Tips to help stop bathroom germs

Color code hand and bath towels

It might seem like a stupid idea but each family member will know which towel is theirs. Each time you dry yourself off, are depositing germs on your towel. Just a skin flake can contain bacteria. They may not be sick but it can affect you. If you don’t want to color code, use a waterproof marker on the labels. Not only do you prevent someone from using your towel but you don’t make the same mistake.

Never share toothbrushes

Make sure everyone has their own toothbrush and the best way to identify them is by colour-coding. You can simply buy toothbrushes in different colours. Here’s why: every time you brush your teeth, you remove plaque and particles. Sometimes you press too hard and your gums bleed. Any bacteria you have in your mouth, is deposited onto your toothbrush. It becomes contaminated. Replace your toothbrush each time after you’ve been ill because you will get infected again. Remember that germs survive a long time. The best practice is to store toothbrushes roughly 1 inch from each other. This prevents germs from spreading from one toothbrush to another.

Flush your toilet with the lid down

Flushing your toilet with the lid up is like setting of a flare. The water vapor that erupts from the flushing bowl is polluted and it takes several hours for these particles to settle. Do not store your toothbrush openly near the toilet as it gets contaminated by the particles.
Clean high-touch surfaces

Clean high-touch surfaces

A high-touch surface is something you use your hands on. The bathroom has a lot of them. These include the taps, door handles, toilet lids, bath handles and your towel rack. Any high-touch surface carries a lot of germs. Use a disinfectant spray or anti-bacterial wipes. These will kill the bathroom germs living on your surfaces. Rhinoviruses that cause cold can actually survive for up to three hours. So when you are sick, make sure you disinfect your bathroom.

Use a paper cup dispenser

A plastic or ceramic cup can spread a lot of germs. The fact is that a few people in the household probably uses the same cup. Your best defense it to keep a paper cup dispenser in the bathroom. This allows everyone to have their own cup and dispose of it when they are done. It might be a bit expensive but you stop people from infecting each other when they are sick.

Choose functional tissues

There are loads of different types on the market today and the latest is virucidial tissues. These tissues actually kill germs as soon as you use it. Blowing your nose or coughing into it can help to stop the spread of germs. These viruvidial tissues may be expensive but it depends on the manufacturer and store.

Wash your hands after you do your business

This may be second nature but people forget, especially children. You should always wash your hands after coming into contact with any body fluids such as blood, nasal secretions and vomit. This applies when you are visiting the toilet, changing diapers and of course, after you clean any area of the bathroom.

Scrub the inside of the toilet bowl

The toilet bowl actually has a lot of germs. Make sure you clean it a couple times a week with products that contain bleach. The bleach actually kills the germs and also leaves your toilet clean and ready to be used.

Let the water run before you shower

Bathroom germs can grow in shower heads. It might not seem possible but as soon as you turn off the water, they become active and easily multiply. Let your shower run fully on hot water for about a minute or two. This will flush out the germs before you get in.

Scrub showers, bathtubs, and counter-tops

Bathroom germs grow in your showers, bathtubs and on your counter-tops as well These should always be cleaned to reduce the spread of viruses, fungi and bacteria. Do it at least twice a week with a disinfectant product that contains bleach. You can easily get more germs if you don’t clean your bathroom because they enter through the mouth, nose, eyes, and broken skin or just about anywhere they can. Your overall load of bacteria can increase and you may get ill with a cold, infections or viruses. This can be because you didn’t clean the bathtub, got in and touched your mouth or even get into the tub with a cut or an open wound. You’re always in danger of being infected, especially when you are already sick.

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Types of bathtubs

Bathtubs are different in characteristics. Freestanding and clawfoot types will usually have a favored position in the bathroom. Alcove, drop-in and corner tubs are nestled against the walls and integrated into the overall scheme.

3-wall alcove tub-shower combinations are the most common tub type and are designed to maximize space. The unfinished ends usually get sandwiched between an exterior wall and a handy built-in storage cabinet. A wall-mounted is a better choice than a hand-held shower.

Drop-in tubs are the tub shell only. They’re fitted inside a framed enclosure that’s finished to match bathroom cabinets or tile. An enclosure is a separate item, so budget accordingly.

Undermounts are drop-ins destined for floor-level installation. Flooring, such as tile, covers the lip of the tub.

Corner tubs are variations on the alcove and drop-in designs. Their large, squarish proportions are conducive to dual bathing.
Freestanding tubs feature a sculpted bathing bowl on a solid base or a cradle.

Clawfoot tubs are the grand version of a freestanding tub. The signature legs support tubs that are especially deep. ” Slipper” -type designs have a high back for supporting the user’s head and neck.

