Five ways to upgrade your bathroom with sustainability in mind

Water is more than just a resource and green is more than just a colour. Given the context of global warming, water scarcity and the extinction of natural resources, from a space solely dedicated to function, the bathroom is gradually becoming a place to express one’s personality, desires, and tastes as a distinctly private space. Going green doesn’t mean ridding yourself of the pleasures of a relaxing bath, shower, and home comforts. A greener, more eco-conscious space exudes comfort, calm, and simplistic luxury.

The benefits of water-saving, sustainable bathrooms are abundant – they reduce your carbon footprint and save you money on your utility bills. Even making small changes to our everyday habits can help. Find out how you can use modern technologies to save water and some methods to prevent wastage of this valuable resource. 

We, at Hansgrohe India, would like to share some tips that can help you build and style greener, smarter & stylish bathrooms while preserving water: 

Water-saving tip 1: EcoSmart showers

Installing modern shower products reduces water and energy costs and saves valuable resources. The inner workings of the shower make all the difference: the EcoSmart technology limits the water flow automatically to around 6 to 9 litres per minute. Since this means that less water needs to be heated, EcoSmart helps you save energy too. And when you use less fresh water, you also pay less sewage fees. The most environmentally friendly shower available at hansgrohe is the Crometta 85 Green hand shower. This consumes barely 6 litres of water per minute (at 3 bar). As it happens, an EcoSmart shower with multiple jet types will thoroughly pamper you, despite the lower flow rate.

Water-saving tip 2: Modern operating technologies

Adapting modern technologies let you turn water off at the touch of a button – with Select. A convenient Select tap enables you to decide for yourself exactly when the water should be turned on and off in your bathroom and kitchen. Investing in a new, frequently used product such as a tap will pay for itself very quickly. And the environment will certainly thank you for your efforts. This encourages you to save water on a daily basis – and makes the products fun to use, at the touch of a button. They make your wash basin and your sink look exquisitely ultra-modern.

Water-saving tip 3: Low-Flow WC

WC flush can be the biggest water hog in your house! Recent technological and design advancements have allowed toilets to use 1.28 gallons per flush or less while still providing equal or superior performance. If you have a high-gallon-per-flush WC, it’s time to replace it with one that works more efficiently. Energy-efficient toilets use water velocity to remove waste instead of water volume. They can reduce toilet water usage by 20 to 60 per cent, or nearly 13,000 gallons saved per year. An average family could save up to INR 10,000 a year on their water bills.  

Water-saving tip 4: Take note of energy efficiency

When making a new purchase, take note of its energy efficiency and water consumption. The same applies to taps as it does to shower heads, washing machines or dishwashers: Old models usually consume significantly more water than new ones, and need to be taken to the recycling centre. Which appliances save large quantities of water and energy? Make sure that you opt for environmentally friendly models in classes A to A+++. Speaking of efficiency: never run washing machines and dishwashers half empty. Only use the machine when it is fully loaded. More often than not, the pre-rinse or prewash program is not necessary. For slightly soiled laundry/dishes, lots of machines have an environmentally friendly short wash cycle.

Water-saving tip 5: Check for constant drips and leaks

Test your toilets for leaks at least once a year -- It can result in avoidable water wastage. But sometimes leaks aren’t as obvious! A drop in water pressure is an added sign of a leak. You’ll frequently notice this drop when you’re taking a shower or filling the bathtub. An excellent way to check is by putting food colouring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, then there is a leak that needs fixing. One drip every second adds up to five gallons per day!

Live the eco-smart` way with these easy tips and make your bathroom look fabulous yet sustainable!

AUTHOR BIO: Gaurav Malhotra is Managing Director, Hansgrohe India