The Bathroom In Home is certainly one of the most frequented rooms in the home.  It is amazing how the ways in which bathrooms have been developed in my lifetime.

I started out with an outdoor loo complete with a Sears and Roebuck catalogue for reading material which of course had other uses as well.  For those of you who have never used an outdoor loo or felt the slick pages of a Sears and Roebuck catalogue on your body, you have really totally missed out on one of life’s extraordinary experiences.
But back to the Bathroom In Home as we have come to know it.

Many homes now have more than one of these rooms.  One of the things that I noticed when I first came to Australia was that the commode (toilet) is often in a room by itself rather than enhancing the décor of the basin, bathtub and/or shower and whatever else ends up in this most important room in the home.

What You Will Find In Bathrooms

So we now have in our bathrooms all sorts of things which can include lamps that heat, towel rails that heat, under the floor heating for the middle of the night visits, magnifying mirrors (I have no idea what they could be for!), drawers, chests of drawers and all sorts of storage places for the various bits of necessary equipment like hair dryers, razors, dental equipment, ointments, oils, deodorizers, scents, bookcase, magazine rack, medicines that for some reason end up in the Bathroom and on and on.  There seems to be no end to the imagination of a household as to what they can incorporate into the Bathroom.

Decoration Choices

Now there is also the decoration of this room which comes into play.  The color scheme is an essential decision which has to be made.  This not only is the color of the walls, but also the color of mats on the floor and in the shower which of course must be compatible with the chosen color of the towels and washcloths.  Eventually we will probably have to coordinate the color of the toothpaste and the mouthwash as well.  Oh, sorry, you already have.

Special Bathroom For Visitors

Considering that fact that we also have to have a special room designed for visitors opens up an entire other element for discussion.  I will try to cover some of these areas of consideration and vital choices for your Bathroom In Home in the following pages.

A clogged toilet can be a real nuisance.  It leaks, it smells and it definitely does not let the toilet do what it is supposed to – dispose.  Though many people feel that clearing a clogged toilet is child’s play, it can be real difficult if the clog is stubborn.  So Unclog Toilet becomes the mantra of the day.

Generally, a clogged toilet can be cleared easily by a toilet plunger.  However, the plunger may not always be able to help you clear the clog off easily.  Here’s how you can unclog your toilet in a few simple steps:

Step 1

Make sure that the toilet boil has sufficient water in it for the plunger to be able to work effectively.  The water should be able to cover the suction cup and you should be comfortable in working the handle of the plunger up and down.  If you do not see enough water in the bowl, do not make the mistake of flushing the toilet.  If you do flush, the toilet bowl will overflow and you would not be able to use the plunger at all.  Instead, just pour some water into the toilet bowl.  Pour only that much amount which allows the plunger cup to be covered in water.

Step 2

Fit the plunger cup into the toilet drain and begin the pumping action to create suction.  In most cases, whatever is blocking the drain is close to the bowl.  After only a few minutes of the plunging action, the blockage should be able to clear itself out.  If only after a few minutes of the plunging, the debris and other material which was blocking the drain, is able to break free, you can use a wire to clear it out from the bowl.  If you have a toilet auger, this will be the best instrument to clear off the blockage.

Step 3

In case the blockage in the drain is further back up, you may need to put in some extra effort.  While the suction action produced by the plunger is definitely an excellent way to break the blockage free, you may need an auger with a long sleeve to do the trick.  An auger has a snake and hook approach to toilet cleaning.  There is a crank at the end of the auger which can be easily inserted into the toilet drain through the snake shaft.  The hook at the end of the shat allows you to hold on to the blockage which has been broken free from the drain.  Once you have broken this blockage free, you can use the hook and the crank to catch hold of it and drag it out so that it can be disposed.

It has to be noted that to use the auger efficiently, you may need to know exactly how the apparatus is used.  If you are not very comfortable using the auger, you may end up pushing the blockage even further back.  Therefore, in such a case, instead of using the auger, you can use a wire coat hanger as it would be much simpler to use.

Conclusion

When you have to Unclog Toilet the best thing is to follow the steps outlined above, or phone the plumber.

There is nothing like pampering your body with a little sea salt soak.  There is a lot of discussion about Sea Salt Health benefits and why they should be used for a relaxing and rejuvenating bath.

