Carron Baths Archive

House buyer finds the bathtub removed!

We are often told of some strange things that happen when buyers move into a house that they have bought, but the latest one was something new to us at UK Bathrooms.

Apparently it all started when the buyers refused to pay the seller for the carpets that they intended to leave, for which they wanted £13,000 and were prepared to throw in the curtains and lighting fittings. They refused on the grounds that a price had been agreed and were told that it included those items and contracts had been exchanged. However, hey were completely shocked when they arrived in their new home to find that the bath had been taken out! Now the sellers were at fault here and the law states that the price struck between buyer and selleris fixed on exchange of contracts, and cannot subsequently be changed by one party without the agreement of the other.

We are not sure what kind of bath they removed, but we are told that it was a Jacuzzi bath and if it was similar to those we feature in our luxury baths web page, we can fully understand how attached they may have become to the bath! The Phoenix Ancona is offered by us with a choice of three systems; a whirlpool with directional jets, jets for the back and feet and two air flow controls, or an air pool which features an on/off switch and Airspa jets. Alternatively you can have both systems.

Perhaps if the vendors had contacted us, we feel sure that with our unbeatable prices, we could have supplied them with a Jacuzzi bath, probably cheaper than it has cost them to remove and replace the bath they took form the house they were selling!

Phoenix Ancona Luxury Double Ended Bath

Plane passenger gets stuck in bathroom after getting finger trapped in bin

It’ll soon be that time of year where you don your summer clothes and head to sunnier climates on holiday, but as one unlucky traveller found out, you really have to watch out where you put your hands and fingers in a planes bathroom.

An American traveller flying on a Cathay Pacific plane got himself stuck in the planes bathroom after getting his finger caught in the rubbish bin. The passenger, only known as Daniel got trapped on the Hong Kong bound flight for more than an hour and had to stand while the plane landed at Chek Lap Kok airport before he managed to free himself.

Police were called after the flight landed to help free the man, but the 32 year old managed to get out by himself shortly before the arrived. A police spokesman said, “An initial investigation showed that he threw trash into a rubbish bin inside the toilet, but his middle finger was accidentally stuck in the bin,”

He added, “An initial examination showed there were no apparent injuries on his finger. He did not require hospital treatment or examination.”

Firemen were also summoned to the plane but were not needed.

According to reports, Daniel left the airport shortly after his ordeal and continued his journey into the city.

Cathay Pacific Bathroom

Survey of UK Residents Shows Old Bathrooms Can Prevent House Sales

With the house market widely reported to be in the middle of yet another price hike, selling your home has become a competitive task and with money tight for most UK residents it seems that people are on the lookout for housing that can offer them a complete move in living experience from the moment that they get hold of the keys.

for-sale-signsWe recently commissioned an independent survey to be carried out that would give us a little more of an understanding towards the UK housing marketplace, asking people what could potentially put them off from buying a house.

The survey was conducted with 1,028 respondents and provided some interesting insight into what the UK population are looking for when they are considering buying a new home, asking them what potential issues could sway them away from making a purchase while looking at a property.

It comes as no surprise that the fact that a house does not have a garden is still the leading reason that would stop people from buying a property, however if you were to take that factor out of the picture for a moment, the research showed that potential buyers are put off buying a house if their bathroom is outdated or needs work.

According to the survey, 43% of those that responded to the question revealed that they were put off by houses that failed to offer garden space while 21% said that they wouldn’t buy a house that had a bathroom that was outdated.

Other factors that were mentioned within the survey were small kitchen (17%) and bedroom space (14%) while an outdated living room seems to be less of an issue for potential buyers with just 3% of those that responded to the question saying that would prevent them from buying, with just 2% stating reasons outside of those already mentioned.

Interestingly, the survey showed that people that were based in London were less likely to pull out of a sale if a house did not have a garden while those within the age range of 18-24 were also not as bothered about the garden space as they were about having a modern bathroom.

Although generally the want for a garden seems to be one of the most common responses on a larger scale, our research found that this was more of an issue for people that were aged 34 years or higher although this could be due to the lack of spare money that a younger house buyer would have available to make renovations to their newly purchased home.

Women take longer in the bathroom – fact!

In our ongoing research into the bathroom habits of the British population we had a tongue in cheek look at Men vs Women in the Bathroom. Unsurprisingly, our team of researchers found that women really do take longer to get ready than men, but it’s a lot closer than you might think.

We asked 286 couples (an even spread of men and women) over the age of 18 about their bathroom habits and how long they took to get ready in the bathroom. This included asking each participant how long they take to do specific tasks from showering and brushing their teeth to shaving and applying makeup.

Our study found that on average men finished their bathroom duties over 20 minutes before their partners, and closer inspection found that women take longer in nearly all aspects of grooming apart from time on the toilet and hair removal. The reason why women take longer than men is down to their beauty regimes, taking approximately 4 minutes longer on skin care and more than 10 minutes longer to do their hair; makeup also took an additional 8 minutes, something that men don’t usually concern themselves with.

