Fun Facts about Toilets

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Can you imagine life without toilet paper? Just thinking about it makes you feel nervous, right? Some people find talking about toilets quite disgusting, but there are actually many interesting facts about them. Here are some:

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What did people use before toilet paper was invented?
Well, what you used for your personal bathroom needs before the invention of toilet paper depended to some degree on your social status and your geographical location.

If you were wealthy, then you might use wool, or a soft – and washable – rag. The Ancient Romans used sponges on sticks and then soaked in water.

If you were not so well off, then the most common thing to do was simply to grab a fistful of grass, leaves or straw to do what needed to be done.

In some parts of the world, going to the toilet always meant just going to the nearest river or stream and letting the current carry the waste away. Any wiping was done just by hand. That is why in India and some parts of the Middle East it is considered offensive to eat or pass food at table with your left hand – because that’s the one that you would use in the river.

In many European countries today, the use of toilet paper is considered dirty and unhygienic. In these countries the most common practice is a thorough, soapy wash and rinse afterwards using a ‘bidet.’ This is a sort of low basin with hot water tap and soap that you sit on and is usually placed next to the toilet for convenience. Source: Owlcation

Are toilets really dirty?
Contrary to popular belief, the toilet seat is the cleanest part in the bathroom since most people take great care to ensure its clean before sitting on it, according to University of Arizona microbiologist Charles Gerba. The bathroom door handle is also a less germ-infested part, since bacteria cannot thrive on cold, dry surfaces for long. Source: MSN

How do most people put the toilet paper on the holder?
Over $100,000 US dollars was spent on a study to determine whether most people put their toilet paper on the holder with the flap in front or behind. The conclusion: three out of four people have the flap in the front. Source: PlayBuzz

Are you surprised about some of the facts above? If you enjoyed this, then you should check out other articles here on our blog. We also offer the latest toilets available on the market – browse our website for options!

 

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Perfect Bath
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Calgary, Alberta
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U.S. Department of Labor Cites Florida Landscaping Company After Employee Suffers Fatal Heat-Related Injury

February 28, 2019       U.S. Department of Labor Cites Florida Landscaping Company After Employee Suffers Fatal Heat-Related Injury

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Shower vs. Bathtub

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Contemplating whether you should put a bathtub or a shower in your bathroom? Here are some factors to consider:

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Who will use the bathroom?
Think of either the people in your household or your potential buyers. Young, busy couples tend to prefer walk-in showers over tubs. The same is true for many elderly and disabled individuals because walk-ins are easy to get into and out of; however, these homeowners tend to prefer a place to sit and railings for safety and ease. Although, it would be difficult for parents of babies and toddlers to manage bath time in a shower.

If you are looking to age-in-place, a shower is a good investment. If you are planning to start a family, make sure you have at least one tub.

Baths in a master suite are usually only used by adults. If you plan to keep or install a master bathtub, consider deep, stand-alone models. These provide a luxurious option for those who like to soak in comfort. There are models for every aesthetic, easily incorporated into modern, rustic and antique designs. You can even look for varieties with jets or internal heaters that help keep the water warm. Source: TheSpruce

Which is more environmentally friendly?
Showers beat baths from an environment standpoint so long as you aren’t taking a very long shower, Grist reported earlier this year.

The best way to conserve water is to use a water-saving shower head, which uses no more than two gallons of water per minute. A 10-minute shower will put you at only 20 gallons on average to get clean through this method.

The average bath uses 36 gallons to fill a tub, while the average shower (without the water-saving device) uses five gallons of water per minute, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

You can make it snappy and rinse off between five and seven minutes with a regular shower head, or go a bit longer with a water-reducing nozzle instead. Source: HuffPost

Does the bathroom have enough space?
Space is at a premium in the average bathroom, which often measures just 5 by 8. While a standard tub measures 30 inches wide, it can be as long as 72 inches, according to This Old House, while stand-alone showers range from 36 by 36 inches to 36 by 48. This smaller footprint allows a shower to fit much more readily in a small bathroom than a tub, freeing up space for other features. Eliminating the tub in favor of the shower also allows homeowners to incorporate a larger, spa-like shower rather than the standard enclosure, while still utilizing less space than the average bathtub. Source: HomeGuides.SFGate

If at this point you’re still undecided on which to get, we can help you pick what works best for your bathroom. Call us today!

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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U.S. Department of Labor and Lee Lewis Construction Partner to Enhance Workplace Safety and Health at Lubbock Construction Project

February 26, 2019

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U.S. Department of Labor and Lee Lewis Construction Partner to Enhance Workplace Safety and Health at Lubbock Construction Project

February 26, 2019

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U.S. Department of Labor Cites Canned Food Company in Texas After Employee Suffers Amputation

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3 Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

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Don’t let hypertension defeat you. Manage this condition by consistently following these important tips:

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Regular exercise
Exercise is one of the best things you can do to lower high blood pressure.

