The Best Five Toilets in the United States

Analysis by Trace Dominguez 

From: http://news.discovery.com/

When you go to the restroom to take care of business, you might not be thinking about the room itself, unless it's bad. Well lucky for you, there are people who care about restrooms. Like many rooms, the comfort of a restroom is in the details, this years top water closets offer toilets for toddlers, and color coded water.
BLOG: 'Toylet' Turns Bathroom into an Arcade

1. Field Museum Chicago
This year's top restroom is located in the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago museum's restroom ceiling has a night sky decor that is said to be, "soothing" and as an added bonus it absorbs sound. The restrooms have 3,500 visitors per day and are cleaned every hour. They offer nursing rooms with their own sink and sofa and family restrooms with toddler-sized toilets . Picture at top

2. Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
The second best place to answer the call of nature in 2011, is in Arlington, Virginia at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel. This toilet is very different from the one in the Windy City. Created by an architect and interior designer the restroom plays with light and special effects to secure second place. The restroom features, "walls ablaze with sunset tones of orange and gold and the mirrors above feature lit bird silhouettes," says BestRestroom.com. The cleverest feature are the faucets. They're no-touch automatic, and light the water red or blue to indicate hot or cold water.

BLOG: Who Invented the Toilet?
3. Scottsdale Center for Performing Art
Third is a restroom in Scottsdale, Arizona and the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts. "The loo is sleek and modern with terrazzo flooring, glass-tiled walls and spacious, stainless steel stalls," says BestRestroom. As with the Virginian lavatory, this one has an intricate lighting system continuously shifting the colors of the space from, "cool blues and greens to warm golds and reds."

WATCH VIDEO: What happens to the stuff you flush? Visit a new, high-tech wastewater treatment plant to get the answer.

In fourth and fifth places are Don's Johns luxury washroom trailer and a pot in Huntsville, Utah at the Snowbasin Ski Resort. The luxury trailer is a fully mobile commode, commissioned for the 2009 inauguration ceremony of President Barack Obama. It contains hardwood floors, recessed lighting and an HDTV! It's quite the porta-potty. Though, not one to be outdone by other powder rooms, Snowbasin's water closet's feature, "Italian Carrera marble, Barovier, Tosso & Moscatelli chandeliers crafted from bronze and crystal, floor-to-ceiling commodes, beautifully inlaid African Anegre wood and hand-painted walls," according to BestRestroom.com.

Cintas, sponsors America’s Best Restroom, holds this contest annually. Each year, restrooms are nominated and voted upon online. Any public restroom is eligible. Once nominees are reviewed, a committee announces the ten finalists and online voting begins. The winners are announced in September at which time they are presented with, "the coveted America's Best Restroom plaque of recognition," according to Cintas. Photos & Content: AFP, Cintas' BestRestroom.com

Crazy bathroom art!

From: http://imgur.com/

Every urinal should have one of these ---- GOAL!!!

What do you do when you just won the NBA Championship - Take a Piss Ofcourse

Just Taking A Piss

No need to bother putting the NBA Championship trophy down. You’d think that when your’re worth $2.5 billion you could at least have someone hold it for you for just a sec. I guess if you’re Mark Cuban you can do whatever the hell you want. I know if I were in his shoes I’d be doing the same thing…but I’d buy some better shoes.

I guess when you’re drinking from an $80,000 bottle of champagne you’ve gotta go when you gotta go.

Just A $5,000 Sip

When you’ve just won the 2011 NBA Championship and got selected at the MVP, I guess it’s okay to chug from an $80,000 bottle of champagne. He’s got his boss, Mark Cuban to thank for that. Congratulations Dirk.

Love doesn't mean sharing everything: Head off conflict by embracing the separate bathroom

By Lapraya McCoy

From: http://articles.dailypress.com/

Joshua and Khalilah Davis had lived in their Hampton home for three months, when one of them packed up their toiletries in the master bath and moved down the hall.

"He may have been in the bathroom and I had to use it, and I couldn't hold it so I went to the bathroom down the hall," Khalilah says. "That's kind of how it started."

Like other Peninsula couples, the Davises share one less room in their home — the bathroom — allowing each other space and avoiding havoc in the morning.

"The bathroom in the bedroom isn't that big" Joshua says "and there is not enough space for both of us to be in there at the same time, so we started using separate ones."

The Davises have lived in their home for three years now with their 1-year-old son, Caleb, and their Yorkshire Terrier, Huggy. Originally the couple shared the master bath without any problems. It was not until they had to get ready for work at the same time that they realized the true size of their master bathroom.

