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Going Green: The Bathroom

By
Home Stager with Design2Sell

Your bathroom is a great place to begin going green! Changing this area can help you cut back on water, energy use, sewage, and greenhouse gas production. Read on for 5 tips on how to create a green bathroom!

•Get a low-flush toilet. Toilets are the single largest use of water inside our homes. An older model can use up to 5 times as much water as modern versions.Installing low-flow fixtures save energy and water. These modern fixtures promise comfort, style, and performance.

•Update the shower. Showers are notorious for wasting water in the home. Install low-flow showerheads. There are plenty of stylish models that are easy to install.

•Ditch the tank. Get a tankless water heater. Using a tankless water heater saves energy, water, and reduces carbon emissions. This change greatly reduces the heating time for hot water and gives you more space in the area where a traditional hot water tank would be.

•Choose lighting sources wisely. Using compact florescent bulbs are a great way to go. Also, natural lighting sources such as skylights are an added plus.

•Remodeling. If you are doing some remodeling in your bathroom, consider using materials that are recycled or come from renewable resources.

Staging Tips: Adding recycled elements to a bathroom is a good way to go green. Explore the many accents that are made from recycled materials. In lived in homes, it’s a good idea to use no VOC (volatile organic compounds) shower liners. These liners do not emit toxic plastic smelling fumes like regular shower liners do. People who are conscious of green elements in a home are sure to pick up on this.

Have more tips and tricks on going green? Post your ideas and comments! 

photo courtesy of: Dreamstime.com

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Design2Sell offers Home Staging & Interior Design Services
in the Metro Atlanta area.

Barbara Heil-Sonneck has been featured in several publications. The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Home Improvement Magazine, Radio Shows and more...

For a free home staging proposal,
contact us @ (678) 778-8642
or www.HomeDesign2Sell.com

 

 

Comments (6)

Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Barbara- excellent list of "to-dos" for anyone wanting to go green.  If you're remodeling anyway, why not give added value to your room! And, you don't have to do a total remodel to change out the toilet or lighting! 

Mar 05, 2011 03:47 AM
Josh Robbins
AirMD - Orlando, FL

Another way is to throw out your toxic chemical cleaning products.  There are organic cleaning products that are just as effective that do not pollute your indoor environment.

Organic Cleaning Products

 

Mar 08, 2011 07:05 AM
Michael A. Caruso
Surterre Properties - Laguna Niguel, CA

Great ideas! Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Go Green! 

Mar 08, 2011 10:57 AM
Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES
Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL
Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Barbara, great ideas and and tips for homeowners to go green in the bathroom.  Besides the shower heads, the faucets should also be low flow, it also helps tremendously to not leave the water running continuously while brushing teeth or shaving.

Mar 10, 2011 01:37 PM
Jackie - computer-training-atlanta.com
770.498.7333 - Atlanta, GA
Learn to leverage technology to get more done.

Hi Barbara, Excellent checklist for anyone wanting to go green. Easy to understand and implement. I think there are a lot of people interested in living greener, but they just don't know what to do.

Mar 13, 2011 03:25 PM
Adrian Willanger
206 909-7536 AdrianWillanger-broker.com - Seattle, WA
Profit from my two decades of experience

Barbara, thanks for your post and tips! I love Silva's comment don't leave the continuously running  or if you have teenagers have them limit their showers to 20 mins. LOL.

Mar 16, 2011 11:57 PM