simplehuman | blog

baths vs. showers: ready…fight!

The Case for Showers

Showers are man’s greatest advancement in cleanliness and efficiency. They are faster than baths, usually use less water, and are perfect for fine-tuning your singing skills. Let’s say that throughout the course of a normal day your skin absorbs the following: dirt, grease, sweat, pollution from air, saliva, bacteria, food/drink products, pet hair, and an assortment of other germ-filled substances. If you chose to take a bath, you are essentially soaking in the very substances you wanted to get rid of. Where is the progress in that?

However, if you make the right choice, all of these things will be done away in a matter of minutes with the help of some soap and a fresh, invigorating, life-giving shower. Wake up, sing a song, save some water, and start the day fresh!

The Case for Baths

Let’s be real here, our lives have become a little hectic. Somewhere between the drive-thru coffee kiosks, 10-minute parking lots, long work hours, and an ever-growing list of errands, we have forgotten the basic art of relaxation. We know this is true when even our vacations leave us stressed, jet-lagged, and sleep-deprived, only to return to work the next day and the continue the cycle. For most of us, a bath is a long-awaited invitation to decompress from the complexities of our modern life. Baths are proven to improve circulation, relieve aches and pains, and relax the mind and body.

Those that go through the standard five-minute shower routine are subscribing to the same “hurry up” mentality that has caused us to forget how vital relaxation is to our health and well-being.

So light some candles, pour a glass of wine, relax, and enjoy the therapeutic and soothing sensations that can only be experienced in a warm, bubbly bath.

how to throw a legendary beach party

You don’t need a reason to throw a beach party in the summer. All you really need is some food, music, s’mores, and a football. Here are some of our suggestions to get you on the right track.

Food

Getting your grub on at the beach is crucial for any successful beach party. If you want to get away from the predictable hotdog/hamburger duo, try grilling up some short ribs, tri-tip, marinated chicken breasts, chorizo, carne asada, or find your own unique grilling recipes. To cut some of the costs down, ask your good friends to bring the basics: fresh fruit, chips and dip, veggies, baked beans, condiments, and two-liter bottles of soda. Also, if you have a fire pit don’t forget the s’mores.

Music

Occasionally, the music at beach parties can turn into amateur night for anyone who can play three chords on a guitar. If that’s a risk you’re willing to take, dust off the old six string and djembe and bring them along. For those who want more control over the musical vibe, setup a playlist on your iPod and hook it up to a beach-friendly speaker system.

Games

The best beach games are the simple ones. Leave that heavy bocce ball set at home and load up on some frisbees, footballs, skimboards, and just let people play. Usually a pick-up game will spawn and it will be much more fun than waiting in the limbo line.

The summer won’t be here forever, so head out the nearest body of water and throw an awesome party. Good luck!

7 energizing songs to sing in the shower

Let’s face it, most of us don’t have the vocal prowess or rock star showmanship to make it to the second round of any recognized talent competition. But we do have the shower—a sanctuary where we can be stars in our own right. We want to you to get your day off to the perfect start, so here are 7 of our favorite songs to sing in the shower.

1. I Believe I Can Fly – R. Kelly

2. Spaceman – The Killers

3. Dream On – Aerosmith

4. So Fresh and So Clean – Outkast

5. Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson

6. Lovin You – Minnie Riperton

7. I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys

That’s our list, but we want to hear some of your favorites! What song do you LOVE to sing in the shower?

tough products, tigers, and ball cannon tests – oh my!

Durability and consistency are a part of the simplehuman fabric. We make sure all of our products not only pass our rigorous tests, but they pass them with flying colors. We also create tests that help us improve our future products.

We’re so nuts about product testing, we like to check out what other crazy product tests exist out there – like these:

the product: Panasonic CF-30 “Toughbook”
the claim: “serious notebook ruggedness” – shock mounted screen, magnesium alloy case, water- and dust-resistant
the tests: tigers, elephants, firing range
the result: the laptop lost a few aesthetic keys, acquired some tiger drool, and acquired a bullet hole through the screen, but the product lived up to its name and worked after being put through the ringer.

the product: Easton Baseball Stealth Speed Bat
the claim: “the leader in baseball technology” – the lightest barrel design, faster swing speed, maximized sweet spot
the tests: ball canon test, barrel test, batting range
the result: the tests helped Easton Baseball design a unique composite bat that’s lightweight without loosing its edge, and can perform season after season without cracking.