Bathtub features to consider

Most bathtub manufacturers offer an array of options, especially for the top-of-the-line products. The following accessories can be installed in a bathtub if the manufacturer allows it.

Jets and bubbles. This is usually found in a whirlpool tub and it comes with:

• In-line heaters that warm water as it circulates.
• Silent motor technology that reduces the sound of the jets.
• Multi-speed settings to adjust the vigor of the jets.
• Foot massage jets mounted on underwater footrests.
• Bubble-only jets providing warmed air throughout the tub.
• Micro-bubble jets that fill the tub with champagne-like effervescence.

Chromatherapy: Underwater LED lights that can change according to the colour you set.

Music: The bathtub can feature a resonant speaker panels attached to the tub that can sync to playlists you have on your computer

Digital Controls: A built-in touchpad that controls the temperature, jet direction and flow, color and music.

Materials and costs

Bathtubs are made from different materials and they are available in a wide range of styles. Prices can be anything, depending on the features you choose. For example, a standard acrylic alcove tub may go for R7000. If you add lights, heated bubbles and digital controls to a drop-in acrylic bathtub, you may even expect to pay R180 000.

Acrylic and Fiberglass: Generally, these are the least expensive options. They are easily available at home improvement centers. There is also a wide selection of colors. Prices are as low as R4 000, while it can reach as high as over R100 000.

Cast-iron: A cast-iron bathtub with an enamel finish can be available in many colors. Heavy cast-iron is a great tub to have, especially during winter because it keeps water warmer for longer periods of time. They are usually in the mid-price range but you will need a bit of muscle to transport it. Prices range from R4 000, to R12 000 and then up to R110 000.

Copper: This is probably the pinnacle of bathroom couture. Very elegant and attractive but it comes at great cost. Prices usually range from R40 000 to R50 00.

Enameled steel: These are moderately priced tubs with a well-deserved reputation for toughness, especially resistance to scratching and staining. Color choices are generally limited. As for the price range, you can pick one up from between R3500 to about R10 000. The top end models go as high as R80 000.

Stone and wood: Yes, it is possible to have one of these but they are very rare and you hardly find manufacturers that will make them. They are normally custom-made and it takes a bit of time to get it done. The tub can be carved from a block of travertine, limestone or other natural rocks. You can even get laminated walnut, pear, mahogany and other types of wood. They are only freestanding and the prices are extremyly high. If you find one of these expect to pay between R150 000 and R250 000.

Do not forget stock baths

It may be tempting to get all the features, shapes, sizes and colors but you need to remember something. Some of your favorite bathing experiences probably happened in your childhood, splashing around in an ordinary tub. These memories are absolutely prices and your kids will feel the same way.

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Bathroom history since it was documented:

The first records for the use of baths date back to about 3000 B.C. During this time, water had a strong religious value. It was seen as a purifying element for both the body and soul. It was not uncommon for people to be required to wash (“cleanse”) themselves before entering a sacred building such as a temple. Baths are recorded as part of a village or town life throughout this period. A split between steam baths in Europe and America and cold baths in Asia. Communal baths or bath-houses were built in a separate area to the housing of a village. The myth that the bath prevented evil spirits from entering the domestic housing of a community.

Not all ancient baths were in the style of the large pools that often come to mind when you imagine the sheer size of the Roman baths. The earliest surviving bathtub dates back as far as 1700 B.C and it comes from the Palace of Knossos in Crete. The tub is not only the similar to the baths of today, but the plumbing works surrounding it is also so similar to modern models.

The Greeks and the Romans recognized the value of bathing as an important part of their lifestyles. Palaces have been uncovered throughout Greece with areas that are dedicated to bathing which housed spaces with ceramic bathtubs and a sophisticated draining system.

The Roman attitudes towards bathing are well documented. They built large purpose-built thermal baths. This marked an important social development and the fact that they were also providing the public with a source of relaxation and rejuvenation. During this period there was a distinction between private and public baths. Many wealthy families had their own thermal baths in their houses. They still made use of the public baths to showing the value and importance these structures had as a public building.

During the Middle Ages, at the beginning of soap production, bathing was definitely not uncommon. After the Renaissance period, bathing declined because water was feared as a carrier of disease. During that time, sweat baths and heavy perfumes were preferred.

Throughout the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the use of public baths declined steadily in the western part of the world. Private bathing spaces were favored by most citizens and so it laid the foundations for modern bathrooms. Since the 20th century, there were almost no communal bathing facilities left. In Japan shared bathing in spas or hot springs still exists.

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