Our director Peter Gregg had this to say:

“We all know that women take longer than men to get ready, the time they spend in the bathroom does far exceed the time we men spend, apart from the toilet time and shaving. For some couples the waiting around can lead to arguments, especially when you end up being late.

Obviously for some couples the roles can be reversed thanks to the rise of the metrosexual man such as David Beckham. But for the most part a lot of the men we surveyed do the bare minimum when it comes to getting ready to go out. We don’t really spend much time on our skincare or hair which is why we usually end up waiting around for the ladies.”

Check out our funky infographic below that gives you the full rundown of our findings:

men-vs-women-in-the-bathroom

A Guide to Toilet Etiquette at Work

Here at UK Bathrooms we want to make your bathroom experience a good one and have come up with a handy, if tongue in cheek look at toilet etiquette in the workplace.

A Guide to Toilet Etiquette at Work

Embed Code

Feel free to share or print this infographic out and display it in your work toilet, or send it to some colleagues who may need a helping hand when it comes to toilet etiquette.

And as always, remember to wash your hands!

Competition – ukBathrooms Easter Egg Hunt

Fancy winning some Easter Treats? Why not take part in our Easter egg hunt on the ukBathrooms website. The competition is running up until Easter and you have the chance to win an Easter egg. All you have to do is find the hidden Easter eggs on our site.

Win shot

Entry steps:

Win an Easter egg!

Step 1:

Visit our website:
www.ukbathrooms.com

Step 2:

Find one of our dozen hidden Easter Eggs, on product pictures.

Step 3:

Email us your name, address, and a link to the Easter Egg page:
[email protected]

Step 4:

Why not like & share with your friends?

– Good Luck!

Winners will be announced on Facebook, entrants have up until 17th April, so we can send out your prizes in time for Easter Sunday!

How to enter

Best Bathroom Pranks 2014

In a follow up to our April Fools post on Tuesday, we scoured the internet to find the best bathroom pranks. Here’s what we came up with:

Fake poop using a toilet paper roll

Fake poop is one of the oldest pranks and now you can do it too. All you need is an empty toilet paper roll and some water. Soak the toilet paper roll in water and rip into pieces, then scrunch it back together in the shape of poop, easy!

Place the fake poop wherever you want, on the toilet seat, kitchen floor, someone’s desk and watch the hilarity begin.

Fake poop using a toilet paper roll

Toothpaste Oreos

Does someone keep stealing your Oreos? Then get them back with the toothpaste Oreo trick. Split the delicious treat in half and scrape out the cream (you can eat that!), then replace the cream with some good old toothpaste. Make sure you’re nearby so you can see when the prankee takes a bite.

Toothpaste Oreos

Bathroom Gender Switch

Confuse people by playing the bathroom gender switch game. Use some black duct tape or card to construct a miniature skirt. Next find a bathroom door that has a silhouette of a man on it and stick the skirt to it. Sit back and watch the confusion begin; this works great for work toilets and public restrooms.

Bathroom Gender Switch

Via: lolpranks.com

Soap that won’t lather

This is another confusing prank ideal for the shower or bath. Take a bar of soap and paint it with clear nail varnish. Make sure that it is completely dry before you replace it in the bathroom.

Soap Lather

Food colouring on toothbrush

Get someone back with this hilarious toothbrush prank. Coat their toothbrush with any colour of food colouring making sure that it doesn’t look to obvious! The prankee will brush their teeth as normal only to find that their teeth are stained a weird and wonderful colour, priceless!

Food colouring on toothbrush

I’m watching you!

This great prank is perfect for creating some nervous tension when going to the toilet. Simply print out a picture of someone that will make your target cringe, a celebrity, their nan etc. and stick it to the inside of the toilet lid. When the prankee goes to the toilet they will be met with a mystery watcher.

Toilet watcher

Duct tape toilet roll>

Pretty self-explanatory, simply switch the soft and subtle toilet roll with duct tape. Will anyone be desperate enough to use it?

Duct tape toilet roll

Via: Pinterest

Treat your partner to a romantic bath this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, a time of year where we treat out loves ones and tell them just how we feel about them, and what better way than to run them a romantic bath. These handy tips will definitely score you some brownie points with your partner.

Clean the bathroom

Before making the bathroom into a romantic retreat for a loved one the first thing to do is give it a good clean. This means cleaning the whole bathroom not just the bath.

Schedule some uninterrupted time

Schedule some time so that your partner can unwind and relax uninterrupted, because there is nothing worse than having an unanticipated guest or children wanting attention.

Adding products to the bath

The trick here is to not put too many things in the bath that might make the water seem overly fragrant or too crowded.