Cleopatra

History has told us that Cleopatra, who was known to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, used to take regular dips in the Dead Sea and that it was the salts of the sea that made her skin glow.  When she saw the effects that the minerals from the sea had on her skin, she ordered her own cosmeticians to build base around the coast of the sea.  The remains of these cosmetic centers can still be seen at Ein Gedi.

Relaxation

The truth of this legend is not clearly known, but one thing that repeated researches in cosmetic science has shown, is that sea salt baths are healthy in a lot of ways.  Not only do these salts help in maintain the sheen, youth and the glow of the skin, they also help in alleviating the symptoms of various skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema.
Apart from relieving the symptoms of such skin disorders, sea salt health entails many other things as well.  The effervescent action of the sea salt allows the muscles to become relaxed, relieving the tension from them.  You can simply soak in an invigorating bath and enjoy a rejuvenating experience.
Today, there are health centers and spas that offer sea salt soaks and baths.  However, gone are the days when such luxuries were only limited to the high end skin clinics or spas.  Today sea salts are available naturally and you can use them for a therapeutic bath.  These salts are available commercially and the exact benefits, as well as the directions for use are usually given with the manuals that are sold along with these sea salt merchandize.

Pamper Yourself

You can also get premium scented bath salts which allow you to have not only pamper your skin, but your other senses as well.  These fresh scents are usually all natural and are derived from the elements.  Some of the greatest sea salt health benefits include muscle toning, muscle relaxation, detoxification, skin tightening, and rejuvenation of skin, treating disease and bringing in subtle changes into the skin’s chemistry.  If you are planning to take a healing bath, the temperature of the water in which you put your bath salts, should not be more than 2 degree warmer than your own body.

Detoxify

If you take a soak in water which is warmer than your body, the body begins to detoxify instead of absorbing the minerals from the sea salt.  Some people also use Epsom salts and healing crystals obtained from seas and springs to maintain good health.

Soak Regularly

For a regular soak, two handfuls of salt in a tub of water, is usually ideal.  As you get used to the sensations that the effervescence of these salts cause on your body, and the aromas of the salts that calm your senses, you will experience new levels of wellness.  Enjoy Sea Salt Health often.

A sauna is perhaps the ultimate in wellness luxury.  When you look at the advertisements of people using the sauna, you feel the vibes of wellness emanating from them.  While the sauna is an excellent way to promote wellness and be healthy, not all know the right etiquettes of sauna use.

Using A Sauna

You need to understand how to use the sauna before you actually use it, especially if you are planning on visiting a public sauna.  Here’s how you should use it:

Start With A Shower

You can enjoy your sauna best when you start with a shower.  The best thing to do is to first take a shower and then enter the sauna.  This makes you sweat more if you cool yourself first and allow the sauna to perform a hot-cold combination.  If your body is already cool, it will work harder to sweat, therefore using up more energy and burning more calories.  When you finish using the sauna, take another cool shower, a quick one, to close the pores that have opened up during the time you spent inside.  Do not use any lotions before you take a shower.

Time Your Sauna

It is important to time yourself when you are in the sauna.  A useful sauna session should not be more than 15 minutes.  If you spend more time inside, you will end up dehydrating yourself and that is certainly not advisable.  If inside the sauna, you feel lightheaded or faint, leave the sauna immediately so that your body can cool itself down.  Before you begin using the sauna, ensure that you are thoroughly hydrated.  After you have finished the sauna, drink another glass of water to replenish the hydration you have lost.  If you do not do so, your electrolyte balance will be disturbed.  If you are planning to go to a dry sauna, do not drink alcohol or any other stimulants before entering the sauna.

Aromatherapy Inside A Sauna 

If you have been complaining of stress and fatigue, perhaps aromatherapy inside a sauna can help you.  If you have a private sauna, aromatherapy can be used as and when required.  However, if you are in a public sauna, where you do not have private booths, it is not advisable to use your personal products.  At your private sauna, you can use a few drops of eucalyptus or peppermint essential oils to invigorate your mind and body.  There are many other fragrances like lavender and ylang ylang, both of which are for increasing relaxation.

How Often Can You Use A Sauna?

A sauna can be used several times a week.  A trip to the sauna is excellent to improve wellness.  If you are feeling that you are coming down with the cold or the flu, a trip to the sauna can be really helpful for you.  Your regular trips may also improve your immune system and boost overall health.  The sauna is also excellent for other health conditions.  However, if you do have a chronic health condition or a disorder, consult your doctor first before you use the sauna.  If the doctor says it’s safe for you, you can use the sauna every day of the week.

