Looking to create a calm, inviting and functional bathroom space without harming the planet?
I don’t know about you but these days, with the whole family home, all the time, it seems like I’m always cleaning the bathroom. Thankfully, there are safer, plant based cleaners that harness the power of essential oils and work really well. You’ll never have to worry about exposing you, your family and pets to harsh cleaning fumes and chemicals found in many conventional products. With our step by step eco bathroom makeover, you’ll be on your way to a cleaner and greener bathroom! Real change can happen when we all make small changes to our routines.
Let’s start by looking at WHAT you clean your bathroom with. Our hero product, All Purpose Cleaner can be used on any non-porous bathroom surface including countertops, door handles and sink fixtures. Soap scum build up on glass shower doors has met its match with our glass cleaner. Streak free, it’ll help you keep those glass doors clean and crystal clear and make your mirrors sparkle and shine.
Our custom blend of renewable ingredients kissed with essential oils is safe to use around your family and free from harmful fumes. The aroma of lightly scented essential oils like peppermint and lemon, lavender and grapefruit and pink lilac is all that’s left behind. Rounding out the dream team is our gentle but hardworking Tub and Tile Cleaner and Toilet Bowl Cleaner, both kissed with Chamomile and Orange blossom essential oils. Multiple bottles of Fresh Room Spray are a MUST HAVE when you have the whole crew at home. You’ll want to leave it in plain sight to invite everyone to use it.
Now that we’ve cleaned up your cleaning routine, let’s take a look at your other bathroom habits, bathroom waste! With a few simple changes, you can give those an eco makeover, too! There has never been a better time to take a look at your bathroom habits considering only about 50% of bathroom waste is recycled. The newest sustainable products on the market are so good, you won’t even miss the conventional ones.
There are easy swaps you can make in your medicine cabinet and on your countertops right now for a sustainable upgrade to your powder room. Here are some of our favorite environmentally friendly bathroom products and some easy sustainable new habits to work in!
1. Rebel Green Tree Free Toilet Paper and Paper Towels
27,000 trees a day are cut down to make conventional toilet paper and 57,000 trees a day for paper towels. Sure, you could pick up recycled toilet tissue, but if you want something as close to what you’re used to as possible in terms of softness and performance, look no further than bamboo.
Our tree free toilet tissue is 3-ply, quilted and has all the softness you’re used to. Just think about how soft those bamboo sheets and towels are! In just 3 to 4 months, bamboo is fully matured and ready and to be harvested again. Compare that to trees that can take 30 years to regrow.
Rebel Green is Carbon Neutral so everything from the harvesting, to manufacturing and transportation is offset. We partner with the Paradigm Project for the purchase of clean cookstoves for people in the developing world where the simple act of cooking kills close to 5 million people every year.
2. LastSwab, The Reusable Cotton Swab
Every day, 1.5 billion single use cotton swabs are being produced and an average American uses 415 cotton swabs every year. They pollute our oceans and have a huge carbon footprint. One easy way to positively change your impact on the environment is to trade out as many single use products as possible. We found a great sustainable solution to the cotton swab, it’s called the Last Swab, and it’s the last swab you’ll ever need. How easy is that?
3. Bamboo Toothbrush Set
If you don’t use an electronic toothbrush, chances are you go through four toothbrushes a year according to the American Dental Association. At that rate, brushers in the U.S. alone go through over one billion toothbrushes each year where they go on to end up in landfills or the ocean. That much plastic takes a huge toll on the environment. We understand the benefits of bamboo (just look at our paper towels!) but did you know bamboo can be made into other household products, too? Here’s an adorable alternative, a set of pastel toothbrushes made from bamboo. You can have biodegradable, earth-friendly products in every part of your house. So easy!
4. Toothpaste Bites and Recyclable Toothpaste Tubes
Instead of constantly tossing plastic tubes in the waste bin, all you need is one of these waste free toothpaste bites. What a fun way to brush! Another great natural alternative is David’s Natural toothpaste. It’s sulfate free, vegan and comes in a metal, recyclable tube. Whether you choose toothpaste bites or recyclable tube toothpaste, it’s a small way to make a big impact.
5. Reusable, Sustainable Razors
An estimated 2 billion plastic razors and refill blades end up in the landfill every year. That’s a lot of plastic that is taking far too long to decompose and, even worse, can pollute our waters. Another easy way to makeover your bathroom is to ditch the single use razors, and while you’re at it, get rid of the unsustainable plastic razors too! Consider switching to one of these metal options instead. Plastic-free is the future.
6. Low Flow Toilet
Listen, you may think that major makeovers like toilets can be expensive and frustrating, so you may overlook that step. But you’d be wrong! With a few simple modifications, you can turn your water-guzzling toilet into a water-sipping low-flow commode. Not only is it good for the environment, it’s also amazing for your wallet! Standard toilets can use as much as seven gallons of water per flush. Low-flow toilets use a mere 1.6 gallons. If you crave the water savings of a low-flow toilet but aren’t ready to shell out money for a new model, you’re in luck. Check out these easy modifications.
7. Save Running Water From Your Bath for Plants
Have you ever taken a moment to think about the amount of water wasted while you wait for your bath or shower to heat up? That’s money going right down the drain! Instead, opt for this happy home tip. While you wait for your shower to heat up, you can capture the cooler water that hasn’t heated up yet for your plants. Empty juice or water jugs are great for this (bonus points for reusing those plastic containers!). Your plants will thank you!
8. Low Flow Shower Head
Speaking about shower time, there are two more lifestyle makeovers that can make your bathroom more eco-friendly. First, try shortening your showers. A 10-minute shower uses about 80 gallons of water and is responsible for producing about 4 lbs of CO2. Limiting your shower to five minutes can cut that in half. Try choosing a shower song and play it each time you hop into the shower – when it ends, your shower ends, too. To reduce your Carbon footprint even more, consider installing a low-flow shower head. They now have decent water pressure unlike the ‘Seinfeld’ episode about how low-flow shower heads had terrible water pressure.
9. Add Houseplants to Your Bathroom That Thrive in High Humidity.
Did you know that houseplants make you happy? Add some life (and some joy) into your life with some plants that love moisture. Not only will they give you a great calming aesthetic but they’ll help pull moisture from the air and keep mold at bay. Bring new life to your bathroom with one of these 20 plants that love a humid environment.
Even if you just implement a handful of these tips, you’ll be well on your way to a more eco-friendly lifestyle! Every little bit matters when it comes to preserving this beautiful planet we call home.
When you make the switch to better for you bathroom cleaners kissed with essential oils and choose sustainable toilet paper and paper towels, your bathroom will truly shine. When your home is stocked with safer, effective Rebel Green products, you’ll have a haven that is healthier for you and your loved ones.