How To Filter Your Shower Water Very Efficiently

This post has been updated for 2011. I recently wrote about Filtering Your Drinking Water Very Efficiently, but let us turn now to your shower water. When we shower, we absorb the substances dissolved in water through our skin quite readily. For example, 60% of the chlorine absorbed daily comes from showering in chlorinated water.… [Continue Reading]

Optimal Toothbrush System

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I consider the Smile Brite toothbrush system the most efficient and sustainable available, for two reasons. First, the toothbrush bristles comes from a natural source, and they don’t contain any synthetic dyes. This reduces the chemical load in your mouth. The bristles are harvested from special breeds of boar which have the fine, soft bristles… [Continue Reading]

Now Available: Very Efficient: Toilet Lid Sinks

These sinks are finally available in the U.S. They sit atop your toilet and replace the lid. When you flush the toilet, the clean water that would go straight down the toilet is first routed up through a spigot to dispense pure water for hand washing. The sink shut off automatically when the toilet has… [Continue Reading]

Efficient Moisturizer: Unrefined Shea Butter

Shea Butter is one of the most efficient skin moisturizers available. It is an organic product that protects against dry skin and sunburn. Shea butter is extracted from the nuts of the Shea Karite tree, found in the tropical regions of West Africa. It is a sustainable resource and it requires no pesticides to grow.

Slightly More Efficient: Target Begins Selling Bamboo Sheets and Towels

Target has begun selling bamboo sheets and towels. They are reasonably priced at $40 for a sheet set, and $20 for two towels. Unfortunately, the bamboo content is not all that high — 60% for the sheets and 40% for the towels, and the rest of the fabric is conventional cotton (which requires large amounts… [Continue Reading]

Efficient But Rare: Hemp Bath Towels

Hemp is more durable and resistant to mildew than pure cotton. It’s also more absorbent: hemp fiber can absorb 150% of its weight in water (as opposed to cotton, which can absorb about 100%). Yet hemp bath towels are difficult to find.

A Towel Made Out Beech Wood: The Millennium Towel

Bonjour of Switzerland has released a towel collection made from Micro Modal, a fiber made with 100% beech wood cellulose. Modal is softer than terry toweling and 50 percent more absorbent than cotton. It dries quicker too. Bonjour of Switzerland uses only environmentally friendly dyes in production. The towels range in price from $12 for… [Continue Reading]

Efficient Material of the Year: Bamboo

Well, this year bamboo takes the prize as efficient material of the year. We’ve got to hand it to the grass that is showing us yet another side of its efficiency. Since bamboo products are still sometimes difficult to locate, we had to track down these items from a number of different sources. First on… [Continue Reading]

Marko Travel Toothbrush by Ohso

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This Marko toothbrush by Ohso holds toothpaste in its handle, and dispenses it within its own bristles, making it a self-contained device for travelers. Last year we reviewed the “Clever Toothbrush” which was similar, but it was made out of plastic, and was not very durable. This toothbrush looks better — it’s composed of chrome… [Continue Reading]

New Bamboo Fiber Goods

We’ve detailed the benefits of bamboo fiber previously, noting the excellent softness and anti-bacterial qualities of this fiber. For those who wanted to try out bamboo fiber, you can do so inexpensively, since bamboo washcloths are being sold for $2 each on eBay in white and pink. Also, Bamboosa, a major bamboo clothing manufacturer in… [Continue Reading]