Sauna Use is up to you and a wonderful thing.

A naturist sauna may be the perfect way to good health.  While most of us feel completely uninhibited to be without our clothes in our own private sauna, it is a completely different ball game when it comes to public saunas.  Naturists on the other hand believe in the raw power of being one with the nature.  While there is a striking difference between the philosophies and principles of naturists and nudists, the naturists have a ‘clothes-free’ lifestyle, which has not mainstreamed.

Philosophy

The philosophies of naturism run deep into the philosophies of health and fitness.  Naturists believe in being comfortable as nature created them, and the logic extends to a sauna experience as well.  For a more comfortable and efficient sauna experience, it is important to remove all articles of clothing.

While most people would make do with as naked as possible, naturists enjoy their sauna experience completely in the nude.  Usually when you are using a public sauna, everything really breaks down to the sauna culture promoted by the particular sauna that you are using.  For naturists, there are separate saunas that allow complete nudity.  If you want to enjoy a sauna experience without any clothes, a naturist sauna would be the ideal place for you.

Geography

In different parts of the world, you will find naturist mixed company bathing.  In various parts of Europe, Russia and South Korea, naturist saunas are rather popular.  Naturist saunas, like all others, have their own rules and proper etiquettes.  In most of these saunas, people come to relax, unwind and detoxify.  Talking, therefore, is considered rude as you may be disturbing others who have come for some peace.

Sauna Etiquette

In most cultures, it is not a good practice to bring in outside items into a naturist sauna – especially electronic items like mobile phones.  Eatables are also not encouraged inside a sauna.  As normal sauna etiquettes dictate, it is not advisable to bring in aromatherapy products in public saunas – whether a regular or a naturist one.  If you want to pour anything on the hot rocks, make sure that you have the consent of the other people around you or, in some cases, the staff of the sauna.

In most naturist saunas,  there is an additional etiquette regarding when it is right to pour water on the hot rocks.  Like any other sauna, all patrons are expected to stay in the sauna for not more than 15 minutes as staying in for longer than that may cause serious injury to you.

Accepted Rules

Each naturist sauna has its own timings and its own set of rules.  If you are not a naturist yourself, and are not familiar with the general naturist etiquette and conduct, but want to enjoy a naturist sauna nevertheless, try and ensure that you read the rules which are usually posted outside of the sauna premises, before you enter into the sauna.  This will help you be in tune with the requirements inside the sauna.  If you have not read up, it is acceptable to ask around and ensure that you are following the rules.

Applying Naturist Concepts To Sauna In Bathroom At Home

If this approach to a sauna is what you embrace then by all means consider your sauna in your bathroom a naturist sauna and enjoy it.

Your toilet is one of the most underrated parts of your home.  We all love to spruce up our home, but the toilet is almost always ignored.  The real importance of the toilet is only realized when there is something wrong with it or it stops functioning altogether.  It is then that we realize the toilet is the most important fixture in our home.  So we have to learn How To Fix A Toilet.

It may not be this complicated, but sometimes it is even necessary to dig in the back yard to unclog and fix a toilet.  It helps to have young help as in the above picture.

Toilets, in fact, are the sturdiest components of your home plumbing system.  Yet, there has never been a homeowner who has not had problems with it.  A runny toilet, a clogged toilet and a leaky tank are some of the most common problems in your toilet.  If you have problems with yours, here’s how you can sort some of them out.

Problem 1:  There Is Too Little Water to Clean the Toilet Bowl on Flushing

The first thing to do when something like this happens is to check the tank and see if the water level is alright.  If there is no water in the tank, none will come out when you flush.  Ideally, the water level should be at least 1-2 inches on top of the overflow tube.  If the water is somehow not entering the tank, you may have to hold the floating arm of the apparatus and bend it slightly till more water begins to enter into the tank.

Problem 2:  Leaky Toilet Tank

A leaky toilet tank is a definite problem because not only does it ruin the chinaware, it also leaves a mark on the floor, especially if you add cleaning chemicals in the tank.  If your toilet tank has been sweating water on the floors, the ideal way to manage this is through jackets which are specifically designed to absorb this sweat.  Another way to permanently fix this problem is to use a temperature valve.  This valve combats sweating in tanks by providing a mixture of hot and cold water into the tank.  This causes a relief in condensation.

Such a valve should only be installed if the general temperature of your toilet tank remains less that 50 Fahrenheit (10 Celsius).

