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Rub a dub dub, what's that in your tub? Soap scum may be annoying, but it's not as gross as what's in some common bathroom cleaners. And since skin- and hair-care products aren't always quite as beautiful as they appear on the surface, we'll show you what look out for in those products, too.
Tips for a fresher bathroom
1. Clean up your act. Some bathroom cleaners use toxins and harsh chemicals to get the job done, but can muck up your skin and respiratory system, as well as the environment, in the process. Luckily, a host of products is increasingly available that are kinder to your home, health, and the planet. Don't know where to start overhauling your supplies? Replace either the cleaner that you use the most, or the one that you're closest to running out of, and look for brands that list all of their ingredients on the label. You can also check out TreeHugger's How to Green Your Cleaning guide.
2. Do it the old-fashioned way. With common household ingredients and a little elbow grease, you can get that porcelain sparkling to an all-natural shine. Spray the surface of sinks, tubs, and toilets, for instance, with diluted vinegar or lemon juice, leave it for half an hour, then scrub and-voila!-mineral stains are gone. Say bye-bye to lime scale by soaking your showerhead in white vinegar for an hour, or whip up a simple mixture of baking soda, liquid castile soap (we like Dr. Bronner's), and a touch of scented essential oil to create a simple, all-natural tub cleaner.
3. Go with the low-flow. Lots of options help you conserve water in the bathroom. An inexpensive but effective choice is a low-flow faucet aerator, which can be installed on your existing tap. It mixes air into flowing water, thereby reducing water consumption by up to 70 percent.
Low-flow faucets and showerheads also reduce water use without sacrificing comfort. You'll save energy and money, too. (Learn how to install a low-flow faucet here.) And dual-flush toilet tanks, which use more or less water depending on the job, can even be retrofitted on existing johns. For more helpful tips on water conservation, check out the Sara Snow video below.
4. Break the mold. Mold can quickly become a problem if leaky taps and pipes are left unchecked. Mold can be not only structurally damaging and unsightly, it can also can cause or aggravate allergies, asthma, and other health problems. So, the first order of business is to stop the problem at its source, by fixing any leaks. Fight any nasty growth with tea tree oil, a natural way to fight bacteria and mold.
5. Keep skin free and clear. Make up, skincare, and grooming products can actually contain small amounts of toxic materials such as formaldehyde and mercury. While these are deemed safe for use in small quantities, their effects on our bodies over time are unknown. To preserve your health and natural beauty, choose grooming products such as shampoo and body wash made from organic and plant-based ingredients instead of synthetic ones, and avoid anything with "fragrance" or "perfume." To dig deeper into this topic, hit TreeHugger's How to Green Women's Personal Care and the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetics database.
6. Throw in the organic towel. Traditional cotton crops use an estimated 2 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers and 84 million pounds of pesticides each year. Using organic bath towels helps reduce some of that load. Some of our favorites are produced using wind power, and made from organic bamboo and cotton.
Next: Get the goods for a greener loo. Sara Snow shows you how.
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