This checklist is a collection of tips and strategies

that not only help you in turning your home green,

but more importantly save you some cash!

So with no further time waiting, I would like to get

to the nitty gritty and help you on your quest on
going green and saving a lot of money at the same
time.

Bathroom Revamp:
How To Save By The Gallon

There's a reason Europeans call them water

closets. From our toilets to our tubs, roughly 60
percent of a home's water consumption takes
place in the bathroom, according to the California
Urban Water Conservation Council. After this past
summer's droughts and floods, which wreaked
havoc on water quality making it either unavailable
or un-useable, any renovations or improvements
you make in your bathroom should be done with
an eye on the aquatic, especially in older homes.
Past manipulations to your existing fixtures may be
luring you into a false sense of security about how much water you're actually using.

You can always look into your own bathroom design as well... after reading through this
content.

Efficient Toilets?

Guzzling 27 percent of your household supply every year, your toilet is by far your
home's largest water user.

At that rate, you want to be sure that the federally mandated, 1.6-gallon-per-flush (gpf)
model sitting in your loo really only uses 1.6 gpf—it may use more.

A 2000 study commissioned by the city of Tucson revealed that then-new 1.6-gpf toilets
actually used 1.98 gpf on average, due to double flushing caused by poor performance
or to malfunctioning parts. Leaking "early-close flappers," devices that prevent a 3.5-
gallon tank from releasing more than 1.6 gallons, had been replaced with standard 3.5-
gpf flappers, the study
found, and removable
toilet dams, which also
prevent a 3.5-gallon
tank from releasing
more than 1.6 gallons,
had broken or were
intentionally removed.

If you've purchased a
home with a pre-
installed 1.6-gpf model,
there's no way of
knowing whether the
previous owner made
any such inefficient
modifications. As the
parts wear out—they
generally last around five years—be sure to ask the hardware store specifically for 1.6-
gpf replacements. Also, be wary of toilet-tank retrofits, kits designed to convert old 3.5-
gpf models into 1.6-gpf toilets, says Gary Woodard, co-author of the Tucson study.
"You're doing something to the toilet that it isn't really designed for," he says. "It's really
best to get a low-flow toilet."

Fortunately, newer low-flow models are overcoming the problems of their infancy, and
the Environmental Protection Agency's recently launched WaterSense label makes it
easier to find them. To receive the label, toilets must be independently tested to show
that they use, at most, 1.28 gpf and that they can successfully flush 350 grams of test
media. Dual-flush toilets, those that have a full-flush mode for solids and a reduced-
flush mode for liquids, use 1.6 gpf and .8 gpf respectively.

Wasteful Showers

Although toilets use the most water in your bathroom, showers are rife with
opportunities for waste, thanks to easy manipulation of low-flow showerheads and the
rise in popularity of multi-head shower systems, some of which spew an astonishing 80
gallons per minute (gpm).

The bane of water conservationists everywhere, these systems are legal, thanks to a
loophole in the federal standard that requires showerheads to pump out no more than
2.5 gpm. Since that only applies to single units, these multi-head systems can utilize a
dozen or more.

Stoke a green fire. Enjoy a cozy fire, but make sure it burns cleanly by using artificial
logs made of wood only. Avoid those that contain paraffin, a petroleum-based by-
product.
"What used to be exclusive of really super-high-end homes is now becoming more
commonplace," says Al Dietemann, water conservation lead for Seattle Public Utilities.
Sixty-two percent of residential architects reported an increase in demand for these
systems, according to a recent survey by the American Institute of Architects. "A lot of
us are watching the trend and becoming more and more disgruntled about it,"
Dietemann adds.

Another issue with showerheads is that they achieve a 2.5-gpm rate with small water-
restrictor discs. Annoyance leads many a homeowner to remove them, resulting in a
flow of nearly 5 gpm, says Alex Wilson, editor of Environmental Building News. "Some
manufacturers that sell these showerheads go so far as to describe in the product
brochure how to remove it," he adds.

To measure the water consumption of your showerhead, pour 2.5 gallons into a bucket
and mark the water level. Then, take a stopwatch and fill the bucket for a minute in your
shower. If your showerhead sprays more than 2.5 gpm, get a new one. Delta's new
H20Kinetics showerhead uses a frugal 1.6 gpm and is designed so that the water
droplets are larger, holding on to heat and offering the feel of a 2.5-gpm shower ($55;
www.deltafaucet.com, 800-345-3358 for retailers). Or save a little more money with a
cheaper alternative; see the checklist below for more.

