Remember that bag of potpourri you got for your Mom that one Mother’s Day? Or what about that colossal “my-size” teddy bear?  This year, get your Mom something she’ll actually use…

This Mother’s Day, Professor Toilet and his team are celebrating all the wonderful Moms with a giveaway starting now and leading up to No Dirty Dishes Day on May 18th! All you have to do is tell us, in the comments section below, what your Mom’s time is better spent doing instead of washing dishes (i.e. golfing, painting, scuba diving?).

On May 20th, we will choose our favorite comment to win a Quince 1-Handle Pull-Down Spray Kitchen Faucet. This casually styled kitchen faucet makes clean-up a breeze with its two spray functions, memory position handle to set water at your preferred temperature and a high arc swivel spout. Now all that’s missing is a volunteer to make “No Dirty Dishes” a reality…

How to Enter

1. To enter to win the Quince 1-Handle Kitchen Faucet, leave a comment answering the question “What is your Mom’s time better spent doing instead of washing dishes?”

2. Also, tell us how your mom would use this kitchen faucet (perhaps to whip up a favorite recipe?).

Professor Toilet and his team will choose their favorite entry on Monday May 20th, 2013 as the winner,  so hurry and enter before May 18, 5PM ET. No purchase necessary to enter. This contest is open to US and Canada (excluding Quebec) residents. Good Luck!

Did you ever think a flush could be so powerful that it’s felt in other countries? This year, American Standard is launching a campaign to raise awareness of how plumbers protect the health of the world. Deploying the same engineering know-how that led to the breakthrough Champion flushing system, the research and development team at American Standard created a new sanitary toilet pan to help solve a health crisis where plumbing infrastructure doesn’t exist.

A small plastic sanitary toilet pan designed to be connected to a simple latrine pit provides a tight seal to keep out flies and prevent dangerous cross-contamination. These sanitary toilet pans are designed to be affordable, easy to maintain and simple to use. See the sanitary toilet pan in action here.

For every Champion toilet sold in 2013, American Standard is donating a sanitary toilet pan to a developing country. Why champion a cause that is half a world away? The bathroom and kitchen symbolize the most fundamental aspects of the human condition. Our bodies bring nourishment in and expel waste out. When we look at the bathroom, we look at the core of who we are, at our deepest roots – it’s the one thing all humans share.

It’s also the story of why plumbers are so important. Be a champion to the world in 2013, and help us provide solutions to a global health crisis.

Yes, a toilet can be that powerful. Learn more at FlushforGood.com
Read the full story in Plumbing & Mechanical Elements Showroom

This year’s Orgill Spring Market 2013 Dealer Show will be held in sunny Orlando, Florida on February 21st through the 23rd at the beautiful Orange County Convention Center. Along with showcasing some of American Standard’s (Booth #4222) latest innovations, Professor Toilet and the American Standard team will be giving lucky attendees a chance to win 1 of 2 iPads!

I’m Attending Orgill – How Can I Enter to Win?

Speed Connect to the internet and awesome apps with your new iPad – all you need to enter to win is attend a Speed Connect Drain demonstration at American Standard Booth #4222 on Thursday or Friday, February 21st and 22nd. Once you have completed the demonstration, simply drop off your business card or contact information with a representative and you’ll be automatically entered! Drawings will be held on February 21st & 22nd, so what are you waiting for? Good luck!

Back in May, Professor Toilet and his team sought out to make one deserving Mom very happy by supplying her with a brand new culinary tool – the American Standard Quince Semi-Professional Kitchen Faucet. The response was tremendous; over 150 of you told us why you think your mom deserved the new addition! (Mom would be proud) After reading all of your amazing responses, we selected Jennifer Huber, daughter extraordinaire and blogger at Solo Travel Girl, as our winner. She wrote of her mom, “she’s one of the best cooks I know and it’s just not me saying that – over the decades she’s dazzled friends and family by single-handily preparing delicious feasts for 100-some people for family reunions, graduations and “just because” summer gatherings. This would definitely make her feel like the pro she really is. Plus, I think she’d enjoy spraying her adult-children with it to keep us in line.”

Best Daughter in the World: Jennifer Huber

We’re flattered that Jennifer’s blog recently gave us a shout out, touting “thanks to American Standard, I’m the best daughter in the world!” Jennifer’s mom (pictured above) playfully demonstrated her Quince spraying skills as a fair warning to the Huber children – watch out! With the Quince Semi-Professional Kitchen Faucet,  Jennifer’s mom can now dazzle guests better than ever and entertain like a Pro! Read more about the story at Solo Travel Girl.

Making someone the best daughter in the world? It’s all in a day’s work for Professor Toilet.

