Make your bathroom a little greener

Many of us strive to make our homes a little greener, whether we’re recycling, composting or incorporating solar panels into our home designs. There’s one room in the house that offers tons of opportunity for getting a little greener: the bathroom.

Slow your roll

Stop before you throw away that toilet paper roll – that cardboard is totally recyclable. You can throw it in your recycling bin for the garbage man to pick up, or you can use it in your own home for gardening purposes, like here, instead of a peat pot.

Take shorter showers

This tip is relatively well known, but when was the last time you timed your shower? Next time you hop in, set a kitchen timer to 10 or 15 minutes – you might be surprised by how long you’re normally in there for.

Add a little plant life

Plants add a great decorative element to any bathroom, but putting one on top of your vanity cabinets has another benefit: It helps clean up gross air pollution that gets trapped in steamy bathrooms.

Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs

Energy-efficient light bulbs save tons of money and energy, and they make one of the largest impacts on how green your home is after they’re switched in for less efficient ones.

Try motion sensor faucets

How many times have you brushed your teeth or washed your face and accidentally left the water running? It happens to the best of us – but motion sensor faucets completely rectify the problem.

Buy small appliances with auto-off switches

You know that flat or curling iron you sometimes forget to turn off? When it's time for a new one, spend the few extra dollars money for one with an auto-off switch. You'd be surprised how much sense this makes. Also -- don't keep rechargeable razors, etc plugged in all the time. This, too, eats electricity. Try to plan and charge these items ahead of time.

How do you "go green" in your bathroom?