Some couples say they recognized in the beginning potential problems with sharing a bathroom — lack of storage space, shorter shower times, and differences in cleaning habits — and avoided it all together. Other couples with small children find that they have an extra bathroom in their possession, since their children are too young to occupy one on their own. In many cases this arrangement is not planned nor discussed, but couples agree with the Davises when they say that taking advantage of the extra space just makes sense.

"I have a lot of products and like to spend time in the bathroom, and if I shared a bathroom, then I would have to cut my time short," Khalilah says.

It's impossible to know how widespread the arrangement has become. But even bedroom sharing is on the decline. According to a 2005 survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, one in four American couples sleeps in separate beds or bedrooms. While it has not been proven that a separate loo is the key to a long lasting marriage, Linda Lytton says she doesn't know of many couples who wouldn't have their own bathroom if given the chance.

She and her husband Dan, often get ready for events in separate bathrooms in their new Smithfield home.

"Did we almost divorce over using the same bath? No! We made it work," says Lytton, who shared a bathroom with her husband in the earlier part of their marriage.

For the married couple of 37 years, using separate bathrooms helps for efficiency. But as a marriage counselor with her own private practice in Smithfield, Lytton says she knows all too well that some couples have different morning styles — one is a chatty Kathy and the other is a mute — and for those couples, separate bathrooms are ideal.

"Separate space quite often lets partners see better sides of each other," she says. Her newly married son, Seth, recently spoke with her about this. She remembers him saying to her, "Honestly mom, she (his wife) doesn't wanna talk until 10 o'clock." Lytton told her son not to take it personally. If you have different morning styles, she says, allowing each other space is a great solution.

"When couples come together they think they have to share everything," says Anne Aja (prounounced Asia), a licensed marriage and family therapist at Rock Landing Psychological Group in Newport News. "That's not good for a marriage."

In an effort for Aja and her husband, Daniel Kauffman, to respect each other's privacy and give each other lots of space, they haven't shared a bathroom throughout their 10 years of marriage.

Aja's colleague, Kay Allen says privacy can have a positive impact on a relationship.

"There are so many times in the long term relationship, that we see each other looking unattractive," says the licensed counselor, who has over 22 years of experience working with couples. "We have to think of ways to recharge eros, erotic love, and for some people that's not sharing the bathroom."

John Womeldorf, a Williamsburg realtor, says while he finds it very difficult to sell a home with just one bathroom, he doesn't believe it is because couples don't want to share one. He says couples generally request a home with at least three bathrooms.

"Couples want one the kids can mess up, one for them and one for guests. That's pretty common in larger home buyers," he says. "I very rarely run across a couple who won't share a bathroom."

When Joshua and Khalilah wed five years ago, they encountered few problems with sharing the bathroom in their one bedroom apartment.

"He's always been pretty good with putting the toilet seat down," Khalilah says.

The only problem the couple had — if you can even call it a problem — is that they used different toothpastes. He used Arm & Hammer Toothpaste while her brand of choice was Colgate.

"I like (having my own bathroom) because I'm able to have my own stuff and keep it the way I like it," Khalilah says.

Don't have his and her bathrooms? No worries. Follow these tips to ensure you and your spouse share a bathroom headache free:

Purchase towel hooks and avoid using towel racks. Nothing is more annoying than finding a wet towel on the floor or seeing one sloppily hung on a rack. Hooks allow the lazy showerer to just throw their towel on any kind of way (and it still looks great) and not have to fold it.

Don't fuss about the toilet seat. Period. It's not worth it. There are plenty of other petty things to argue about.

Invest in extra storage for the bathroom. Keep toiletries off of the counter and out of your spouse's way. Don't be mistaken—even though it is a bathroom—toiletries do not add to the décor.

The neat freak gets the privilege of cleaning the bathroom. If your partner does not clean the bathroom to your liking, be the bigger person and take on the responsibility. Keep in mind everyone does not have the same standards of cleanliness. Instead of arguing that the floor is not spit shine clean, just ask your partner to clean their things tidy and you handle the dirty work.

Respect the closed door policy. Rest assured it is closed for a reason. Respect your partner's space and knock rather than just barging in.

Communicate. Know each other's schedules and respect them. Make arrangements that work for both partners. For example, if you have to get ready at the same time, the early bird should take their shower first.

Take two seconds to replace the toilet paper. No matter how big of a rush you are in, make your spouse proud and replace the toilet paper.

