Tag Archives: toilet

When Mommy Goes Potty, Does Baby Go Too?

I’ve decided that, if any mother claims she has never brought her baby to the bathroom with her when she pees, she’s lying. Obviously it’s not something we go around proclaiming. “My baby sits on my lap while I pee!” or, “When I’m going number 2, my son continues to sleep in the front pack. He doesn’t even seem to notice the smell. ” Still, I’m pretty confident every mother has done it at least once. During the newborn stage, especially if your baby is in some type of carrier or sling, it’s simply easier to keep them bundled in … Continue reading →

Low-Flow Toilets

Low-Flow Toilets have had a bad reputation, but today’s models are a new generation of technology, featuring high efficiency and even lower water usage. In fact, new toilets can use less than a gallon of water. Compare that with the pre-1992 models that used from three to five gallons of water per flush. Why did I choose 1992? That is because the 1992 Energy Policy Act banned the sale of 1.6 gallon toilets (that used 3-5 gallons per flush). Homeowners in general weren’t too happy with the act because early low-flow toilets were not always effective, requiring more than one … Continue reading →

The Down and Dirty on Toilet Cleaners

Ready to potty, uh party? We are going to get down and dirty with toilet cleaners, talking about what is in them, how they clean and what your options are in selecting the right cleaners. There are so many different types of brands of toilet cleaners out there in the world. Some are brightly packaged with all sorts of guarantees attached while others are homemade from common household items. There are powders, liquids, gels and flush dispensers that are added to, or attached, to the tank. There are disposable wands with or without cleaner and even wands that spray cleaner … Continue reading →

Would You Be This Frugal?

Every once in a while I come across stories of such extreme frugality that I often wonder if the line has been crossed from being frugal to being miserly (in a bad sense.) Some of these stories are in the news, while others come to me through e-mail, private messages and blog comments. Some stories come to me via “a friend of a friend.” I’m not going to make any judgments, of course. Frugal people need to stick together. And what is extreme to one person may be everyday living to another. You can read these stories for yourself. You … Continue reading →

Did You Know? Fighting Germs

When it comes to fighting germs in the home, there is a lot of information available. There are also a lot of old wives’ tales. For example, while doorknobs do get germy, did you know that the inner doorknob of the bathroom is usually one of the cleanest? That might sound strange, but considering that most people wash their hands right after using the toilet, their hands should be clean when opening the door. So, if it’s not doorknobs or handles that are the ickiest, which handles would be? The handle used to flush and the sink faucet handles, since … Continue reading →

Let’s Talk Toilets

Did you know that the world’s most expensive toilet is located in China? And, did you know that it has become one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions? More than 750,000 people (some who stand in line for more than two hours) have come to see the $602,000 toilet since it opened nearly two years ago. While it may not be the most luxurious toilet in the world, it is considered the most artistic. The inside of the man-made cave that houses the toilet is decorated like a grotto, with canes hanging on the ceiling, stalactite-like water faucets over … Continue reading →

La Toilette: A Tasteful and Polite Historical Study

A Rococo masterpiece depicting the nude goddess, Venus, and her entourage of adoring cupids may define one kind of toilette, but, alas, I speak of yet another. “To go the bathroom” hardly implies a viewing of wallpaper or the inspection of towels, and yet we all say it and know exactly what we mean. Even toilet water is referred to as “eau de toilette” by the makers of expensive perfume, who assume no one can translate from the French. The chamber pot, privy, head, latrine, commode, loo, privy, john, earth closet and/or water closet (as opposed to cooler) have all … Continue reading →

Potty Training: Is Your Child Ready?

You might be interested to learn that the average age of potty learning is 30 months with normal ranges between 18 – 60 months of age. Boys, on average, train two months later than their female counterparts. Is it surprising, then, to find out that children are physiologically ready to potty train at the age of 18 months old? So what’s the delay? Namely, disposable diapers offer us the convenience of laziness! Fifty years ago when disposable diapers were not an option, parents were highly motivated to get their children out of cloth diapers to lessen their own work loads. … Continue reading →