Clear Answers for Common Questions

Bathrooms, along with kitchens, can be breeding grounds for germs. This means cleaning your bathroom with the right products is extremely important. Just a few well thought out products can make your bathroom sparkling and sanitized. All purpose cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, tile cleaner, chrome cleaner and glass cleaner are ...

Some homeowners find themselves unhappy with the bathroom in their home, and choose to embark on a remodeling project. Remodeling a bathroom can be a simple or complex task, depending on the type of remodel. The outcome of the remodel can enliven a house and totally change the feel of ...

There are so many different bathroom faucet styles available today that you are bound to find one that suits your ideal bathroom design. Many of the modern tap designs are quite creative and feature part of the top of the faucet open so that the water flows out in sort ...

A showerhead is a bathroom fixture that directs the spray of water in a shower. Just like a garden hose sprayer, a showerhead can typically be adjusted to direct water in a shower in different directions and different spray patterns. A showerhead is the easiest bathroom plumbing fixture to replace ...

Homeowners and interior designers are excited about the possibilities that copper bathroom sinks offer. They are a gorgeous alternative to porcelain, with some of the sophistication of glass, yet provide a more organic and antiqued appearance. The luster of copper interests many decorators in its richly textured surface. You can ...

When updating an older bathroom or building a new one, the question of how to cover the flooring of the space is always important. Generally, people prefer a flooring option that is low maintenance and hygienic. Fortunately, there are several options when it comes to covering the bathroom floor. Far ...

If it’s been a few years since you’ve shopped for a bathroom scale you’ll likely be in for a surprise. We used to be limited to just two kinds of bathroom scales: mechanical or digital. Today’s modern bathroom scales will not only weigh you but also ...

Along with a renewed interest in a diet plan may come a need for a new bathroom scale to measure the results. Consumers have a wide assortment of models to choose from, including some that can electronically measure the percentage of body fat. Trying to choose the right scale for ...

A bathroom vanity is a cabinet that sits under the bathroom sink. It often includes a marble or tiled top, which can be used to keep items like toothbrushes, soap, or makeup at hand. Sometimes, a vanity will be sold with a sink receptacle, but most often, a sink and ...

A bidet (pronounced bid-day) is a small low sink that is used for washing the genitalia after going to the bathroom. It is normally located next to a toilet, but shouldn’t be considered a sink. Bidets are popular in Europe and Asia, but much less common in the ...

Once a staple in just about every well-to-do home, the clawfoot tub has become somewhat of a collector’s item as well as a popular decorating item in recent years. Originally constructed of cast iron and covered in a porcelain coating, some of the newer models are made ...

Bathroom light fixtures, along with other hardware flourishes like doorknobs, cabinet knobs, and faucets, can establish an entire mood or style in one decorating accessory. The different types of bathroom light fixtures are designed to give you focused task lighting at a mirror, diffuse lighting above a shower or bathtub ...

A half bathroom is a bathroom which has a sink and a toilet, but no shower or tub. Such rooms are sometimes known colloquially as “half baths” or “powder rooms.” Many larger homes include a built in half bath, typically in a public area of the home so that it ...

A powder room is generally defined as a small bathroom that contains only a sink and a toilet. Sometimes, it's referred to as a guest bathroom or half bath, and it is usually located on the first floor of a home. This placement allows guests to use the facilities ...

A double ended bath is a bath which has been designed to accommodate bathers facing in either direction. Typically both ends of the bath are identical, and they are sloped to create back support, making it comfortable for the bather to sit and lounge in the bath. When this type ...

A bath mat is a mat used in the bathroom. The two types of bath mats are the kind that is placed inside the bathtub and the kind that is placed just outside the bathtub. The first type is used to prevent slipping in the tub, while the second type ...

A fingertip towel is a small towel which is typically designed to be primarily ornamental, rather than specifically functional. However, such towels can technically be used to dry the hands after washing, and they are sometimes displayed in small bathrooms where hand towels would be too bulky, but a host ...

Different synthetic or natural materials determine the different types of shower curtains. Polyester and vinyl shower curtains are inexpensive and also waterproof, but may not match luxurious décor. Curtains made of cotton or linen look lush and elegant, but they mildew if too damp. Many people prefer to combine a ...

Unless your bathroom includes a shower or tub enclosed with glass doors, a shower curtain will be the most prominent fabric feature in your bathroom. When buying a shower curtain, consider your desired décor and invest in the curtain before buying matching accessories like rugs and towels. Also, you might ...

A rice paper shower curtain is a vinyl shower curtain that has a texture similar to that of rice paper. These shower curtains also have a semi-transparent quality to them like rice paper. Most rice paper shower curtains are white, but some are a calming shade of green. A ...

Every home needs towels so that occupants and guests can dry themselves easily after a bath or shower. When buying bath towels, you should consider the quality of the material, how many you need, and their design. Bath towels come in many different designs and colors. You can match or ...

