Sustainable Showers (simple tips and swaps)

New showers should be find. Older showers may benefit from water-saving showerheads (which aerate so it’s like a rain shower but saves money). To check if you need one:

Place a 2-litre container on the shower floor. If it takes less than 12 seconds to fill when shower is running on full, you could benefit from a low-flow shower, which is easily replaced.

If you need one, your water board may offer one for free. Always use a qualified electrician to fit one. Always check as some are not suitable for certain showers or gravity-fed systems.

If your showerhead is clogged with limescale, Mira has a post on how to fix (and prevent) using cleaning vinegar (instructions are different for fixed showerheads). Learn how to fix a dripping showerhead.

The biggest win (use less hot water)

If you do only one thing for more sustainable showers, focus on hot water time. Heating water usually costs more, and creates more emissions, than the water itself. So a shorter, slightly cooler shower can beat a cupboard full of “eco” products.

The simplest version is also the most effective: less time under hot water.

• Set a 4 to 5-minute timer: Put it across the room, so you can’t snooze it.
• Use one song: Choose a track you know well, and aim to finish before it ends.
• Fix the order: Hair first, then face, then body, then rinse.

Swap the shower head and fix the drips 

• A water-saving shower head reduces flow without making the shower feel weak. Many use “aeration”, which simply means mixing air into the water stream. You still get good coverage, just less water per minute.
• When you shop, ignore vague claims and look for a clear litres per minute figure. That number tells you what you’re getting.
• Fitting one is usually renter-friendly, because you can keep the old head and swap it back later. Most are a straightforward screw-on job. First, check the fitting size (many are standard). Next, wrap a little plumber’s tape on the thread to help prevent leaks. Then tighten by hand, and only use a wrench gently if needed.
• Hard water slows everything down in the bathroom, so clean the head now and then. A limescale soak (often with vinegar and water) can bring the spray back.
• Also, fix the small stuff. A slow drip from the head, valve, or hose can waste more than you think. Run your hand along the hose and check the connection points. If it’s damp when it shouldn’t be, sort it sooner rather than later.

Small habits that save energy every day

• While the water warms up, catch it in a bucket or bowl. Use it for mopping, or flushing the loo. It’s not a huge saving each time, but it’s almost effortless.
• If you’re on a time-of-use tariff, shifting showers to off-peak can reduce cost. Even without that, it can spread demand in the household.
• Finally, keep the room a bit warmer. A draught excluder, a closed door, and a decent bath mat can make you less tempted to “crank it up”. Ventilate after showering too, because less damp means less mould, and less scrubbing later.

Choose Shower-Friendly Soaps on Ropes

Choose unscented bathroom toiletries for pregnancy/nursing, and avoid shea butter for latex allergies.

Although bar soaps cut out the packaging of plastic shower bottles, they do tend to go a bit squishy, so to rid the hassle of buying slatted soap dishes, you can buy vegan bar soaps (with no palm oil) that come with attached ropes. So just hang them up after use, and let gravity dry them out.

Kleen Soaps are big chunky bars, which should last a few weeks in the shower. They retain moisturising glycerine, so don’t dry your skin out, like normal soaps. Choose from:

• Unscented oat milk soaps
• Activated charcoal soaps (for acne)
• Floral soaps (for feminine ladies!)
• Exfoliating pumice soaps
• Pink clay & lemongrass (for dry skin)
• Tall, dark and handsome (for men!)

Friendly Soaps on Ropes (made in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire) are similar, sold in packs of 6, to save on postage.  There’s an unscented aloe vera soap, ideal for pregnancy/nursing, sensitive skin and allergies. Other versions include:

• Relaxing Lavender
• Zingy Lemongrass
• Exfoliating Peppermint Poppyseed
• Woody Patchouli Sandalwood

Miniml Refillable Bodywash & Bubblebaths

Miniml Bodywash & Bubblebaths are the ideal swap to keep on hand, for a rich foamy shower or can also be used as bubble baths (also good for hotels). Made with biodegradable ingredients (including Yorkshire water – even the scents are naturally derived), these are vegan-friendly and not tested on animals, and sold in bottles that you can send back to be refilled!

Avoid very hot baths (especially for heart/blood pressure conditions and pregnancy/nursing), avoid slippery oils and stand up slowly. 

Avoid essential oils for pregnancy/nursing and near babies/pets. If buying other items in the range, citrus oils in particular are toxic to pets (even if rinsed and dried, residue could be licked from paws). For these homes, just clean with a mix of water and baking soda and white vinegar. 

These are concentrated, so a little goes a long way. At end of use, you can get the bottles refilled at stores that sell them, or use the QR code to send off empty bottles for refilling, and return.

The starter bottles are 500ml, and the refill bottles will last you ages!

To use, just squirt onto your hands and use on your body in the shower, then rinse away the lather. For baths, pour 10ml to 15ml into a warm bath. Choose from:

• English Lavender & Chamomile
• Nourishing Coconut
• Tea Tree & Mint
• Pink Grapefruit & Aloe Vera

There are discounts for regular subscriptions, and students.

For toxic bathroom products, you can recycle empty bottles with kerbside collections. For bottles with product, dispose of them at your council’s hazardous waste department.

Duwax (a wax cotton shower curtain)

When time comes to replace your mouldy plastic shower curtain, DUWAX is a waxed cotton alternative, that is free from ‘forever chemicals’ and does not cling to your body, when you step out the shower!

Even during use, this shower curtain hangs stable, and is not blown about. The special fabric is not ruined by water (don’t machine-wash) and over time even develops a nice patina. After use, just hangl dry (it’s particularly suited to floor-level walk-in showers). Can be custom-made.

Most shower curtain damage is due to limescale deposits. Remove with a paste of citric acid and gently wipe the surface with a plastic-free sponge.

For heavy deposits, immerse the curtain a bucket of diluted citrus acid and water, then rinse thoroughly with clear water. Keep away from children and pets.

ShowerBox (free hygiene facilities for homeless people)

ShowerBox (London and Birmingham) offers free mobile showers to prevent infections and skin issues, and enhance self-care for better chance of finding a job and stable home. Users also get hot drinks, fresh undies and free use of hair clippers.

Homeless people also need free toilets (they can be arrested for indecency if urinating or removing clothes in public places). If there are no hostels, what are they supposed to do?

Rome, Miami and San Francisco all have dedicated free toilets for homeless people, why are we so far behind? It’s also safer for everyone, as addicts have safe disposal bins, for used needles.

We could also do with something like Orange Sky Australia (volunteers drive vans to different towns, so homeless people can take showers and launder their clothes for free).

England has around 250,000 homeless people (including rough sleepers, sofa-surfers and people living in bed-and-breakfasts).  Here are ideas beyond just throwing money at what is a huge issue in society.

Homeless people can claim benefits, giving the address of a family member/friend, hostel or job centre. This helps to pay for food (and pet food), interview clothes and rent deposits. People without bank accounts can use the government’s Payment Exception Service to collect benefits from a local post office or PayPoint outlet.

If you see someone sleeping rough, send a report to StreetLink, whose outreach teams visit rough sleepers at night, to alert them of support to find benefits and accommodation (if the person is under 18, call 999).

Also read about how to help homeless people with dogs.