.
Go Green with Towels and LinensWhen it comes time to dry off, towels made from materials like organic cotton and bamboo are the way to go. Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-intensive, pesticide-laden crops on the planet–to the tune of 2 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers and 84 million pounds of pesticides each year–causing a whole laundry list of environmental health problems for those who apply the pesticides and harvest the crop–not to mention the damage done to soil, irrigation, and groundwater systems. Bamboo, in addition to being a fast-growing sustainable alternative to cotton, is also reputed to have antibacterial qualities when spun into linens.

Shower Yourself with a Safe Curtain
If your shower has a curtain, be sure to avoid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic–it’s pretty nasty stuff. The production of PVC often results in creating dioxins, a group of highly toxic compounds, and, once in your home, PVC releases chemical gases and odors. Once you’re done with it, it can’t be recycled and is known to leach chemicals that can eventually make their way back into our water system. So, be on the lookout for PVC-free plastic–even places like IKEA carry them now–or go for a more permanent solution, like hemp, which is naturally resistant to mold, as long as you keep your bathroom well-ventilated. Read these tips for protecting your natural curtain, including using treatment sprays to slow down mildew, over at TreeHugger.
Maintain Your New Green Ways
Once you go green, you’ll want to keep it that way, so remember to do regular light maintenance–unclogging drains, fixing leaky faucets, etc.–with green in mind. Check out our advice for green, non-caustic drain cleaners and leaky faucets, and be mindful of mold; click over to the Getting Techie section for more on combating the dangers of mold.