One of the most important elements of turning a new house into a home is selecting sundries such as bath towels. Some may consider them to be an afterthought, but a full set in an appropriate color scheme gives the bathroom a coordinated and inviting appearance for visitors. While many ...

A dobby border makes any plain towel fancy, and you’ll find them on towels, hand towels, some dishtowels and washcloths. On a towel, it does not actually border the towel. Instead, it is usually set in the towel about 1 or 2 inches (2.54-5.08cm) from the ...

Bathroom readers are either people who read in the bathroom, or books specifically designed for bathroom reading. For example, Uncle John’s Bathroom Books are interesting books that give one tidbits of information. However, many other books qualify just as nicely as bathroom readers and are worth some thought. Generally ...

There's no easy way to put this -- we all gotta go sometime. Fortunately the quest for knowledge does not have to stop, thanks to a genre of literature called bathroom books. Bathroom books, with a few notable exceptions, are not given that designation by the original author or publisher ...

Where would many of us be without the sanctity of our own private 24 hour reading room? People read in the bathroom for any number of reasons, including the guarantee of privacy, a considerable amount of downtime and the lack of external distractions. Unless the current occupant happened to have ...

In the 1940s novel Cheaper by the Dozen the eleven children often have to make various stops on road trips to “go visit Mrs. Murphy,” a polite euphemism for having to go the bathroom, related to early bathrooms called the murphy closet. One child invariably fails to go, and the ...

A porta potty can refer to several different types of toilets or portable bathrooms. Often in the US, porta potty refers to small toilets that can be used by toddlers while they are being potty trained. At the same time, porta potty may refer to portable bathrooms you’re likely ...

Spa decor ideas for bathrooms can be very simple, but still add a great feeling of relaxation in the home. Even if you can't add a steam room or other exotic spa accents, you can still make even the tiniest bathroom feel more like a spa with quick and ...

Soap dispensers are handy not only for washing hands but also for keeping sink areas from becoming soapy messes. There are many types and styles of soap dispensers, and they come in a variety of materials. Many types of liquid soap come in plastic bottles that can be either thrown ...

A soap dispenser is a small or large device found in kitchens and bathrooms throughout the world. You’ll find commercial versions of the soap dispenser in public bathrooms, and you can even buy your soap in a simple dispenser, which can then be refilled by buying larger bottles of ...

A soap dish is just what it sounds like – a dish for holding soap. It is kept near the bathroom sink for hand washing. The types of soap dishes vary widely and you can find everything from an inexpensive piece of plastic to a fancy designer soap dish. Although soap ...

Hand washing is important in preventing the spread of germs and also to keep hands free of dirt. There are many different types of hand soaps available today; from commercial powdered hand soap to scented guest soap. You can also find bar and liquid varieties as well as soaps made ...

Shaving mirrors, in loosest definition, are any small mirrors that a gentleman might use for the purpose of shaving. Men have long fought the battle with traditional mirrors and looking glasses, because using hot water tends to steam up regular mirrors. Further, many men prefer to shave in the shower ...

A shower timer is exactly what it sounds like: it is a device which can be used to time showers. Shower timers are used to keep track of and sometimes to restrict water usage. They come in a variety of formats and styles intended for various situations, from hotels to ...

Grout is a type of plaster which fills in the cracks between tiles, keeping them together and preventing damage to the sides of the tiles. With time, grout can get dirty, especially the grout used around kitchen and bathroom tiles which are exposed to food, soaps, and lots of water ...

A chamber pot is a small pot, usually ceramic, designed to fit under a bed or in a discreet close stool. Although these pots are not as widely used as they once were, having largely been replaced by indoor toilets. However, in the era when going to the bathroom involved ...

There is nothing worse for a researcher than misinformation and innuendo posing as fact, and such is the case with the 19th century English scholar and plumber known as Thomas Crapper. There are those who even insist there never was a real person with this name, only the active imagination ...

Unfortunately, no matter how well or how often you scour your bathrooms, they don’t stay clean for very long. In fact, usually about the time you finish cleaning the bathroom, someone will come along to wash up or brush his or her teeth. Your family members will often leave ...

The original clawfoot bathtub was a heavy cast-iron tub that stood off the floor on four metal feet. The interior of the tub was enameled and the feet were gilt, and made to resemble animal feet, most often the paws of a lion. In the 1880s, John Kohler (whose ...

Replacing a standard toilet is not the most complicated plumbing job, but it does require some preplanning and muscle power. The first step is to clear a path between the toilet and its eventual resting place. Toilets tend to leak and drip even after removal, so it helps to have ...

A shower caddy is a unit placed in a shower to help hold supplies commonly used while taking a shower, such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, washcloths, and razors. Typically, it is designed to hang from the shower head. In some cases, the caddy may hang freely. Some designs, however, have ...