Photo Credit: Toughbook Universe

how to chill your glassware – the fast way

It’s sweltering outside, some unexpected guests show up at your front door, and you don’t have any chilled glassware prepped. Don’t sweat it! With one of these simple solutions you’ll be chillin’ like a villain in no time:

1. the bartender’s trick

Fill the glass with ice and seltzer water and let the glass chill while you prep your drink (the carbonation in the seltzer water chills the glass faster).

2. the ice bucket

Put a glass upside-down into a bucket of ice. Let the glass chill 15-30 minutes, then quickly and lightly dry off for serving.

3. liquid nitrogen?

You probably don’t have a liquid nitrogen dewar lying around, but you might have to invest in one after you see how this guy makes a glass instantly chilled frosty. For those who are now sold (like us), here are some basic instructions on glass chilling.

Photo credit: SXC

5 tips for saving water in the shower

You could literally save hundreds of gallons of water per month if you made a few, minor tweaks to your shower routine. Here are five shower-related tips to help you conserve water and cut down your bills:

1. buy a low-flow showerhead.

Many modern showerheads feature efficient, high-pressure systems that offer the same amount of pressure as standard showerheads – without the hefty bill.

2. play your favorite song.

Playing a song while in the shower pumps you up for the day and helps you understand how much time you spend in there. Try to be in and out before the song is over.

PS: Stay tuned for our favorite songs to sing in the shower!

3. catch that cold water!

As you wait for your shower to warm up, put a bucket in your shower to save that water for your plants, etc.

4. get an inflatable shower curtain that eats you alive if you take too long.

This does indeed exist, but please don’t actually try this.

5. check out the (disclaimer!) new line of shower tools by simplehuman.

Hitting shelves near you later this month!

Photo credit: SXC

this month’s forecast: showers

Here at simplehuman, we’re quite passionate about the shower. It’s the one place in your house where you can wake up, chill out, and belt out your favorite tunes (“Rubber Ducky," anyone?).

To properly celebrate this wondrous part of your home, we’re dedicating the month of July to the shower. We’d like to share the latest trends in shower design, what’s new for the shower from simplehuman, and cool shower-related stuff we like.

So get out your shower caps and your microphone – err I mean, loofah – and enjoy some squeaky-clean shower goodness with us!

Photo credit: SXC

the ten commandments of barbecuing

For all of you barbecue masters or masters in training, we happened upon a radio segment that unveils the 10 Commandments for Grilling according to the master behind The Barbecue Bible.

Here they are, all 10, from Steven Raichlen as told to KCRW's Good Food:

1. Be organized.

2. Gauge your fuel.

3. Preheat the grill to the right temperature, namely 500 degrees F.

4. Keep it clean; use a metal spatula and brush after pre-heating and after cooking.

5. Keep it lubricated with oil.

6. Turn, don't stab (i.e. use a spatula or tongs, not a fork or skewer).

7. Know when to baste.

8. Keep it covered if you're cooking a large cut of meat. And don't peek.

9. Give it a rest on a the (clean) cutting board for a few minutes after cooking.

10. Never desert your post.

For the full story, read the commandments or listen to the interveiw with Raichlen here.

Photo credit: The Book Company

summertime rx

Yesterday was the official first day of summer and leave it to Real Simple to put together the perfect guide of how to deal with summertime foibles and emergencies. Yes, this time of year hopefully means a whole lot of fun in the sun, but it can also come with a few mishaps tailored to the season.

This handy guide's got how to deal with it all:

how to treat a sting (we've covered bee stings here at simplehuman before as well),

a barbecue burn,

a gash from hedge shears (ouch!),

a puncture wound (a la from a rusty nail on that cabin floor),

heat exhaustion,

and food poisoning. (Here's our post on how long foods stay fresh in the fridge and don't forget that the general rule of thumb for food left out at a picnic or soiree is no longer than two hours--but if it's hot and you're at the beach, cut that in half. Here's more on party food safety from the Mayo Clinic.)

Now, may none of these happen to you. But if one does, it least you'll know what to do.

Photo credit: flammetta53