Problem 3:  Cracked or Broken Toilet Seat

A cracked or broken toilet seat can be a bane, preventing you from using the toilet at all.  Fortunately, changing your toilet seat is not a very difficult task.  There are many different styles of replacement seats available commercially.  Simply pick one that suits you and start.  Be careful to select the right seat size.  There are only two standard sizes when it comes to toilet bowls, so this should not be a problem.  My favorite one is the padded seat (which is a great choice if you can’t afford a heated one).

Simply lift up the toilet seat and remove the two nuts on the hinges that hold the seat in place, on the toilet bowl.  Once you have removed the nuts, you can just lift the seat off. If the nuts are rusted, or they are corroded and are not coming off easily, you can use some oil to loosen them up.  Once the old seat is removed, place the new seat on the toilet and screw the nuts in place.

Now that you know How To Fix A Toilet life becomes even more rosy.

Comfortable Chair

Bathrooms are an important but often neglected part of the house.  A washbasin, a bathtub, faucets, a septic tank and a few bathroom accessories might be good enough for some people, but there are others who take good care of their Bathroom Needs and ensure that the standards are matched with the rest of the house.

A lot of people feel that the bathroom is the right place to have some me time.  Whenever you are in stress or are feeling a little emotional, the first thing you may think of is to run into the bathroom and lock yourself in.  If that is how you find your solace, you definitely do not want to sit in a wet tub just to have some alone time.  Though some people do that too, but if you are not too keen on spending a large chunk of your earnings on water bills, perhaps it is time for you to invest some money into sprucing up your bathroom and making it the kind of place that you would want to spend some time.

Here are some things that nobody really thinks about, but which could truly make your bathroom an extremely comfortable place to be in.
If you have a small bathroom which cannot accommodate a plush chair without getting it all dirty and wet, it is best to get a stool.  You can also get a comfortable shower seat installed in your bathroom for the next time you want to be alone with a captivating book in your hands.

Storage

Storage is extremely important when it comes to your bathroom.  There are some things without which your bath routine would be incomplete.  If you are one of the many who enjoy scented candles and sea salts in their bath, you need to have some space to keep these for ready use.  Other things that you may want to keep in your bathroom include magazines, books, personal toiletries, a manicure or a pedicure set, styling gels and maybe a few items of clothing.

Bathroom Scales

Keep a set of scales in your bathroom.  Even if you are not a fitness buff, knowing how much you weigh can be a real good thing.  Your bathroom is the only place in the world where you can weigh yourself without someone trying to take a quick peek in.  Whether you are worried about your weight or not, keeping a tab is important.

Personality

Your bathroom does not need to be dull.  You could have a pristine looking white colored bathroom with glimmering tiles from floor to roof.  There are many who would love to have a bathroom with some personality.  There is no harm in having a good looking bathroom which is as clean as it is inviting.  A small rug and a few pictures of anything at all, can give your bathroom its own personality.  You could also add a wall clock if you think you may get lost enjoying your ‘me’ time.

Your bathroom needs your imagination and wonderful taste to make it the success you deserve.

Endless

Bathroom Fixtures now are part of a fast growing and diverse industry.  No longer do we think of a bathroom having a sink, mirror, shower and toilet which are really what used to be not only the basic requirements but also the only things that were really even considered.

Bare Necessities

However, today these bare necessities are not only taken for granted they form only the bare skeleton of what one, according to my wife, must have in order to make the bathroom a useful and productive part of the home.

If you have access to a TV in your bathroom this could certainly enhance your experiences while there.  You also certainly would have to have wireless internet connection so that you can continue your blogging addiction.

Where to Begin

The question which arises when considering what Bathroom Fixtures to have is where to begin.  There are almost endless things that can be incorporated into your bathroom now without anyone thinking you have stepped over the line of reasonable sanity.

Certainly you must have his and hers basins.  Can you imagine brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth in a community basin?  Surely it is an essential commodity to have your very own.

Mirrors?

Then of course the old fashioned mirror over the basin not only gets fogged up but is truly never properly lit and mostly useless.  So one must have a mirror which not only is capable of magnifying the blemishes that are being attacked but also one that has a light in some way built in so that the blemishes are not only larger than life but also brighter.

While on mirrors there must in any decent bathroom be a series of mirrors that allow you to see yourself from any and every angle, back and front and simultaneously.  Otherwise, how in the world is it possible to perfect one’s visit to the bathroom.

