A sink is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture for washing hands, dishwashing, and other purposes. Sinks have a tap (faucet) that supply hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for faster rinsing. They also include a drain to remove used water; this drain may itself include a strainer and/or shut-off device and an overflow-prevention device. Sinks may also have an integrated soap dispenser. Many sinks, especially in kitchens, are installed adjacent to or inside a counter.
A bathroom, restroom or washroom is a room, typically in a home or other residential building, that contains either a bathtub or a shower. The inclusion of a sink is common. In parts of the world e.g. India, a toilet is typically included in the bathroom; in others, the toilet is typically given a dedicated room separate from the one allocated for personal hygiene activities. In the United States and Canada, the word "bathroom" is often used to refer to any room that contains a toilet, regardless of the inclusion of a bath or shower.
Sentō (銭湯) is a type of Japanese communal bathhouse where customers pay for entrance. Traditionally these bathhouses have been quite utilitarian, with a tall barrier separating the sexes within one large room, a minimum of lined-up faucets on both sides, and a single large bath for the already washed bathers to sit in among others. Since the second half of the 20th century, these communal bathhouses have been decreasing in numbers as more and more Japanese residences now have baths. Some Japanese find social importance in going to public baths, out of the theory that physical proximity/intimacy brings emotional intimacy, which is termed skinship in pseudo-English Japanese. Others go to a sentō because they live in a small housing facility without a private bath or to enjoy bathing in a spacious room and to relax in saunas or jet baths that often accompany new or renovated sentōs.
A shower is a place in which a person bathes under a spray of typically warm or hot water. Indoors, there is a drain in the floor. Most showers have temperature, spray pressure and adjustable showerhead nozzle. The simplest showers have a swivelling nozzle aiming down on the user, while more complex showers have a showerhead connected to a hose that has a mounting bracket. This allows the showerer to hold the showerhead by hand to spray the water onto different parts of their body. A shower can be installed in a small shower stall or bathtub with a plastic shower curtain or door. Showering is common due to the efficiency of using it compared with a bathtub. Its use in hygiene is, therefore, common practice.
Bathing is the act of washing the body, usually with water, or the immersion of the body in water. It may be for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes. By analogy, especially as a recreational activity, the term is also applied to sun bathing and sea bathing.
Jacuzzi is an American private company that manufactures and markets hot tubs, pools, and other bath products. It is best known for the Jacuzzi hydrotherapy products. The company is headquartered in Irvine, California. It is the largest hot tub manufacturer in Europe with eight factories, the largest being in Italy.
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other criteria.
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are especially widespread in Europe and Japan. Day spas and medspas are also quite popular, and offer various personal care treatments.
A hot tub is a large tub full of water used for hydrotherapy, relaxation or pleasure. Some have powerful jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are sometimes also known as "spas" or by the trade name Jacuzzi. Hot tubs may be located outdoors or indoors.
A bubble bath is a filled bathtub with a layer of soap bubbles on the surface of the water. Less commonly, aerated or carbonated baths are called bubble baths.
Placide Poulin is a Canadian businessman. He was the founder of MAAX Inc., a company producing bathroom products, kitchen cabinets and outdoor spas. An influential man in the Beauce, Poulin is a member of the Parti libéral du Québec.
A pig scalder is a tool that is used to soften the skin of a pig after it has been killed, to remove the hair from its skin. Because people rarely slaughter and process their own pigs any more, pig scalders are seldom used domestically.
Furo, or the more common and polite form ofuro, is a Japanese bath and/or bathroom. Specifically it is a type of bath which originated as a short, steep-sided wooden bathtub. Baths of this type are found all over Japan in houses, apartments and traditional Japanese inns (ryokan) but are now usually made out of a plastic or stainless steel.
Bathhouse Row is a collection of bathhouses, associated buildings, and gardens located at Hot Springs National Park in the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. The bathhouses were included in 1832 when the Federal Government took over four parcels of land to preserve 47 natural hot springs, their mineral waters which lack the sulphur odor of most hot springs, and their area of origin on the lower slopes of Hot Springs Mountain.
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground or built above ground, and may be found as a feature aboard ocean-liners and cruise ships. In-ground pools are most commonly constructed from materials such as concrete, natural stone, metal, plastic, composite or fiberglass, and can be of a custom size and shape or built to a standardized size, the largest of which is the Olympic-size swimming pool.
Bathtub refinishing is a process of restoring the surface of a bathtub to improve its appearance and durability. It involves applying a new coating or finish on the existing bathtub surface, which can be made of materials such as porcelain, fiberglass, acrylic, or enamel.
Accessible bathtubs are bathtubs that can be used by people with limited mobility, disabilities, and the elderly. A bathtub can be made accessible for some people by the addition of grab bars or hand grips, or through the use of lifts that lower and raise the bather in the water. Other bathtubs have been specially designed for accessibility. These may include walk-in bathtubs, tubs with built-in transfer benches, or, more recently, tubs with raised beds and sliding doors to allow for a seated transfer.
Industrial porcelain enamel is the use of porcelain enamel for industrial, rather than artistic, applications. Porcelain enamel, a thin layer of ceramic or glass applied to a substrate of metal, is used to protect surfaces from chemical attack and physical damage, modify the structural characteristics of the substrate, and improve the appearance of the product.
Morris Benjamin Wilkins was the inventor of the heart-shaped bathtub and the champagne glass bathtub. He is credited for helping establish the Pocono Mountains in northeast Pennsylvania as the "honeymoon capital of the world."
Max Takes a Bath, also known by the title By the Doctor's Orders, is a French silent film directed by Lucien Nonguet and produced by the Pathé Frères company in 1910. This approximately seven minute long film was released in France and marks the beginnings of many trends that would become increasingly popular for cinema, such as the optical effect of the vertical vantage point. It also illustrates the start of Max Linder's popularity. Max Linder is one of the earliest, widely recognized and popular French film stars. Additionally, Linder was the first actor whose name could be used for advertisements which helped launch the success of what would become one of the most popular film genres of all time; the comedy.