Men: Pee And Wash In The Same Fixture!

by Lloyd Alter, Toronto

from http://www.treehugger.com/

Lenny Bruce would have had such fun with this, but this just makes so much sense, a sink built on top of a urinal! And designer Yeongwoo Kim has made it look good, too. The theoretical sequence is that you use the urinal, then wash your hands and the washwater rinses the urinal, saving water. Since of course, everybody washes their hands after peeing, right?

It makes even more sense in multiple units in mens rooms, saving both space and water. According to Yanko, it is a iF Concept Design 2010 winning entry.

The designer writes on his website:

To save water, Eco Urinal is designed to use the water that was used for washing hands to flush the urine. By this process, we don't have to use water twice after using the urinal.

Moreover, it reduces the establishment expenses by optimizing the materials. Upper space of this urinal is made with glass, and it helps to secure a clear view for users. It also promotes people to keep their sanitation because people need to wash their hands to flush the urine after use.

This in some ways makes more sense than a waterless toilet and probably saves as much water. Gray water harvesting never looked so good.

The World's 18 Strangest Bathrooms

From: http://www.popularmechanics.com

Click Here for the World's Strangest Bathrooms

Crystal Bathtub for a Whooping $790,000

by John
from http://really-weird.com/

Crystal Bathtub for a Whooping $790,000

This is incredible, a crystal bathtub for a whooping $790,000 (approx. £530,000). The bathtub is carved from a single enormous block of the purest white rock crystal, quarried in the Amazon region of Brazil. The huge tub, 2 metres in length and 55cm in height was previously shown in Milan at I Saloni in April 2010. The block was discovered in 2006 when Paolo Baldi, father of the company’s current CEO Luca Baldi, learned of the existence of this ten-ton block of flawless crystal and had it extracted and transported to Italy intact.

The one-of-a-kind bathtub will be on show at Harrods in Knightsbridge until the end of July.

This (bathtub) is the second to be made from the immense crystal block. The original was shown at Salone del Mobile in 2008 and immediately snapped up by a Russian magnate, for $858,763. Each is unique, though both were sculpted with diamond cuts and left partially rough to expose the natural beauty of the crystal. If you are thinking of snapping up this incredible tub, your pockets may have to be as deep as the quarries it is excavated from as it comes in at £530,000.

Link

The Different Types of Hand-Washers

From: http://www.thedoghousediaries.com/?p=1657

Falcon Waterfree Fixtures Wipe Out Halftime Flush at Super Bowl XLIV

By GreenerBuildings Staff

LOS ANGELES, CA — Halftime at the Super Bowl is generally marked by two events, both often characterized by excess: the entertainment program and the rush for restrooms that produces the condition known to public works departments across the country as the halftime flush.

The urinals in the men's rooms at Land Shark Stadium in Miami, the host of Super Bowl XLIV, won't be contributing to that phenomenon, says Falcon Waterfree Technologies LLC, the maker of 220 waterless urinals at the site formerly known as Dolphin Stadium.

It's the second Super Bowl challenge in Miami for Falcon. Its fixtures were in place at the stadium for Super Bowl XLI in 2007.

The company says its products are known as the "Urinal of Champions" because of their use at several major sports venues. They include Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Los Angeles' Staples Center and the University of Michigan's "Big House."

The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, host of the 96th Rose Bowl Game this past Saturday and the BCS National Championship on January 7, installed 259 Falcon waterfree urinals in 2002 and now saves 10.4 million gallons of water annually, the firm says.

Use of the fixtures at the Rose Bowl Stadium also helps avoid 187,200 pounds of CO2 emissions each year because by eliminating water, no energy is used to treat or transport it.

The waterfree urinals at Land Shark Stadium save an estimated 8.8 million gallons of water a year and avoid 158,400 pounds of CO2 emissions annually.

International sites using Falcon's urinals include the Taj Mahal and London's Heathrow Airport. The company, which is based in Los Angeles, estimates that its products have helped save 22 billion gallons of water worldwide. That's enough to fill about 4.4 million tank trucks, or 33,333 Olympic-size swimming pools or 141 billion "venti-size" coffee cups, the firm says.

Images courtesy of Falcon Waterfree Technologies LLC. Top image taken at Rose Bowl Stadium. Inset taken at Land Shark Stadium.