Finally, if major purchases are in your budget, consider a tankless, on-demand water
heater. Households waste 6.35 gallons of water per day waiting for it to heat up,
according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and 3.48 gallons of that is for
showers alone. Tankless systems heat water when you need it, cutting wait times down
to about 30 seconds (see Resources).

Faucets

Last but not least, your bathroom sink faucet, also subject to government standards,
must use 2.2 gpm or less. Taps aren't prone to modifications of the bad sort, but you
can increase their efficiency with a 1.5-gpm aerator, available at any local hardware
store.

Retaining Water

If you've cut your water consumption down to near zero and are still looking for
newfangled ways to save, here are a few aquatic marvels:

SinkPositive Tank Lid Sink ($99; www.sinkpositive.com): Designed for hand washing
only, you replace your toilet tank's lid with this mini-sink, which is connected to the
toilet's intake hose. Every time you flush, water comes out of the faucet and then drains
into the tank. Let us know if you can overcome the awkwardness of turning on a faucet
by flushing a toilet....
WaterSaver Technologies Aqus system ($295 plus shipping;
www.watersavertech.com): The system's under-counter 5.5-gallon tank stores all the
water used in your bathroom sink, whether from hand washing, brushing your teeth or
shaving, and then feeds it into your toilet's tank. Because toilets use more water than
faucets, it's doubtful that the Aqus would supply 100 percent of your toilet's water, but it
could cut consumption by about 40 percent (Aqus reverts back to freshwater supplies if
the storage tank is empty).

Faucet Foot Valve FFV-2000 ($119.95; www.faucetfootvalve.com, 928-254-1083):

Foot-valve-operated faucets can make it easier to stick to the "turn off the water while
brushing your teeth" rule. While these systems haven't been widely reviewed or tested,
the manufacturer claims that it can save you up to 50 percent of faucet water.

Seven Green Items No Bathroom Should Be Without

1. Recycled, processed-chlorine-free toilet paper and tissues.

2. PVC-free shower curtain. Your cheapest alternative to conventional PVC curtains are
polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) liners, as durable as PVC without the hormone-
disrupting, asthma-inducing phthalates. Or you can splurge on the eco gold standard,
hemp, which also resists mildew. Ikea's remarkably cheap Näckten PEVA shower
curtain ($1.79; www.ikea.com); Vita Futura PEVA curtains in various styles and widths
($24.99 and up; www.vitafutura.com); hemp shower curtain ($84.95;
www.greenfeet.com)

3. Low-Flow showerhead. If the Delta H2OKinetics 1.6-gpm showerhead is out of your

price range, you can still get a remarkably affordable, ultra-efficient 1.75-gpm model,
such as the Niagara Chrome Earth massage showerhead ($5.25;
www.energyfederation.org).

4. Petrochemical-free personal care products. Read ingredients lists diligently and

watch out for the chemicals listed in The Dirty Dozen Chemicals in Cosmetics.

5. Organic cotton bath linens. These can be pricey, but you can build your collection
slowly. Fortunately, national retailers like West Elm ($6-$19; www.westelm.com), Pottery
Barn ($8-$26; www.potterybarn.com) and Bed, Bath & Beyond ($7.99-$14.99;
www.bedbathandbeyond.com) are selling them in brick-and-mortar stores, so there's no
need to pay for shipping.

6. CFL vanity bulbs. Repeated on-and-off use of compact fluorescent bulbs and the
humidity of bathrooms will reduce their lifespans by a few months, but switching to
CFLs still cuts energy use considerably; Philips 16W A-Shape low-mercury Alto bulb
($10.50; www.blackenergy.com).
7. Green Cleaners. If you don't want to make your own cleaners, choose least-toxic
alternatives. See the "Household Cleaning Kits" category in our new Products section
at MyCleaningProducts.com the official natural cleaning products online store.

Here Is 8 Ways To Save Water Without Spending A Dime!

1. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.

