Do public bathrooms make you squirm? The thought of all the germs that could be lurking in public bathrooms is enough to make some people want to hold it until they get home. For many people, using public bathrooms involves a complicated navigation where you flush with your foot, squat over the toilet seat, and generally do your best to make sure your skin doesn’t touch anything. But is that really necessary?
1. Second hand shower seatAlong with underwear and toilet seats, this item falls into the category of “things most people would never buy second-hand.”
But there’s something for those who don’t mind saving money to get a used shower seat on EBay.
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Think the bathroom you have in your house is safe for your elderly parent? It may not be as safe as you think. The elderly are highly at risk of debilitating falls in the bathroom, and it’s no wonder—bathrooms are full of hazards, including slick floors, high obstacles to step over, cluttered items to trip on, and low seats to maneuver. Here are a few tips to make your bathroom safer and more accessible to the elderly.
Think your house is clean? Think again. There may be thousands-even millions-of bugs hiding in your walls, in your carpets, and even in your sheets and clothes. Here are eight creepy-crawlies that are more common than you’d think, even in the cleanest houses.
They’re stinky. They’re dirty. And trust us, you don’t want to catch a whiff of them. From puking all over fans to walking around for a week with cheese in their hair, these celebrities are ten times dirtier than anyone you know. But don’t worry-in most cases, it’s nothing a hot shower and a year in rehab wouldn’t be able to fix…
Apparently, people nowadays are less concerned than they have ever been with bathroom privacy. Increasingly, cutting-edge bathrooms are designed behind thin glass screens instead of opaque walls, and they’re plopped right in the middle of living rooms and bedrooms instead of tucked discretely in a corner. In these new bathrooms, you can see naked silhouettes and hear what’s going on in the bathroom from public living areas.
Forget about doing your business, cleaning up and getting out. Today’s bathrooms are becoming peaceful, upscale retreats—sort of like an in-home spa for busy couples…
In some households, the bathroom is the only room in the house where, once you’re in, nobody will try to come in to bother you. Sometimes it’s the only room with a lock. It’s possible that busy parents have been using the bathroom as a refuge for years—and increasing trends toward luxury fixtures are only making the bathroom’s retreat status more solid.
The bidet is a staple in European and British homes, but it hasn’t caught on in America. Japanese bidet manufacturer Toto is bravely making inroads into American markets with the Toto Washlet, a bidet toilet seat that attaches to traditional seats. The Washlet offers jets set to specific temperatures and an air-dry feature.
Have you noticed a problem fitting your toothbrushes in those nice ceramic holders lately? If so, you’re not the only one. The New York Times reports that more and more people are getting frustrated with thick, ergonomically-molded plastic toothbrush handles that are too thick to fit in conventional holders.
Builder Jeff Howell gave us the low-down on aerated shower heads in a piece for the Telegraph.
If you’re unfamiliar with these products, the basic concept is that aerated shower heads force air through the faucet along with water, allowing you to use less water while still feeling like you’re standing under a heavy stream. The main selling point is savings—according to advertisers, you could save a lot of water and up to £200 per year in water costs. But do they really work?
According to Howell, who’s tested a few of these products, the shower heads do work—although they don’t save you as much water as the ads claim. £30 to £60 per year is a more realistic figure. You can test an aerated shower head by gauging the length of time it takes to fill a bucket with your old shower head and the new one—and comparing the results.
So what are your experiences with aerated shower heads? Do they really save water, and do they really feel like a heavy stream of water? Have you noticed significant cost savings with these shower heads, or are advertisers’ claims nothing but hot air?