Regular exercise helps make your heart stronger and more efficient at pumping blood, which lowers the pressure in your arteries.

In fact, 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as running, per week can help lower blood pressure and improve your heart health.

What’s more, doing even more exercise reduces your blood pressure even further, according to the National Walkers’ Health Study.

Bottom Line: Walking just 30 minutes a day can help lower your blood pressure. More exercise helps reduce it even further. Source: MedicalNewsToday

Reduce salt intake
We need sodium to live, but too much salt leads the body to hold on to more fluids and that causes volume changes inside blood vessels. Over time, blood pressure rises.

“The problem is, salt is everywhere,” Haythe noted.

“It’s not just the salt that you add with the shaker,” Blankstein added. “Most of the sodium we get in our diet is found in various processed foods — things like canned soups, chips, cold cuts, pickles and even bread.”

He recommended consuming less than 2 grams (2,000 mg) of salt — or less than one teaspoon — a day for people who are trying to lower their blood pressure. That can be very effective, he said. Source: Today

Relax in a sauna
Studying more than 1,600 middle-aged men in Finland, researchers found that those who took sauna baths four to seven times a week cut their risk of high blood pressure by nearly half, compared to once-a-week sauna bathers.

“Sauna bathing may decrease systemic blood pressure through different biological mechanisms,” said study researcher Jari Laukkanen, a professor at the University of Eastern Finland, and colleagues.

In the sauna, your body temperature rises, widening the blood vessels. Over time, this appears to improve the function of the inside layer of blood vessels, the researchers explained. Sauna baths also remove fluid from the body through sweating, and relax the body and mind, the researchers added. Source: WebMD

You have many options to choose from when it comes to lowering your blood pressure. But out of all your options, nothing beats the ease of relaxing in a sauna. If you don’t have a sauna yet, today is the best time to get one. Give us a call!

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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February 25, 2019

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February 20, 2019

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February 19, 2019

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February 19, 2019

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Growing The Earliest Blooms: The Challenge Continues

In my quest to extend the gardening season by growing very early and very late blooming plants, I have begun growing “spring”-blooming* witch hazels. In 2017 I planted ‘Ripe Corn,’ ‘Orange Encore,’ and ‘Birgit’–all Hamamelis x intermedia (hybrids of H. japonica crossed with H. mollis). Only ‘Birgit’ is alive; the other two were eaten during the winter. Last year I planted ‘Pallida,’ ‘Diane,’ and H. vernalis. The vernal witch hazel, as H. vernalis is called, is native to southeastern United States and hardy to USDA Zone 4b. It opened a few blossoms in the most recent thaw.

The vernal witch hazel takes the prize for the earliest bloom.

I concede the shrub didn’t open more than two or three flowers before the next cold wave barreled through. It was a small but potent victory, nonetheless. The vernal witch hazel was in a substantial #3 pot, but ‘Diane’ and ‘Pallida’ were both mere one year old cuttings, so I’m surprised to see ‘Diane’ has flower buds, all five of them. (I’ll post pictures on Instagram and Facebook as soon as it blooms!)

A few snowdrops (Galanthus spp.)were sighted in the Herb Garden and the wettest part of the Secret Garden.

You may recall that the Herb Garden is the warmest microclimate in my garden. And there is a spot in the Secret Garden that perpetually seeps water. As a result the soil thaws there sooner and that’s why those snowdrops are emerging earlier than their neighbors. Consulting my image archives, I know that I’ve had snowdrops blooming by the end of February in a few years. But they have also often been buried in snow again in March. Looking at the current ten-day weather forecast, I don’t expect to see February snowdrop blossoms this year.

I have long admonished my readers to plant where the snow melts first, in this case, over the septic tank.

This past autumn I followed my own advice and planted a combination of two mixtures from Colorblends: Woodland Blend and Aladdin’s Carpet on the downhill side of this septic tank access.

Several grape hyacinths from the mixes are poking up, along with a few other bulbs I couldn’t quite identify.

The soil is poor here and the grass grows slowly, so I don’t think it will need to be mowed before the foliage has died down. And yes, sooner or later something will go wrong with the septic system and it will need to be dug up, quite possibly where the bulbs are planted. I’m just betting it will be later, and I will have many years to enjoy these early spring bloomers.

Meanwhile, inside the house . . .

A trial plant from Proven Winners, this Rockin’ Fuchsia salvia cutting bloomed under the lights in my basement.

Taking cuttings was one of the challenges I gave myself going into this winter. I really was not expecting the cuttings to bloom. I’m probably supposed to pinch the flowers out, but I didn’t.

