H2O Chlorine Filtering Shower Head Review

For a long time I was aware that chlorinated water is not good for your health. Never mind drinking it, but even just showering in it isn't healthy. I just never realized just how bad it is until my daughters pediatrician recommended bathing her in non-chlorinated water to help clear up a skin condition. So I looked deeper into the subject of chlorinated municipal water while painstakingly using my Nikken Aqua Pour to make enough clean water to bathe my daughter.

You can research it yourself, but I have learned that chlorine in combination with dairy consumption causes clogged arteries in testing on rats. It is also not news that it makes skin dry and hair brittle. I'll just quote from Dr. Mercola's website: "Long-term risks of consuming chlorinated water include excessive free radical formation, which accelerates aging, increases vulnerability to genetic mutation and cancer development, causes difficulty metabolizing cholesterol, and promotes hardening of arteries. Excess free radicals created by chlorinated water also create dangerous toxins in the body. These have been directly linked to liver malfunction, weakening of the immune system and pre-arteriosclerotic changes in arteries."

H₂O International were kind enough to send me one of their chlorine filtering shower heads to try. I've been taking chlorinated showers for years and as well have been suffering from dandruff ever since I can remember. I failed to link the two together though until now. Even with just two weeks of using this chlorine filtering shower head I have seen an improvement. Of course it will take longer than that, but I can feel that even my skin is not as dry as it used to be. This will be especially important in the dry New England winters! It is especially enjoyable not to smell the chlorine anymore while showering. My baby loves taking her baths in this chlorine free water and I have the peace of mind knowing I made the best choice for her health. At the pediatricians recommendation, the combination of Fuzzi Bunz and the H₂O Chlorine Filtering Shower Head made her rash disappear.

It was pretty simple to install, you just need a wrench. It comes with the filter already in it and it will last you about 6-9 months. I enjoy the five different massage settings, you can get a glimpse of them in this video as well as how easy it is to change the filter cartridge. The shower water pressure droped a little once we installed it, I suspect that is because of the filter action. It isn't anything drastic, just a slight change. Overall I highly recommend this product for making a healthy choice for your body and avoiding all the perils of chlorinated water, especially if you have children or heart health issues.

My readers on EcoBabyz, AnV Design, and Lunch.com get a special 20% discount code for H2O International products, just click the graphic below!

Babcock Ranch: Solar and Green Design of the Future

If everything goes according to plan, soon Babcock Ranch in Florida will be the archetype for solar and green design of the present. In essence it will incorporate everything I write about on this blog in regard to sustainability, including photovoltaics, water conservation, daylighting, and energy savings. It sets a precedent for Eco-friendly urban design, one that will not be easy to live up to. It will take about 25 years to complete and will probably be the greenest city around - literally, over half of the 17,608 acre city is alotted to greenspace such as parks, trails, and nature preserves. Even city rooftops will be 'green roofs' with vegetation to minimize cooling costs.

The city will be powered entirely by renewable solar energy. It will have the largest on-site solar plant in the world that will cost over $300 million. Electric vehicles will be charged at stations powered by the sun, and traffic will be eliminated thanks to the extensive system of pathways for alternative transportation, i.e. walking, biking, rollerblading, etc. No existing city would ever be able to retrofit to such high standards because the design is completed from the ground up taking into consideration all minute details before the site plan is even done.

While in my opinion 'green' and 'city' is an oxymoron, I've got to give them some credit for making a city - the epitome of consumerism and over spending, more sustainable. I still think it is 'greener' to live off-grid (solar and/or wind) in a rural area, raise and grow your own food, and collect rain water. Babcock Ranch is just a great attempt at taking the comfortable consumerism lifestyle and subtracting the guilt that some don't even feel while living like billions of others in the average city. It will be a great place for those who like city life but want to go 'green', which is impossible in any of today's cities.

To appreciate everything this city will have to offer you have to visit their outstanding website, the in-depth interactive presentation will answer all your questions and will leave just one - how can I get a place there?

Upgrading Laundry: Energy Efficient Washers

Your old washing machine may be sending a good chunk of your wallet down the drain. While the approach of 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it' might work in some cases, in this case you might save more in both energy and water costs (not to mention clothing) by investing in an efficient washing machine. Energy-efficient washers can use up to 50 percent less energy and 60 percent less water than standard machines. As a general rule, front loading machines are more efficient when it comes to water. Some local utilities even offer rebates for front-loaders.

You might have not thought of this, but you will also benefit from the new washers that have more than just three basic cycle options like small, medium, or large load. They offer features like the delicate cycle and the steam cycle, which in turn can save you money by giving longer life to your clothing and as an alternative to dry cleaning (we all know how wallet draining that can be). From my personal experience, my clothing suffered significantly when we had to use an apartment complex community washing machine. The clothing that I wore for several years that still looked great after being washed hundreds of times in a European front-loader now all of the sudden looked like it was fifteen years old, the fabric started really showing the wear.

The National Geographic Green Guide offers a buying guide for washing machines where they rate them on several factors. Their top pics include the Kenmore HE2 Plus Super Capacity, the Samsung WF218ANW, and the LG Electronics WM3001HWA.

The List: Creating a Healthy Home

I often come across questions from people who are new to sustainable living and they often ask for the 'easy list' on what they can do to make their homes and lives more healthy. Recently I came across an interesting list that I thought was worth it, I attribute the credits to Seventh Generation, you can also view it here.