Rose petals sprinkled onto the water is perhaps the most famous romantic gesture, although adding a luxurious bubble bath or some bath oils can create a similar effect. If your partner has a favourite fragrance use that instead, this will show them that you care and listen to them.

Bath salts are also a great product for creating a romantic atmosphere, it helps to soften the skin while adding a pleasant scent and different colour to the bath water.

Mood Lighting

Another way to create a luxurious and relaxing environment in the bathroom is by using candles instead of the main light. Nothing helps you unwind and de-stress more than having a bath with candle light.

Place the candles all around the bathroom making sure that they are not in a dangerous position of course.

Romantic Music

Create a romantic playlist for your partner to listen too when soaking in the tub. Portable speakers are the best for a bathroom environment as they are usually battery operated, but do make sure that all electrical devices are well away from any water.

Romantic food and drink

Champagne goes hand in hand with roses on Valentine’s Day and is a great idea to create that special bath time. Strawberries and grapes also make some great additions and can add a new layer to the intimacy.

Fluffy Towels

There is nothing worse than having a nice relaxing bath only to get out and dry yourself with a towel that feels like it’s made of cardboard. For the best end to a romantic bath use clean and fluffy towels or bathrobe; warming them up beforehand on a radiator or in an airing cupboard also helps.

Romantic Bath

Image courtesy of Dennis Wong

More people have a mobile phone than a sanitary water source

Saving water is not just a concern for us here in the UK, but a global one and the worrying statistic that more people have a mobile phone than a sanitary water source means that we as a country need to be at the forefront of education and forward thinking when it comes to water.

Here are some staggering facts about water or the lack of it on a global scale:

  • More than 3.4 million people die each year because of a lack of access to sanitary water and hygiene related problems; that’s more than the whole population of Uruguay! 99% of all deaths associated with unsanitary water occur in the developing world.
  • The lack of access to clean water in the developing world kills children at an alarming rate. It is equivalent to a jumbo jet full of people crashing every four hours.
  • According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), “[The water and sanitation] crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.”
  • It is estimated that approximately one in nine people (780 million) still lack the access of an improved water source even after continued efforts from UNICEF and the World Health Organization.
  • A Briton who takes a 5 minutes shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country uses in an entire day.
  • More people have a mobile phone than a sanitary water source.

What does access to a clean water source mean?

More Education

When children are freed from having to gathering water each day they return to school. This helps the population as a whole to become more educated.

Health

Having a secure and clean water source means that people can clean and sanitise themselves properly. This results in less sickness and people can get back to work quicker to provide for themselves and their families.

Food

Water is the basis for all life on the planet and is especially crucial to grow food. Having a secure water source means more crops and a beginning to self-sufficiency.

Access to water can break the cycle of poverty. Communities grow, are healthier and well fed. Children are educated and jobs are created so that people can lift themselves out of poverty.

Check out this interesting infographic courtesy of Water.org:

Water Infographic

Home Buyers Looking at Luxury Bathrooms

When investing our money in a new home, it appears that luxury bathrooms are one thing home buyers are looking for. Although space is key when looking for a home, along with a good kitchen, it seems that luxury bathrooms are also high on the list. People would fawn over newly remodelled kitchens and they would add £1000’s onto asking prices and it now looks like luxury bathrooms are following suit. Not just entertaining spaces but also personal spaces need to be top notch, in a hectic world, there is nothing better than relaxing in a luxury bathroom, with a massage shower or whirlpool bath.

Contemporary Bathroom

His-and-hers bathrooms are on the rise with the number of people adding this to a list of must haves when buying a property, some more so than en-suites. Sinks for both, gives extra space and makes co-habiting in a bathroom as a couple much more pleasant, as there is less chance of a fight for space. His-and-hers bathrooms originally were only really found in high end luxury homes, however home buyers and home builders look to maximise on this popularity, which for many is only really enjoyed in hotels.

his and her sinks

And it’s not just home buyers with a keen interest in luxury bathrooms and his-and-hers bathrooms, those not wanting to move look at creating a luxury bathrooms for themselves instead. Many people looking to create a sanctuary in their home and somewhere where they can relax. An investment in a luxury bathroom will pay dividends in your health and wellbeing. It’s much easier to relax, when your space isn’t cramped and you don’t have lots of clutter around.

His and Hers

As house prices continue to rise despite a credit crunch, home buyers are of course being savvy and wanting to make sure they get as much for their money as they can when buying a new home. Other rooms in a house can be easily repainted or carpets changed, however changing a bathroom can be expensive and not a task you want to undertake when you have just bought your home. Along the same lines as new kitchens new luxury bathrooms, mean less work needs to be done by the new home owner and makes houses much easier to sell, especially in this tough market. Any home that is pretty much ready to move into is ideal for many buyers.

Contemporary His-and-hers – Imperial Barrington Double Vanity Unit

Imperial Barrington Double Vanity

Classic His-and-hers – Burlington Classic Double Vanity Set

Burlington Classic Double vanity