Hyacinth forcing is meeting with mixed success.

All the above bulbs were started at the same time, and look at the difference in root growth! I’m hoping the bulbs without roots are just a different, more pokey variety and not dead in the water. I still have a few more bulbs in the fridge. It seems like forcing them in soil might work better, but then you miss the fun of seeing the roots develop. However, when the roots don’t develop and the bulbs rot it’s no fun at all.

These two did well, and each bulb had two flowers!

All of these hyacinths were from the Etouffee mix from Colorblends so I don’t know the variety names of the (hopefully) four colors.

During our last thaw, I cut some forsythia branches.

A week later, they are blooming.

That worked well! Maybe next I will try forcing some flowering quince. My friend Christine Froelich published an excellent how-to post on forcing branches for winter bloom. It reminded me of some of the little tips and tricks (like cutting the branches down to size outside) that make the whole process go more smoothly.

Challenging myself to learn more about plants by trying new techniques and by researching and growing unfamiliar plants helps me grow as a gardener–and as a person. I try not to get discouraged about the failures because even they teach me something. For example, the ‘Diane’ and ‘Pallida’ witch hazels are caged so they don’t meet the same fate as ‘Ripe Corn’ and ‘Orange Encore.’ It’s all about being a hardy soul and not letting winter get the best of me. What cabin-fever-fighting tricks do you have in your arsenal?

*About those “spring”-blooming witch hazels: They are spring-blooming only to distinguish them from the fall-blooming Hamamelis virginiana. Most people would call them winter-blooming, but that would confuse us cold climate gardeners. Mud-season-blooming is closer to the mark.

Inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year,” Carol of May Dreams Gardens started Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers from all over the world publish what is currently blooming in their gardens. Check it out at May Dreams Gardens.

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U.S. Department of Labor and Dimeo Construction Partner to Promote Workplace Safety During North Kingstown Construction Project

February 14, 2019

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February 13, 2019

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February 13, 2019

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U.S. Department of Labor Issues $265,196 in Penalties to Florida Roofing Contractor for Repeatedly Exposing Employees to Fall Hazards

February 13, 2019

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February 13, 2019 Contact: Office of Communications Phone: 202-693-1999

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February 12, 2019 Contact:  Office of Communications Phone: 202-693-1999

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4 Benefits of Sweating

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Sweating a lot during an infrared sauna session is undeniably relaxing. But there’s actually more to it than that. Learn more about some of the reasons why having a good sweat is important as you read below:

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Detoxification
If there’s one thing that sweating is good for, it’s detoxification. Beyond juicing and other fad-type cleanses and diets, sweating is the number one most efficient way to eliminate toxins from your body.

Sweating flushes a wide range of potential pollutants from your body, including alcohol, cholesterol and certain types of salt. It also banishes many other chemicals and compounds which can otherwise accumulate inside you and create all sorts of trouble. Sweat is the conduit by which these nasties are expunged from the body. Source: TheAlternativeDaily

Eliminate zits
“When you sweat, your pores open and release the grit and grime that has built up inside of them,” says Whitney Bowe, MD, a dermatologist in Briarcliff Manor, New York. Caveat: Don’t just sweat and go. All of that dirt from your pores accumulates on the surface of your skin, so aim to wash your face three times a day, especially if you are constantly playing sports or working out. Source: FitnessMagazine

Protect kidneys
Sweating limits the accumulation of salt and calcium in the kidneys and urine, which can reduce the risk of kidney stones. In addition, more sweating increases thirst, which may lead to greater water consumption. The more water goes in, the less likely it is that kidney stones will form. Source: Fix

Antibacterial properties
Dermcidin is an antimicrobial peptide with a broad spectrum of activity that is expressed in eccrine sweat glands and secreted into sweat. In the average healthy person, research shows that sweating leads to a reduction of viable bacteria on your skin surface, which may lower your risk of skin infections.

In fact, one study suggested that people with atopic dermatitis, who have recurrent bacterial or viral skin infections, may be lacking dermcidin in their sweat, which may impair the innate defense system in human skin. Source: Fitness.Mercola

Having your very own sauna at home means unlimited time for relaxing and detoxification. You can even invite your friends over for a spa day. If you don’t have a sauna yet, feel free to call us today for more information!

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641

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U.S. Department of Labor Orders Vermont Company to Compensate Employee Fired for Reporting Finance Industry Violations

February 6, 2019 U.S. Department of Labor Orders Vermont Company to Compensate Employee Fired for Reporting Finance Industry Violations

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February 6, 2019 U.S. Department of Labor Cites Guam Building Materials Distributor For Struck-By Hazards

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February 4, 2019 Contact: Office of Communications Phone: 202-693-1999

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