Light Green Steps to a Healthy Home

1. Use cleaning products made from natural and not-toxic ingredients; avoid cleaners that contain synthetic chemicals.
2. Dust with a damp cloth to ensure that household dust, the final resting place of many toxins that enter our homes, is removed and not stirred back into the air.
3. Open windows and doors occasionally (even in winter!) to bring in fresh air and rinse out pollutants that have accumulated inside.
4. Avoid aerosol products. They fill your home with microscopic droplets of the synthetic chemicals that are often in these sprays.
5. Same for deodorizers or other air “freshening” products, which are frequently made from unhealthy chemicals that coat surfaces and pollute the air your family breathes.
6. Opt for natural pest control methods instead of pesticide products.
7. Keep conventional cleaners and other chemical products out of kids’ bedrooms and playrooms. Click here to learn why children need special protection.
8. Use chlorine-free products to wash dishes. The chlorine in conventional detergents evaporates in hot water and is released into the air in your home.
9. Conduct a radon test. Radon is an odorless natural radioactive gas that seeps into homes from surrounding soil. A simple test can tell you if your home needs abatement measures.
10. Replace synthetic personal care and make-up products with natural alternatives that don’t contain toxins. To learn more about the hazards in personal care products, click here.

Medium Green Steps to a Healthy Home

1. Eat organic food. It’s grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, drug and hormone treatments, and genetic alterations. That makes it healthier for you and the earth.
2. Ask guests to remove their shoes upon entering your home. From pesticides to pollutants, shoes can track unwanted visitors into your home.
3. Clean and inspect combustion devices like furnaces, stoves, and hot water heaters to make sure they’re functioning properly and not venting hazardous gases into your home.
4. Have your water tested for chemicals pollutants like pesticides and chlorine. Install a filter on drinking water taps if pollution is found.
5. Buy a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. These special filters trap particles that regular vacuums can’t catch.
6. Don’t buy soft vinyl products, including toys and shower curtains. These items likely contain phthalates (“thal-ates”), toxic chemicals that easily leach.
7. If your home has a chlorinated water supply, install a filtering showerhead to prevent chlorine from vaporizing in hot shower water.
8. Remove any permanent press, easy-care, wrinkle-free, and/or flame-resistant linens and fabrics that are less than one year old and don’t buy new ones. They are most likely treated with the chemical formaldehyde, which slowly escapes during the first year of use.
9. If your home was built before 1978, test painted surfaces for the presence of lead. Conduct the same tests on your child’s toys.
10. Conduct an indoor air quality test to see if any toxic gases, including formaldehyde or vapors from VOCs, are being emitted by your home furnishings.

Dark Green Steps to a Healthy Home

1. Don’t buy home furnishings or fixtures made from particleboard or other pressed wood products. These can emit dangerous fumes over time. Choose solid wood instead.
2. Choose naturally- or low-impact dyed natural fiber carpets and textile products, and use natural flooring for your home. These products won’t introduce any chemical additives to your environment.
3. Become a "localvore" by eating foods grown within 100 miles of your home. Organic or not, such foods have the lowest overall impact on the environment.
4. Clear out the clutter. Crowded, exposed shelves are dust magnets that collect a disproportionate share of the toxins present in your home. Display your favorite items behind glass instead. To find out more about dust and dusting, click here.
5. Replace synthetic foam mattresses with beds made from untreated cotton, wool, and other natural fibers, and glue-free solid woods.
6. Take the same step with other home furnishings. Synthetic foams and treated textiles are one of the chief sources of toxic flame retardants.
7. Replace your lawn with natural landscaping that provides valuable habitat for your local flora and fauna.
8. Wear naturally-dyed natural fiber clothing and keep synthetic materials, colors, and treatments away from your family’s skin.
9. Swap all your non-stick cookware for cast iron. Properly seasoned cast iron will provide much the same results and won’t leach perfluorochemicals or toxic fumes.
10. Express yourself. Let public officials, corporate leaders, and other decision-makers know how you feel about local, national, and global issues.

Water Conservation and Safety Tips

If your New Year's sustainability resolution includes using less water in your household, now is a good time to invest in a shower head that does not waste the increasingly precious resource. There are many options out there but some deliver truly superior results and many also offer the benefits of taking chlorine out of your water (which may help with that 'eliminate dry skin' resolution). Of course by using less you not only save on water bills but also energy bills for heating that water for showering. While shorter showers are common sense for conservation, it will not make a big difference if you have an old water guzzler shower head, the same applies to your toilet - new technology can take even less than 1.6 gallons per flush.

Try the Oxynator for a luxurious chlorine-free shower. It is very nicely styled, comes in a chrome finish, and delivers a 99% chlorine free shower infused with oxygen. It will do wonders to your skin and hair:

If you prefer a hand held shower that is convenient with kids, pets, and the elderly, try the Ultra Oxygenics. You get both the benefits of more oxygen in your water and the impressive 2 gpm consumption:

For conserving water without replacing your existing toilet, try the Controllable Flush. Convert your standard toilet into a low-flow toilet -without tools or a plumber- and save up to 35,000 gallons of water a year. Because not all flushes need to be the same, the dual-action Controllable Flush controls the amount of water you use to flush waste matter:

A kitchen faucet aerator will conserve even more during dish washing and food prep. This 1.5 gpm Touch Flow Swivel Spray Aerator makes your faucet more versatile:


If you are at all concerned with the quality of your tap water you can also invest $60 in a home water test kit that will determine the levels for bacteria, lead, pesticides, arsenic, nitrates, nitrites, chlorine, iron, pH, copper, alkalinity and hardness: