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Spring Cleaning: Tough Love for the Loo

Let’s clean that commode, and maybe make it a little more glamorous.

This challenge is in partnership with Levi's ®


Your toilet is involved in a lot of dirty business, but that doesn’t mean it’s beyond redemption. Let’s clean that commode, and maybe make it a little more glamorous.

Don’t Rush the Flush: Every flush of your toilet can use three to five gallons of water in older models, and one to two gallons in newer models. A leaky toilet can use up to 200 gallons of water a day, so pay attention to whether your toilet is running. Follow the wisdom of that timeless adage: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” Put a brick (like, an actual ceramic one) in your water tank to displace water, and your toilet will automatically use less. Finally, think about purchasing a dual flush toilet or installing a system on your existing toilet, with one option for liquid waste (uses less water) and one for solid waste (uses more water).

Go Paperless: If you’re adventurous, environmentally-minded, and perhaps European, consider buying a bidet. It may not be something you’re used to, but it’s actually cleaner for the environment and you. The Blue Bidet is an attachment for your toilet, can be installed in a half hour, and costs less than 50 bucks. (Watch this video to hear a bidet technician tell you “there’s nothing left behind and you’re completely spotless.”) Using toilet paper sparingly, you’ll cut down on hundreds of rolls of paper per year.

Stay Fresh: Always flush the toilet with the lid down! This will keep the bacteria in there from flying around the room and nesting in your hair brush, your soap bar, or, bleh, your toothbrush.

So Refreshing: Have an extra can of Coke lying around? Use it to clean your toilet. Pour some soda in and around the bowl of your toilet, let it sit for an hour, give it a good scrub, and flush it down. Really, it works.

Pimp My John:You might need this custom, handmade Hunger Games toilet seat, or any of these, for that matter.

Photo via (cc) Flickr user jimmyyyy.

We're giving away $500 to put this challenge into action! Participate in the 'Clean Up Your Act' challenge on GOOD Maker here.

To learn more about how you can save water every day, click here and take the Water<Less Challenge.

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