Breaching Men’s Room Etiquette

Gunaxin

By Brandon

As a man, there are some rules that are simple, finite, and unquestionable. Many of us men work in an office building with public restrooms. As a result, we stumble upon men’s room faux pas on a weekly basis. They irritate us more and more every time. Some men don’t seem to understand these social constructs. We’re willing to bet that every man who reads this can relate to at least one of these. Most events occur at the urinal because apparently a lack of walls equals a lack of personal space.

CHATTY KATHY

There is no reason to speak to another man within the confines of the men’s room. The sole exception is at the sinks. Even then, the conversation should be limited one or two words per person. We’re not women, don’t pretend to be one.

When at the urinal, you face straight ahead and nothing short of a nuclear attack should break your focus. You also cease all conversation. No one wants to talk to you when you have your dick in your hand. Most men have once walked into the men’s room with a co-worker (purely coincidental) and he tried to continue the conversation once inside. It is up to you to put an abrupt halt to that dialogue with a stern “DUDE!”. He might still not get it. He’s a moron.

Also, speaking to a man in another stall should be punishable by law. Check your TP supply upon entering. No excuses.

No cell phone use either. Let it go to voice mail, call the person back. Please don’t hold a conference call while another man is pinching a loaf. Ugh.

THE SUPERMAN

This guy is so damned irritating. He will stand at the urinal, both hands on his hips and taking a leak like it’s some kind of GD magic trick. Do yourself a favor, do the next person to use that urinal a favor, do the cleaning lady a favor, AIM YOUR SHIT! The puffed out chest that can accompany this pose is either a method of aiming or he’s just trying to show off. This guy is an ass.

THE WALL LEANER

This special brand of jackass finds it necessary to turn the area into his own private lounge. He’ll usually sigh audibly to announce his presence, find a urinal next to the wall, and flop against said wall like a bear teetering on hibernation. He’ll take his leak at an angle, tempting fate and physics the entire time. Hey asshole, need a rest? Use the stall.

THE PECKER PEEKER

This closet case will peer over at your junk while standing next to you at Urinal Row. This guy is easy to pick out if there are dividers between the units (as God intended). It’s a bit more subtle a move if there are no dividers. This goes back to the original point, eyes straight ahead. Move your head to the side, you’re gay. Unless, of course, you are trying to search for a Miami Dolphins Super Bowl ring missing a gemstone. Even then you’ll probably end up making out with a dude. Lesson learned, Ace. Lesson learned.

Another important part of Urinal etiquette is Urinal Selection. To help you with that part of your education, we present the Urinal Game:

Finally, we’ll end with a quick poll question. This debate has raged on in our office for the better part of a year. Is it acceptable to fart in the men’s room? Personally, my argument is that it is completely acceptable. Everyone is there for the same reason, the passing of bodily noises and functions. If you cannot openly fart in the restroom, where can you? I’m not going out to my car, just to break ass. I won’t do it. For this, we ask you, is it acceptable to fart in the men’s room?

Is it acceptable to fart in the men's room?

• Yes
• No

View Results

9 Public Restroom Personalities

by Richard McVey

9. THE READER

He's not about the quick in and out of doing his bathroom business. He likes to hunker down with the newspaper, magazine and/or (heaven help us) a good book. For him, it's the relaxing toilet ride that makes the perfect spot to enjoy the written word. And yes, these are same periodicals that make their way back to the lunch room.

8. THE GRUNTER

Oh, you know him. He's in the stall next to you bellowing like he's about to give birth to a calf. Each grunt is preceded by short gasps for air, and a quick fart. And you know the exact second he's done because the big finale is punctuated with a sigh of relief.

7. THE WORKER

Mr. Multitasker wouldn't dream of not answering his phone, even if he's draining the lizard, or worse, dropping the kids off at the pool. He often tries to disguise his location by mentioning "I'm away from my desk right now," but the stall echoes and sounds of background flushing are unmistakable.

6. THE FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR

He figures what better time to make friends and be chatty than when you're in the restroom. He often intros with "Some weather were having," "How are you doing?" or "Wheeew, sorry about that, I had Mexican last night." No matter how short your response, he keeps—with his dick in his hand—talking to you.

5. THE RIM SHAKER

He's the guy in the stall next to you going one on one with a dingleberry. His ass is rocking back and forth/hopping up and down on the seat in a vain attempt to drop that last hanger-on. The Friendly Neighbor will often root him on. "Stick with it. It'll go!"

4. THE PHOBIAST

He's spraying Lysol, slathering in hand sanitizer and laying down railroad track-sized strips of toilet paper to make sure his ass does not come in contact with any previous asses. After washing up, he must use paper towels to open the door.