Ask any child from the age of zero to ten what their favorite activity is and bath time, in most cases, will be somewhere towards the bottom of the list (right next to eating broccoli and going to the dentist). If you’re a parent, you do everything to try to change this, from adding in the infamous floating rubber ducky to bubbles, yet bathing will always be another “chore” that leaves them kicking and screaming. Enter the Welle Household, however, and it’s like you’ve entered an alternate dimension; not only are the Welle children willing to step foot into the bath but they come running (yes, RUNNING) when it’s bath time. In their home, bath time for the kids is fun time and a place to let their imaginations run wild.

For all you curious parents – what exactly is the Welle’s “secret” antidote to the boring bath? Earlier this year, they installed an award-winning American Standard FunBath right over their existing tub. Miranda (mom) chose the Firetruck bath because of the universality of the design for both boys and girls. The four Welle children, whose ages range from 8 years old to 8 months old, get uncommon bragging rights – they get to bathe in a firetruck at home! With three design variations; a Pretty Princess Castle, a Fierce Firetruck and a Customizable Flat Panel version, there’s a Funbath to fit any kid’s tastes.

Since installation, Miranda has been touting the FunBath as the conversation piece in her home; it boasts good looks, reduces the dreaded back strain and was a breeze to install. With a fierce red finish the Firetruck FunBath, which the Welles’ coordinated bath décor around, is nearly impossible to pass without notice. A young visitor was even recently inspired to take a bath after seeing the Fierce Firetruck at the home. And you’ll never stoop to bathe your toddler again. With an elevated frame, the child is seated at a comfortable level so you’re not straining to reach. The FunBath’s acrylic body fits right over any standard 60-inch bathtub, so installation (and uninstalling) is a snap.

After almost a year of use, what’s the verdict? Miranda says “My favorite features of the FunBath are the sprayer so I can rinse the soap out of the kids’ hair easier and the fact that I don’t have to bend over any more to help with bath time.  I even bathe our newborn in the Firetruck!  I never even brought the baby bathtub out of the basement this time.  It’s so convenient to just stand and wash him up in our Funbath that there is no need for the baby tub. And I really like the seat that is at the back of the Firetruck.  It was perfect when our 22 month old was a few months younger.  He could sit there and enjoy a bath with his siblings and wouldn’t have the water getting too high on him.  It’s great that the tub is shallower than a normal bath tub.  It doesn’t take as much water to give the kids a bath either!”

Learn more – watch the FunBath video above and click here to view more Safe & Accessible products.

Today, November 19^th, 2012, marks World Toilet Day – a day celebrated annually that is dedicated to breaking the taboo around the toilet discussion and spreading awareness of issues surrounding waste management on a global scale.

So why should you give a $h!t? Imagine life without a toilet or sewage system. Imagine having to defecate in the open. While this is nearly unthinkable for those of us living in the developed world, this is an unfortunate reality for the 2.5 billion people in the world who lack access to a clean toilet and the 1.1 billion that practice open defecation. Why does this matter? Illness and disease that are spread through human waste is the second largest killer amongst children living in developing countries; that’s more than HIV/AIDS, measles and malaria combined or 1 death every 20 seconds!

How can you help? The World Toilet Organization, the group that organizes World Toilet Day, offers several suggestions on how you can get involved including signing the Keep Your Promises Petition and contacting your local media to get involved in the discussion. Learn more ways to get involved here.

Learn how American Standard has teamed up with the Gates Foundation earlier this year to make the world better one toilet at a time by developing a new, low-cost yet efficient, toilet system that was exhibited at the 2012 Reinvent the Toilet Fair.

Follow the conversation; Follow @WorldToiletDay and #IGiveaShit via Twitter today!

Professor Toilet and his team have been gearing up for Election Day 2012 for the past couple of months reviewing the defining moments of the past performance of the PRO Toilet Candidates and making stops at key showrooms to pick up on leading experts’ insights.

After reviewing some of the key issues on domestic policy (seat up or down?) and the PRO candidates’ platforms (versatile sizes vs. large trapways), have you decided on your leading candidate? VOTE for the Cadet PRO or Champion PRO by commenting below!

Professor Toilet reminds you to get out the VOTE today, November 6th, 2012!