2. Fill a milk jug with stones and place it in your toilet tank to displace water.

3. Dig up an egg timer from your kitchen and use it to cut showers down to 5 minutes.

4. Turn off the water while shaving.

5. Fix toilet and faucet leaks immediately.

6. Don't use your toilet as a trash can.

7. Collect "warm-up" water to irrigate your lawn and flowerbeds.

8. Conserve energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that .47
gallons of water are lost for every kilowatt-hour of power generated by coal power
plants.

Here Are Some Helpful Tips In Making Your Home A More

Pleasant And Greener Place...

• Freshen up your air freshener. Create your own natural air-freshening mist with
water and lavender or lemon.

• Shop smart. Keep a few reusable shopping bags within easy reach - in your car,
purse and office or just near the front door. Want to do the planet an extra favor?
Purchase this bag and your money will benefit the Sierra Club.

• Create a natural mood. Replace petroleum-based paraffin candles with soy or

beeswax candles. If you like scented candles, look for ones with fragrances derived
from essential oils. Take up creating you own organic candles at home?

• Bottle your own water. Faucet filters, such as those made by Brita(R) will transform
your regular tap water into a clean, clear healthy beverage. No more lugging home
 cases of non-reusable plastic bottles.

• Green to-go saves green. Carrying filtered water in hard-plastic water bottles can
help you cut down on buying plastic water bottles and other beverages when you're on
the go.

• Put down some roots, organically. When the weather warms up, grab the kids and
plant your own organic garden. They'll learn where their food comes from and you'll all
enjoy flavorful, pesticide-free fruits and veggies. Learn step by step guide on
developing your own organic garden...

• Teach your kids a green lesson. Instead of tossing a disposable juice box every day,
your kids can carry their very own hard-plastic refillable bottles. Let them pick the color
and style they like best.

• Shop your nearby farmer's market. Locally grown, organic food has fewer
pesticides and chemicals (or none at all) and reduces the energy and pollution caused
by shipping. In fact, the average American meal travels more than 1500 miles from the
farm to your plate.

There are tons of ways to save and go green at the same time, as a helpful checklist,
you can print out the very next page. This is a quick guide on some cool techniques you
can use to go green in your home.