3, THE SHOWERER

With his bathroom kit spread out at the sink, he looks like his girlfriend has booted him from the apartment. He's brushing his teeth, splashing water on his face, combing his hair, and frequently changes clothes.

2. THE GAWKER

It's subtle, but he's checking out your package at the urinal.

1. THE FIRE HOSE

He's not using the urinal. Instead he marches into the stall and whips it out without so much of a thought of lifting the lid. With the accuracy of a 4-year-old, he sprays the seat, hoses the backstop, and finishes by shaking it on the floor.

Modern Bath Tubs and Whirlpool Tubs by Kos of Italy

In a previous post Furniture Fashion reviewed three awesome saunas and steam showers from Kos who received design guidance from the well seasoned team of Roberto and Ludovica Palomba. Here are some equally stylish bath tub and whirlpool offerings that have style and comfort in mind, and I'm sure one of them just may be the perfect compliment to the Kos selection of saunas. The line of bath tubs can be used in a free standing application or built in as desired, and are available in round, rectangular and even triangle shapes allowing your room to be outfitted with the best option to compliment your floor plan. My favorite tub is the round Geo 180 that combines a whirlpool option with a cascading ceiling mounted shower head that doubles as a soothing mood light. As you can see Kos is on the forefront of modern hydrotherapy design for those who value their private time.

Modern Showers and Creative Shower Heads

February 28th, 2009

Modern showers and creative shower head designs from all over the world.

Pocket Shower

This tiny gizmo unfolds to reveal a high performance waterproof reservoir that holds a mighty ten litres of water. The black fabric will (given a sunny day) warm the water up in no time. [link]

Tosca Oasis Shower Panels

Modern European luxury shower panels from Tosca line by Visentin. [link]

Ishi Shower by Lockie von Moger

Besides looking good on the wall, Ishi shower features a slider that allows you to control the flow of water. Convenient pause button allows you to pause the flow mid-way so that you can lather-up the soap and then resume for the rinse. [link]

WaterTile Rain Shower Panel

To further heighten your custom showering experience, WaterTile Rain shower panel provides targeted water delivery where you need it most with four 54-nozzle fully adjustable spray-heads. [link]

The Aquavolo Shower

Creative waterfall shower becomes rain shower in one flip. [link]

Hansgrohe Raindance Rainmaker

Rainmaker shower system enriches the water with drawn-in AIR to create voluminous raindrops from a conventional shower spray. Unlike with a conventional continuous “spaghetti” shower spray, the subjective perception of the water coming into contact with the skin is more gentle. [link]

Gas Mask Shower

Chris Dimino has turned a gas mask into a shower head. [link]

Elemental Spa Shower

Part plumbing fixture, part architecture, the SATI and SANGHA shower heads are part of the new Elemental Spa collection by Dornbracht. [link]

Pipe Shower

Floor mounted industrial style shower design from Boffi. [link]

Vola 50 Shower Head

Designed by Teit Weylandt, Vola 50 shower head features 5 parallel bars arranged horizontally, each comprising of 15 nozzles. [link]

Euridice Glass Shower Heads

Modern glass shower heads designed by Ritmonio. [link]

Eco Drop Shower

After showering for a long time, the concentric circles will rise to force you to stop showering and save water. [link]

Charade Orchidea Trio Shower Head

This shower head uses three shallow domes to form one giant shower head. Each head features three rings of anti-scale transparent silicon nozzles that rain sensuous streams of water. Combined, the three heads are then set into a larger circular body. [link]

Drops Lighted Shower

Imagine standing under a beam of light that highlights each shimmering droplet of water as a shower of refreshing water cascades down upon you. Sound nice? Then the illuminating showering experience of the Drops Lighted Shower from Cisal is definitely for you. [link]

Jet Shower Head

The X-Touch head is a jet shower head from Newform that juts down from the ceiling like a shiny pipe. [link]

Geo 180 Shower

Modern tub by Kos of Italy combines a whirlpool option with a cascading ceiling mounted shower head that doubles as a soothing mood light. [link]

DF50 and DR50 Shower Heads

Totally stripped-down forms of pure steel, the DF50 and DR50 shower designs are striking industrial style shower heads from Balance. [link]

Viteo Outdoors Inverted Shower

Designed by Danny Venlet, the shower sits on the ground and shoots water up 4 meters in the air. It’s like a super-bidet! You activate the water stream by stepping on a little button in the middle of the unit. [link]