Vanities (Storage Units?)

Included in Bathroom Fixtures nowadays must include a fairly comprehensive storage unit or units.  We tend to call them vanities which certainly sounds much more sophisticated and modern.  If you are sharing your bathroom with your partner then there will obviously be endless

• ointments,
• lotions,
• creams,
• oils,
• shaving equipment carefully stored in his and hers areas,
• clippers for toenails, fingernails, moustache, beards and whatever else it is possible to clip, and
• of course there must be hair clippers with the attachments numbered from one to ten.

Hair Dryer

After applying four to the head and three to the beard and then showering to make sure the loose hairs disappear it is necessary to have the proper hair dryer.  There is no such thing as a hair dryer that will work for both sexes, so there will be at least two available with every speed from barely to hurricane and every temperature from fresh and cool to bushfire force.

Bathroom Fixtures have truly become endless in possibilities and varieties.

Do you remember the days when the idea of a Sauna in the home was unheard of?

Torture

I well remember when if you talked about a Sauna you were referring to that particular form of torture that existed only in fancy gyms or in those exclusive clubs which no one you knew had ever been in, or at least they certainly didn’t admit it.

Nowadays however if your bathroom is not equipped with a Sauna then you really are among the deprived and run the risk of being considered old fashioned, not with it, from another era or all of the above.

Choices

There is such a variety of choices when it comes to saunas these days.  You could be uncool and have one attached to or in the bathroom which caters for two or at the absolute limit four people at a time.  The purpose of this would be for health and cleanliness, not for show or keeping up with the Joneses.

But if you really want to enter into the 21^st century you would have a unit in which you could easily have a party with adequate access to your bathroom, which of course has at least a dual shower as well as all the other essential ingredients for today’s living.

Health and Sweat

In this way you can demonstrate how health conscious you are as a family.  Not only do you eat together you now sweat together as well.  Of course, all this heat and sweat is very good for you.  It opens your pores and lets all the dirt flow out freely.  You have to be careful not to scratch because the dirt will end up under your fingernails.

So you sweat to be cleaner than just a shower will accommodate, you lose weight in this liquid form and provided you don’t rush to the refrigerator for a lager after you finish, you might be a pound lighter for a while.  You heart rate will go up and down with the heat thereby giving your heart muscle the needed exercise as long as you don’t overdo it and give yourself a seizure.

The Now Generation

So with your bathroom equipped with your healthy social Sauna you are ready to be a part of the now generation and live happily and healthily ever after.

Sea Salt is used in cooking and in cosmetics.  For our purposes we will stick to the cosmetic uses.  It is produced by the evaporation of seawater.  In some climates this can be accomplished entirely by solar energy.  But, if the climate is not hot enough then fuel must be used.  So the production of Sea Salt is now an industry of the Mediterranean and other warm and dry climates almost entirely.

Bath Salts

Bath salts contain Sea Salt as a main ingredient.  These are usually added to the bath water and are believed to have therapeutic and healing properties.  It must come from specific locations because of the necessary mineral content as well.  These areas are mainly the Himalayas, the Dead Sea, Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA.

For cosmetic and healthy purposes there are usually additives.  These are fragrances, colors, oils, foaming agents and effervescent agents.

Believe it or not the earliest knowledge we have of different kinds of salts, their uses and how they were extracted was published in China around 2700 BC.

Reducing the Prune Look

Epsom salt is the most common bath salt.  Salts actually have a wide range of benefits to the bather.  They change the osmotic balance of the water which means your skin absorbs less water through osmosis.  This will reduce the prune look that you get when you are exposed to fresh water for a long period of time.  Magnesium sulphate, a component of bath salts, has an anti-inflammatory effect.  Some of the bath salts such as phosphates have a detergent action thereby softening your calluses and helps in exfoliation.

Flotation

High concentration of salts in water are used in flotation therapy because salt increases the specific gravity of water making it more buoyant.

Psoriasis, Dermatitis and Other Ailments

Salt from the Dead Sea is used to treat common ailments such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.

The physiological helps include helping natural circulation, relief from athlete’s foot, corns and calluses, relaxes tense and aching muscles.  It can also help relieve arthritis and rheumatism as well as chronic lower back pain.

Relaxation and Stress Relief

It can also encourage deep relaxation, relief from stress and tension and will promote restfulness.

So Sea Salt can be a very valuable and essential ingredient in your bathroom’s vanities to be used freely and comfortably.