For more helpful advice, please view our natural cleaning articles...
GOING
GREEN
GJOEMPDBMSFVTF
CHECKLIST
101
FDPDFMMPSH
TBNFHPFTGPSOBQLJOT
WAYS
TO GET
USZEFTJHO
STARTED
$SPXO'EVO
4FDZDMFUIJTNBHB[JOF
PGXBUFS FYDFTTQBDLBHJOH
$SJOHZPVSPXOCBHTUP
UIFHSPDFSZTUPSF
5VQQPSUZPVSMPDBM
%5#QSPHSBN XPPEGVSOJUVSF
FDPOPNZBOEDVSCFYDFTT
WJTJUMPDBMIBSWFTUDPN
GPTTJMGVFMDPOTVNQUJPOCZ
TIPQQJOHDMPTFUPIPNF
+OTUBMM'OFSHZ5UBS§RVBMJ
GJFEEPVCMFQBOFXJOEPXT
NBOZFMFDUSPO
GPSCFUUFSJOTVMBUJPO
6BLFUIFCVT
PSUSBJO ZPVSUJSFTTJODFVOEFSJOGMBUFE
$VZFOFSHZFGGJDJFOUBQQMJBODFT
MPPLGPSUIF'OFSHZ5UBSMBCFM $VZSFDZDMFEUPJMFUQBQFS
EJB
)PGPSCBNCPP
GPSGMPPS 2SJOUPOCPUITJEFT
JOHDVUUJOHCPBSETUPX
FMTTIFFUTBOETPPO DJUZIBTQMFEHFEUPNFFU-ZPUP
%MFBOUIFGSJEHFDPJMTGPS
CFUUFSQSPEVDUJWJUZ
6VSOPGGUIFMJHIUTXIFO
ZPVMFBWFUIFSPPN
+OTUBMMMPXGMPXTIPXFSIFBET
WJTJUPDFBOTBMJWFPSH
BOEUBLFTIPSUFSTIPXFST
'BUNPSFWFHHJFT
)FUBMJCSBSZDBSE
FTQF
4JEFZPVSCJLF
&PO¬UMFUUIFTJOLGBVDFU
SVOXIFOZPVXBTIEJTIFT
BOECSVTIZPVSUFFUI
.FBWFPOMZGPPUQSJOUT
XIFOZPVUSBWFM
7OQMVHZPVSFMFDUSPOJDT
DIFDLPVU
&8&QMBZFS68DFMM
QIPOFDIBSHFSXIFO
ZPV¬SFOPUVTJOHUIFN
USZ
7TFHSFFOFSDMFBOFST
GJOE
$BLJOHTPEBXJMMDMFBO
KVTUBCPVUBOZUIJOH
9BTIDMPUIFTJODPMEXBUFS
B JOHNFBOTMFTTXBTUF
%PWFSQPUTPOUIFTUPWF
UPBWPJEMPTJOHFYDFTT
IFBU¨BOEXBTUJOHFOFSHZ
 )PUPYJOGSFFBUIPNF
.JOFESZZPVSDMPUIFT
XIFOQPTTJCMF
(JOEBHSFFOESZDMFBOFSBOE
CSJOHZPVSPXO
HBSNFOUCBH
6VSOPGGUIFEJTIXBTIFS¬T
ESZJOHDZDMF
5IVUZPVSDPNQVUFSEPXO
XIFOZPVMFBWFXPSL¨
FTQFDJBMMZPO(SJEBZT
8PUFGPSDIBOHF
&SJWFBIZCSJE
,PJOBGPPEDPPQ
5XBQQBQFSCBDLTXJUI
QBQFSCBDLTXBQDPN
$;1$
)FUPGGKVOLNBJMMJTUTCZ
SFHJTUFSJOHBUENBDPOTVN
FSTPSHDHJPGGNBJMJOHMJTU
5ISFEPMEQBQFSGPSQBDL
JOHJOTUFBEPGVTJOH
5UZSPGPBNQFBOVUT
5LJQUIFFMFWBUPSBOE
UBLFUIFTUBJST
%IFDLUIFBJSQSFTTVSFJO
PGG¨CVUQPXFSTUSJQTJO
UJSFTSFEVDFGVFMFGGJDJFODZ
&PO¬UDIBSHFZPVSDFMM
PGUIFQBQFS
#GUFSZPVGJOJTICBLJOHUVSO
PGGUIFPWFOBOEMFBWFUIF
EPPSPQFOUPIFBUZPVSIPNF
'BUPOMZTVTUBJOBCMZIBS
WFTUFEGJTIUPIFMQQSPUFDU
UIFIFBMUIPGUIFPDFBO
)PDBSCPOOFVUSBM
6PTBWFHBTESJWFVOEFS
NQIPSEPO¬UESJWFBTNVDI
&PO¬UVTFQFTUJDJEFTPO
ZPVSMBXO
(JOEOFXVTFTGPSPMEUIJOHT
%PNQBDUZPVSOPOSFDZDMBCMF
USBTIBOEVTFGFXFSCBHT
)JWFZPVSDBSBUVOFVQTP
JUESJWFTNPSFFGGJDJFOUMZ
WJWBUFSSBDPN 7TFOBUVSBM¨OPUBSUJ
$VZUIJOHTUIBUXJMMMBTU
+OWFTUJOFOWJSPONFOUBMMZ