It’s that time of year again to put on that zombie makeup and fire up the witches brew. Halloween isn’t merely a holiday for the kids anymore – with costume parties and trick-or-treater house guests – the holiday has become a time to dress up our homes for the festivities. Professor Toilet wants to see your creative Halloween décor ideas. This isn’t the run-of-the-mill Halloween photo contest – we want to see what you’ve got when it comes to entertaining this season in your home. Send us your creative home decorations that scare, amaze or delight your visitors for the chance to win an accessories set from American Standard! See below for some Spooktacular inspiration…

How to Enter

1. Email your Halloween décor images to us at socialmedia@americanstandard.com with the subject line “SPOOKTACULAR Contest Entry” and leave a comment on this post to acknowledge your entry before November 7th, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. The picture can be of décor anywhere in the home (bonus points for a Spooky bathroom or kitchen) that’s decorated for Halloween or the Autumn season.
2. Professor Toilet and his team will choose their favorite entry and announce the winner here on ProfessorToilet.com on November 9th, 2012. Contest entries will be judged on the following criteria; ability to express the spirit of Halloween or Autumn & creativity (spooky or not!)
3. Also enter a caption for one of the photos below (your choice of one) by commenting on the comments section and we will randomly select one of those comments.  Randomly selected photo caption will also receive Mega Plumber Action Hero from Professor Toilet.
4.  (1) Winner will receive their choice of a set of JADO Stoic Collection or Pyke Collection accessories valued at $485-510 USD. Each set consists of the following; (1) Robe Hook, (1) Tissue Holder, (1) Small Towel Bar/Ring, (1) 24” Towel Bar. Must be 21 years of age or older at time of entry. Contest is open to US and Canada residents only. Approved image entries will be added to an album on the American Standard Facebook page.

NOTE: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. THIS CONTEST IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH OR ADMINISTERED BY FACEBOOK IN ANY WAY.

Here are your Prize Package Options:

Pyke Collection Accessories: 24″ Towel Bar, Tissue Holder, Towel Ring, Robe Hook
OR
Stoic Collection Accessories: 24″ Towel Bar, Tissue Holder, Small Towel Bar, Robe Hook

See more inspiration after the jump!

EDIT (November 19, 2012) : Congratulations to the winner of the photo contest, Christian F., and caption winner, Mark “Doc” H!! Winners will be contacted via email with instructions on how to claim their prize. Thank you to everyone who participated!

We call them the golden years – and they should be just that. This year, National Aging in Place Week takes place on October 15-21. It’s a week that’s focused on bringing families together to make the home a safer place for multi generational living. This week-long event was spearheaded by the National Aging in Place Council, a senior support network that brings together resources such as healthcare, financial services, and products to make independent living safe and comfortable. To kick off the week, we’re sharing the story of one determined senior that made her home a haven for aging in place.Here’s a sobering and unfortunately, all too real, bathroom safety fact: every 2.3 seconds, an adult 65 and older suffers a fall that can threaten their life, safety and ability to live independently. Jane B., a South Carolina homeowner and senior citizen, recently sought out a solution to avoid becoming part of the statistic. After a close call slipping in her hazardously slippery shower, she came across an ad for a walk-in tub which would answer her bath safety concerns. After a call to a reputable local renovation company, Metropolitan Renovations, Jane had a slip resistant American Standard Walk-In Tub installed… and the rest was history.

Well, that’s the short of it. Similar to the many seniors who live in their own homes, Jane had lived independently for many years and was determined to keep it that way. After all, the “Golden Years” are meant to be just that – a time to relax without the worry of preventable threats. One day last year, Jane fortuitously walked into her local home improvement store which offered American Standard Walk-In Tub options and would recommend a reputable installer to boot.

Metropolitan Renovations, a remodeling company that serves Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, installed Jane’s new Walk-In Tub and renovated her bathroom to address her safety concerns. As a certified Aging-In-Place specialist, Metropolitan Renovations also offers home modifications such as non-slip floor surfaces, wider doorways, grab bars and defined-edge countertops to accommodate the elderly or those that have limited mobility. After a short period, their experts had Jane’s old shower removed and replaced with a new Walk-In Tub with Jet and Air Massage options which provide relief for her fibromyalgia and arthritis.

With the addition of her new safety-minded renovation equipped with an American Standard Walk-In Tub, Jane now feels more secure when bathing and carries a new found sense of confidence in her surroundings. Now that’s aging gracefully.

Tips to prepare you or your parent’s home for aging-in-place:

• Install lever door handles which are less challenging for arthritic hands
• Grab bars – everywhere! Surrounding the bath, toilet, seating areas and more with a grab bar will add stability to those with poor balance
• Right-Height Toilets simplify standing and sitting
• Toss out or secure loose rugs which can be tripping hazards
• Faucets with hot-limit safety stops prevent scalding in the bath or at the sink
• Arrange furniture to eliminate obstructions
• A Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) can put together a great plan for your home. To find one, check out the National Association of Homebuilders’ directory here

Follow us on Twitter to get more bathroom safety tips all week long! Start designing your ultimate safe and accessible bathroom here.