1. Use of water

Water mixer taps

• A dripping tap can cause significant loss of water – up to 90 litres per day. Simple plumbing works to keep your water system in order can help you save money and avoid unnecessary water consumption.
• A tap that is running while you are brushing your teeth can also significantly increase water consumption; therefore, you should pay attention to whether the tap has been left running.
• By using taps with water-saving nozzles – aerators that mix water with air, water consumption can be reduced by 50%. It should be remembered that there are taps that already have a built-in aerator.
• Water losses also occur while the user adjusts the desired temperature; therefore, when purchasing a new water tap, it is recommended to choose a tap with a thermostat that allows you to set and maintain the desired water temperature throughout the entire wash.
• A mixer tap with a sensor can reduce water consumption since it automatically stops the flow if the sensor is not activated for a certain period of time.
• Many mixer taps have a water-saving function. By locking the handle in a specific maximum position, it is also possible to set the maximum water flow per minute that flows through the tap, etc.

Toilet bowls

• Toilet flushing accounts for approximately a third of household water consumption. If possible, a water-saving, low-flush mode should be used.
• To avoid unnecessary wasting of water, various hygiene products and toilet paper should be disposed of in the waste bin. It should also be mentioned that waste thrown into the water is not sorted.
• A special dispenser can be installed in the toilet flush box to reduce the amount of water used each time you flush, for instance, the flush volume can be adjusted from 10 to 5 litres.

Taking a shower

•  Showering allows you to use six times less water in contrast to taking a bath. Showers require an average of 25–50 litres of water per wash, while baths require at least 100 litres.
• Reduce the time spent in the shower, thus saving up to 20 litres (using a standard shower tap) of water per minute. Reducing the showering time by just two minutes enables you to save up to 8,000 litres of water per year.

2. Washing machine

If your washing machine has lasted for more than 10 years, you should start thinking about buying a new one. Why? Modern appliances are more energy efficient than older ones. The same amount of laundry can be washed much more cheaply and in a more environmentally friendly way.

When buying a new appliance, you should first think about the current usage habits of your household and choose the most suitable one for you – both in terms of volume and functionality.

3. Washing machines with a tumble dryer

Washing machines with a tumble dryer function are an ideal option if you do not have room for a tumble dryer, but both stand-alone and combi machines have their advantages.

• One of the disadvantages of a combined appliance is that the amount of laundry that can be washed and dried differs, as more free space is needed for air to circulate during the drying process.
• A washing machine with a tumble dryer is ideal for households of one or two people, while larger families will find stand-alone appliances more convenient.
• If you choose a washing machine with a tumble dryer, you should expect it to run longer and consider the noise it makes.
• Like other appliances, washing machines with tumble dryers have an energy label, but this is different from the label of conventional washing machines. Both the energy efficiency class and other parameters are indicated twice – in the wash cycle only and in the wash and dry cycle together.

3. Tumble dryer

There are two types of tumble dryers – condenser and vented tumble dryers.

• Vented dryers heat the air and, when the hot air becomes too humid, it is expelled through a vent.
• Condenser tumble dryers cool the hot air by converting it into water and discharging it into a specially designed compartment.

Currently, condenser dryers are the most common type of tumble dryers.

4. Lighting

If the room has windows, natural light should be used during daylight hours. Light is best reflected by white, light-coloured objects, as well as mirrors. Using more light colours, for instance, for the wall paint, and placing large mirrors in the room will provide better lighting. Due to increased humidity, it is not recommended to select lamps with closed shades.

Separate lighting should be selected to create a pleasing image of the face in front of the mirror. Attention should be paid to the position of the luminaire as well as the colour of the bulb. It is best to position the lighting from above and to the side to avoid unnecessary shadows, as well as to have a whiter light colour (3,200–4,000 K). If the bathroom is used as a place to relax, for instance, for relaxation in the bath after a long day at work, it is also advisable to have warm-coloured lighting (2,700 to 3,200 K).

If the toilet is combined with the bathroom and the family is large, the lighting is likely to be frequently switched on and off. In such cases, you can consider installing a motion sensor and select bulbs with higher switching capacity. When planning bathroom lighting, there are a number of considerations to be taken into account, alongside the choice of bulb design. There are rules regarding the type of bulbs that can be used in different parts of the bathroom; these parts are called zones, and the bulbs must meet certain IP protection ratings to be used in these zones.

• Zone 0 – inside the bath or shower. The bulbs must have at least IP67 rating – protection against submersion in water;
• Zone 1 – above a bath or a shower up to the height of 2.25 m; Recommended IP rating – IP65.
• Zone 2 – space up to 0.6 m outside and above the bath or shower, if it exceeds 2.25 m. The minimum required protection rating is IP44.

Outside the zones – anywhere outside zones 0, 1 and 2 – there are no requirements that specify the required IP protection levels.

5. Bathroom cleaning

Limestone is one of the enemies of the bathroom. It can build up on shower cabin walls, taps and especially in crevices, where access is difficult.

An old toothbrush is useful for cleaning away tartar build-up more effectively.

To clean the shower head, you can use a paste of baking soda and water (add a small amount of water to 100 g of baking soda). The shower head must be screwed off, placed in a bag filled with the prepared paste, sealed and left to react for 30 minutes.

By adding water to baking soda, a solution can be made to fight mould. Baking soda is a natural disinfectant and doesn’t have a specific smell.

Try to use natural air fresheners, for instance, a bowl of natural baking soda or dried aromatic herbs.

Instead of antibacterial cleaners, you can use natural alternatives, for instance, lemon juice.

6. Heating

As the bathroom is humid and frequent contact with water occurs here, appliances with the appropriate IP class (protection against environmental influences) – at least IP44 must be purchased. The appliances should be used in a manner that complies with the rules of use.

• To save electricity, connection of a thermoregulator to all heating appliances is recommended, if possible. This will enable you to adjust the temperature depending on the use of the room and the daily routine.
• Different types of towel rails are available nowadays. The simplest ones only have an on/off button and must be unplugged when not in use. Choosing a towel dryer that can control the temperature is a more energy-efficient option, and setting a timer is advisable.

Types of heating in a bathroom

Selecting a correct bathroom heater is important. First, it must help to maintain a comfortable temperature, secondly, be safe enough to use in wet rooms, and thirdly, reduce the relative humidity of the room to prevent the proliferation of harmful bacteria. Your daily bathroom habits must also be considered in choosing the right heating solution.

• In bathrooms and other wet premises, the most suitable heating method is electric underfloor heating. Why? Underfloor heaters operate at a lower temperature and are therefore more energy efficient, while distributing the same level of heat throughout the entire room. Electric underfloor heating will provide a better microclimate, reducing the humidity level in the bathroom faster, which is especially important to prevent the growth of mould.
• If you need to warm up your bathroom or a part of the room quickly, an infrared heater will do. Infrared heaters use radiation to heat objects, surfaces and bodies. Infrared heat doesn’t directly heat the air. Infrared heaters heat up faster than other types of heaters. They are suitable for active people who do not stay in the bathroom for too long and don’t have free time to wait for the room to heat up.