clean up the bathroom

You don’t need to open your bathroom doors to everyone, but there are some dirty secrets about the products we use and some simple swaps that can help turn your bathroom into a sparkly clean and sustainable place.

History of the bathroom

Loo break fun reading!

For as long as there has been wo-man walking the earth, there has been a need for somewhere to go ‘relieve oneself’. Back in the day, that may mean digging a hole or hiding behind a tree. But as civilisation changed, particularly in the Western world, so did the toilet.

Have you visited a castle ruin and seen the ‘garderobe’? This room evolved from being a niche in the wall where waste ran down the side of the castle, to become a room that jutted out from a wall and allowed the inhabitant to squat and do their business over a hole. While this could be a weak spot in a castle’s defenses, heaven forbid you were a poor soul wandering around underneath at the time someone had to go pee (or worse).

The flushable toilet was invented in 1596 but it wasn’t until 1851 that it became more available. Queen Elizabeth I’s godson, a poet called Sir John Hennington, was the brains behind the initial design. This design was then improved upon by Scottish inventor Alexander Cummings in 1775.

Toilets aside, the bathroom itself as a place to cleanse oneself has been in practice for centuries, particularly before entering many sacred spaces. In fact, in 3 major continents there are findings of baths being used as early as 3000 BCE; cold baths in Asia, and steam baths in Europe and North America.

Despite common belief, forms of soap have also been used for centuries to keep people clean. In fact, production of soap can be traced to the Middle Ages, and it was after the Renaissance where bathing took a decline. Water was feared as people believed it was a carrier of disease at that time, so instead of bathing, perfumes and sweat baths were preferred.

There is an article here on the BBC site which has a great overview of the history of the bathroom for further interesting loo facts.

Modern times

Nowadays, people have moved from homemade and natural options for their bathing routine to synthetic and plastic items, largely due to conveneince, availability and cost. But there is a surge in going back to natural products.

The reason to swap isn’t just due to the packaging though, but also the ingredients within the product itself. Everything we use to wash ourselves is put on our skin and will go down the drains and filter out through waterways to rivers and oceans. This means wildlife is exposed to whatever items we use.

For example, there was a ban on microbeads being sold in a range of beauty products in June 2018 in England and Scotland. It was estimated that one shower previously would send 100,000 microbeads down the drain which due to the size, would be confused as food by marine animals. There are plenty of natural alternatives to create the same result though, but as consumers, if we are not aware of an issue, we cannot change our habits.

The best advice to follow is to check the ingredients list. If you can understand it, and there is nothing there you don’t know, then it should be safe to use. While you shouldn’t eat it, if you were to accidentally swallow something you are washing with, wouldn’t you rather it was something that you know vs a chemical you have never heard of?

soap vs shower gel

Let’s start with the elephant in the room and go over soap vs shower gel. While there are more companies selling more natural shower gels, they are still sold in plastic bottles with time and resources.

We are the drops has worked out environmental savings you could be making if you swap to soap.

For every 250ml bottle of shower gel replaced with soap, you save approximately:

• 2.38 gallons / 9 liters of water (oil extraction and microbeads pollution)

• 7 fl. oz / 200 ml of petroleum oil (manufacture of bottle and shipping)
  0.24 Lbs / 110 grams of CO2 equivalent (emitted by power production and oil extraction)

• 21.5 ft2 / 2.4 m2 ecological footprint (virtual forest area required to absorb CO2 emissions)

• 1.4 oz / 40 grams of plastic waste

Along with body and hand soap, there are some wonderful options for shampoo and conditioner soap bars. If you are making the swap to natural soaps, there are some helpful tips for the transition from Peace With The Wild. If you do make the swap, it is good to read this as your hair will likely go through a transition period. Another alternative is Beauty Kubes shampoo blocks, which can be used with any plastic free conditioner.

There are also companies that offer refills for liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner (such as Faith in Nature), so you can simply keep reusing bottles you have. This means after an initial purchase, you are generating no further waste. And if you check the ingredients, the companies that support this are usually pretty good.

Top tip: Simply search online for your nearest location for refillables - there are more and more popping up as the sustainability and waste reduction movement continues.

cotton buds

Over 1.8 billion cotton buds are sold every year and they are frequently in the top 10 list of items found on beach clean up reports conducted by the Marine Conservation Society.

A large reason is because an estimated 10% are flushed down the toilet instead of being thrown into the bin once used.

From April 2020 there is a ban on plastic cotton buds being sold. Many companies started making changes from plastic to paper based alternatives in advance, and there are also some bamboo options available too. There have even been silicone and metal versions created which are reusable (just follow the cleaning instructions).

While less is best, which ever option you go for, please make sure you bin the bud rather than flush it.

Doctors recommend these are not used for ears - if you do have blocked ears, please check out the NHS site for ways to treat this.

Top tip: Check the packaging the cotton buds come in. If they are plastic boxes, try to opt for a brand that comes in cardboard which can break down quicker.

Cotton wool Pads

Cotton pads are a beast to themselves. Firstly, they are not recyclable or biodegradable, nor should they be flushed down the toilet. They expand in water and cause blockages in the water pipes.

Secondly, cotton farming has a big environmental impact, especially when it is not organic. The chemicals used in farming can pollute rivers as well as impact our ecosystem as well as damage the local wildlife.

The more unknown damaging impact is the sheer amount of water required to produce cotton. For example, over 20,0000 litres of water would make about one kilogram of cotton, the approximate size of a t-shirt.

Store bought cotton wool pads are also wrapped in non-recyclable plastic and can be made from a blend of synthetics including rayon, polyester and nylon. While 100% organic cotton wool pads could be composted, the chemicals from make up or varnish are not what you want to have on your vegetables.

Never fear though, there are many reusable cotton pads available in a variety of online shops for a price that will suit you. You can simply use them the same way you do currently and then pop them in the wash with your normal laundry. If you are still purchasing single use ones, try to go for organic cotton.

Top tip: Check the material used for the reusable options and opt for organic cotton if possible. When washing, it means natural fibres vs synthetic fibres will filter out.

Toothpaste

People spend about 3,000 hours on average brushing their teeth. That is a lot of toothpaste that is being washed down the drain. Two chemicals within most toothpastes also have negative impacts on waterways and the environment, phosphorus and triclosan.

Phoshorus leads to excessive algae growth which take oxygen from the water when decomposing. This results in dead zones where no bacteria or marine animals can live in. Triclosan has been known to disrupt hormones of marine animals and bacteria.

Toothpaste tubes are also a mix of plastic and aluminium, which are not recycled curbside.

There are plenty of replacements though - some with flouride and some with out. There are toothpaste paste made from coconut oil and peppermint, tablets and even twigs.

Top tip: If you do use standard toothpaste in tubes, check out your nearest TerraCycle drop off location where you can send them to be recycled, along with your toothbrush.

Toothbrushes

Toothbrushes are an easy swap to make from plastic to more sustainable options and is possibly one of the most well known swaps to make.

Top tip: If you are purchasing a bamboo toothbrush, check the materials used for the bristles. Most are not compostable so you need to pull them off before you discard the brush in your garden waste or in your home compost.