DPOTDJPVTNVUVBMGVOET
F$BZDPNDSBJHTMJTU
UIFNBUTPDJBMJOWFTUPSH PSHBOEGSFFDZDMFPSH
$VZTIBEFHSPXODPGGFF
7OMPBEZPVSUSVOLUIF
MJHIUFSUIFMPBEUIFMFTT
HBTZPVSDBSDPOTVNFT
5FBMVQZPVSIPVTF
5XJUDIUPBSFVTBCMF (JYMFBLZGBVDFUT
DPGGFFGJMUFS
$VZMPX81%QBJOUBOEEPOBUF
'BUXIBU¬TJOTFBTPO
5UBSUBOFDPDPOWFSTUJPO
UIFMFGUPWFST
QSPHSBNTBUFBSUIPSH
FWFSZXIFSFZPVHP &POBUFPMEDFMMQIPOFT
BOEIFMQTBWFUIF#GSJDBO
5JHOVQGPSPOMJOFCBOLJOH
HPSJMMB
UPTUPQSFDFJWJOHQBQFS
TUBUFNFOUT 2BTTPOUIFQBQFSUPXFMT
%BODFMUIFQIPOFCPPL
EFMJWFSZ (JMMVQZPVSGSFF[FSTJODFUIF
+OTUBMMBDFJMJOHGBOUP
JNQSPWFIFBUBOEDPPM
GVMMFSJUJTUIFMFTTFOFSHZJU
VTFTUPLFFQGPPEGSP[FO
BJSDJSDVMBUJPO &SFTTTVTUBJOBCMZ
FSTMJLF.JOEB.PVEFSNJML
1QUGPSBO'OFSHZ5UBS§RVBMJ
GJFEMBQUPQJOTUFBEPGB
5UFXBSU
QPXFSHV[[MJOHEFTLUPQ $VZJOCVMLUPBWPJE
4FQMBDFZPVSMJHIUCVMCTXJUI
DPNQBDUGMVPSFTDFOUPOFT 5QFOENPSFUJNFPVUEPPST
,PJOBDPNNVOJUZTVQQPSUFE 5FFLPVUSFDMBJNFE
BHSJDVMUVSF
9FBUIFSQFSNJUUJOHUBLF
8PMVOUFFSZPVSUJNFBUMPDBM ZPVSFYFSDJTFPVUEPPST
DPOTFSWBUJPOBHFODJFT
6IJOLCJHQJDUVSF
%POTFSWFFOFSHZCZVTJOH
9IFOUSBWFMJOHBTLZPVSIPUFM
QPXFSTUSJQT
XIBUJU¬TEPJOHUPCFHSFFOFS
JDTTVDLQPXFSFWFOXIFO
5UBSUDPNQPTUJOH
UIF©PGGªQPTJUJPOEPO¬U
%IPPTFSFVTBCMFJOTUFBEPG
EJTQPTBCMFQSPEVDUT
QIPOFPWFSOJHIU QFSTSB[PSTDVQTQFOT
)FUPOUIFMJTU(JOEPVUJGZPVS 2SFXBTIEJTIFTPOMZJG
ZPVIBWFUP
2SPUPDPMFNJTTJPOTUBSHFUT
+OTUBMMEJNNFSTPSNPUJPO
JGOPUDPOUBDUZPVSNBZPS
TFOTPSTGPSZPVSMJHIUT
4FVTFZPVS<JQMPDCBHT
7TFPSHBOJDCFBVUZ
-FFQZPVSTIBEFTEPXOJOUIF QSPEVDUT
TVNNFSBOEVQJOUIFXJOUFS
$VZ(BJS6SBEF
7TFBQVTIMBXONPXFS
5UPQJEMJOHJOZPVSDBS
2VSJGZJOEPPSBJSXJUI
%BSQPPM
QMBOUTJOTUFBEPGXJUIBSUJ
GJDJBMSPPNGSFTIFOFST $VZPSHBOJDGPPE
DJBMMZNJMLNFBUGSVJUT
7TFDMFBOFOFSHZ
BOEWFHFUBCMFT
5VQQPSUSFDZDMJOHCZCVZ
$SJOHZPVSPXONVHPS
JOHQSPEVDUTNBEFGSPN
UIFSNPTUPZPVSGBWPSJUF
SFDZDMFENBUFSJBMT
DPGGFFTQPU
&FDPSBUFSFTQPOTJCMZCZ
%PMMFDUSBJOXBUFSBOEVTF
QVSDIBTJOHFDPTFOTJUJWF
JUGPSMBOETDBQJOH
BDDFTTPSJFT
GJDJBM¨GSBHSBODFT
$VZPSCPSSPXQSFVTFE
NPWJOHCPYFT 5XBQEPO¬UCVZ
2MBOUBHBSEFO

7TFSFDIBSHFBCMFCBUUFSJFT
7TFDPODFOUSBUFETPBQTBOE
$SJOHMVODIUPXPSLJO DMFBOFSTTJODFMFTTQBDLBH
SFVTBCMFDPOUBJOFST
©OPHBSCBHFªMVODI
+GZPVTFFMJUUFSQJDLJUVQ
7QHSBEFZPVSUPJMFUUP
5QSFBEUIFXPSE
BMPXGMVTINPEFM
©2007 MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDIA