
Despite being one of the smaller rooms in most homes, the modern bathroom serves many purposes. It's a sanctuary, a room for pampering, and where we clean ourselves, but it's also where myriad household toxins lurk, and where much of the average home's water goes right down the drain. But it doesn't have to be that way

Choosing which materials catch water in your bathroom may seem like an insignificant choice -- as long as it holds it when you want, and drains it when you want, you're ok, right? Maybe not so much...the function may be the same, but the materials are quite different, and they make a big difference.

Your bathroom can be the one room in your house that uses the most water; from your toilet to your tub and shower to your sink, there's a lot of water that goes down the drain. Each can be minimized with the help of smart materials, though; check out our guide to water conservation in the bathroom.

Tile is one of the materials used most often in the bathroom, and, thankfully, the ideas, pros, and cons are similar to those in green flooring and green countertops section of our materials guide. Before you go there, here are a few things to keep in mind in the bathroom.

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