4 cost-effective changes you can make to your bathroom behavior
Originally published on Aol.com by Mic BDG STUDIOS July 10, 2020
In these trying times, saving a little money can mean all the difference. Whether you are beginning to think about starting a family or are one of the millions of Americans who lost income due to Covid-19, stretching every dollar matters more than ever before.
Luckily, there are many ways of saving money that donât take all that much effort. For instance, take a quick glance around your home and you'll see countless ways you could be saving and spending less, and this is especially true of the bathroom. Bathroom habits are so deeply ingrained in us that it can often seem as if they're set in stone, but with certain painless modifications you can be saving big bucks when it comes to your favorite comfort and hygiene station.
To help all of those out there who are strapped for cash right now, the team at BDG Studios teamed up with our partners at TUSHY to put together this handy list of small money-saving tips you can incorporate into your bathroom behavior today.
Convert To Low-Flow & Filtered Fixtures
When you waste water, you are not just depleting the earth of one of its most important resources, you are also flushing money down the toilet. Toilets alone account for about a third of all water used in the average home with older models guzzling up to seven gallons with every flush, while showers can take up as much as eight gallons per use. Replacing current toilets, faucets, and shower heads with low-flow alternatives will help you to use just a fraction of the water that you did before, and models with built-in filters go the extra mile by reducing harmful chemicals and impurities that usually end up on your skin and hair. A mainstay in newer residences, swapping these out in an older home can save water and energy over time, also resulting in crucial cost savings over the course of a year.
Lower The Maximum Water Heater Temperature
While we all love a nice hot shower, that boiling hot start you get before getting the temperature âjust rightâ might not be quite as necessary. Your hot water heater is doing a lot of work and it might be costing you extra. By simply adjusting your water heaterâs thermostat, you can protect your skin from scalding hot water but saving serious cash at the same time.
If using a heater water tank, make sure that itâs set to heat water only when being used. This can be done easily by using a timer, and make sure it is insulated to preserve the heated waterâs temperature.
This might be a tough sell, but itâs possible to skip the need for toilet paper altogether by using alternatives like bidets. While built-in bidets and bathroom renovations can be costly, most can use add-on fixtures like the TUSHY Classic bidet or the temperature-controlled TUSHY Spa model, offering up comfort, cleanliness and cost savings all at once. Designed to easily attach to most types of toilets (with a total installation time of under 10 minutes), a spray of pressurized water and some creative angling make for a cleaning experience that will ultimately save you big moneyâ in the long run.
The average American uses nearly $10 worth of toilet paper every month, which equates to about $120 per person per year or about $500 for a family of 4. Using a TUSHY bidet can pay off in two-and-a-half or three months and last you a lifetime.
Ubiquitous in pretty much every part of the world except North America, bidets are mainstays in homes and even public restrooms from Japan to Venezuela. âBidet washing is cleaner overall,â said Metaefficient editor Justin Thomas. âThis eliminates all the energy involved in producing, treating and transporting the toilet paper across the country.â Using just a single pint of water per use compared to the 437 billion gallons, not to mention the 253,000 tons of bleach used in the toilet paper production process, its environmental benefits and overarching economic efficiencies canât be overstated.
âWhile [the current pandemic] could be the tipping point that finally gets Americans to adopt the bidet, TUSHY has been saying since 2015 that bidets will replace toilet paper and that TUSHY was going to be the brand to make bidets mainstream in America," says Miki Agrawal, Founder & Chief Creative Officer of TUSHY. "Bidets are cheaper, healthier, and better for the planet.â Brands like TUSHY also tend to pride themselves on partnerships that further important initiatives, such as Samagra, a company based in India that builds clean community toilets for every sale of a TUSHY bidet.
Switch To Energy Saving Light Bulbs
While energy-efficient lights may cost you more money upfront, they will save you major moolah in the long run. Energy-efficient light bulbs like LED or CFL cut your energy spending significantly, and can be used all around the house, but can be especially effective in your bathroom. While some may like their bathrooms a little dimmer or have natural lighting, many depend on their bathroom light being bright and pristine for tasks such as basic hygiene, hair, and makeup. LED and CFL lights will give you the clarity you need for your bathroom activities while using less power â a winner for your wallet and the environment.
Since the bathroom is generally used less than, letâs say, your bedroom, consider getting a motion detector as well to cut down on the lights when your water closet isnât in use.
Follow these simple steps, and you should be seeing your bank account growing in no time.
This advertising content was produced in collaboration between BDG Studios and our sponsor, without involvement from Mic's editorial staff.
