You reach home at around 8PM. Your stomach’s growling, but right now you’re way too tired to make anything. So decide to order a lip smacking double pepperoni pizza from Rocky’s. The guy on the other end tells you that the delivery will take at least an hour or so. Apparently there’s been a huge influx of orders from insanely tired workaholics like you.

You let out a sigh as you hang up. The stomach satisfaction will have to wait. But instead of moaning about it, you decide to head to your newly installed steam shower enclosure. The DreamLine Neptune Shower Chrome.

As you adjust the settings and ease into the seat, the warmth atmosphere engulfs your poor aching body. Almost immediately your heart rate slows, your muscles begin to relax and you mind clears up. For the first time in hours, a smile appears on your face. You’re finally home.

Now snap back to reality. Before we go on, here’s a secret for you. The DreamLine steam shower enclosure has been designed specifically to serve as an in-house spa and shower… Simultaneously. And it’s designed to ease the tension away from your body with absolutely no effort from your part (besides sitting down… though I can’t imagine that being very difficult).

Here are a few stand out features of the DreamLine Neptune.

A Double Seater

Ever felt like having a nice, long, warm romantic shower with your significant other? Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could spend eternity with him or her in one of the most comfortable places in your house? I thought so.

That is why the fact that this particular steam shower enclosure has two seats installed makes it so popular. Furthermore, both seats have DreamLine’s vintage design, aimed at maximising comfort.

It’s So Easy

The entire system is designed to achieve comfort. On top of that, the minds behind this product have not forgotten convenience. The plumbing and wiring can be easily set up by your contractors. For the most part, they hook up with the power and water outlets with relative ease. And once it’s all done, you can almost immediately start to enjoy.

The control panel is a virtual no brainer to operate. A little tinkering will probably be enough for you to master the control. And once you have, the steam shower enclosure is literally at your mercy.

A Steam Machine

As you’ve read above, the shower easily links up with your power and water outlets. Furthermore, it’s designed to maximise both output and efficiency. What does this mean? You can customise the thermostat to your liking. But don’t worry. The steam never disappoints. If you want it hotter than Megan Fox, than so it shall be.

It’s not just these features though. You can even set a timer to tell you when it’s time to get out. If you really intend to knock out in the steam shower enclosure, you can even dim the lights and just crash. But it doesn’t end there. It even comes with a nifty little foot massager (which is naturally waterproof). Imagine how you’d feel getting your feet squeezed while sitting in an almost spa like setting.

In fact, the DreamLine is so good that the only downside I can think of is the price tag attached to it. It sells for $2,880 on Amazon. However, in actual fact, you aren’t likely to find a better deal than this. Why? Because the $2,880 selling price comes after a 30% discount. Yeap, you would end up saving close to $1,240.
Over all rating? 5/5. No questions asked.

So naturally, you’re on the hunt for a shower head water filter. Before I introduce you to a model I recently discovered, pay attention to this. The whole purpose of such an attachment is to filter out the unwanted chemicals before it hits your body. But don’t worry. The bacteria will be as good as gone as well, because chlorine and friends will “kill em all” in your pipes.

Ok, now that we have gotten this out of the way, let’s get down to business. One of the leading shower head water filters I came across is the Culligan Wall Mount. Here’s my review of this product.

Kick The Chlorine’s Ass

This will tantalise your senses. The Culligan Wall Mount has been designed to filter away a massive amount of chlorine. Ready for the figures? Here you go. 99%. Yeah, that’s right. Practically none of that crap even touches your skin. The whole idea is to avoid coming into contact with excessive quantities of such chemicals.
Furthermore, it even filters out virtually every other impurity that wasn’t taken care off either at the treatment plant or by the chlorine as it travelled down the pipes.

This shower head water filter has also been designed to minimise residue build up. Why is this important? So that your shower head doesn’t get clogged up frequently. Who wants to deal with that mess anyway?

A Fiver

This model also takes comfort to another level. Have you ever wished you could fully customise the settings of your shower head? Wouldn’t it be really convenient if you could adjust these settings to your liking? You can play around with both the volume of the water and the speed at which it hits you. And yes, you have five different settings you can choose from. This is almost unprecedented.

Runs Like A Horse

Well not literally… But amongst it’s competitors, you’re unlikely to find something better. The patented design ensures that the Culligan shower head water filter can run for ages. It has been tested to work just about perfectly for up to 10, 000 gallons of water output before you have to change anything. That’s close to half a year’s worth of showers, mind you.

Furthermore, it even comes with a 5 year warranty. So you know that this will last for a long, long time. And of course, it’s NSF certified. So there’s absolutely no safety issues you need to worry about.

At Amazon.com, the shower head water filter is a huge bargain… All you have to pay is $25, and you’re virtually guaranteed serviceability for 5 whole years.

Other customers have even praised the health benefits of this filter. Some have managed to combat unhealthy hair. Others have managed to strike back at eczema. Of course, while such health benefits are no guarantee, you could very well expect to see healthier hair and skin when you use the Culligan Wall Mount.
Final rating? 5/5.

This is a perfect shower head for your fiberglass shower.

Before we go on though, I must admit something. I haven’t been completely honest. I’m not specifically referring to a jacuzzi. No. I’m actually introducing you to the concept of in house shower enclosures with seats. Basically, these are shower cubicles with seats installed. But, in order to experience the high life of letting loose in your own little jacuzzi, you only do have to make a couple of altercations to the system.

Basically, all you have to do is hunt down for a good steam system that can be easily incorporated with your heater. Before you know it, you’ll never have to pay a bomb at Ritz Carlton ever again. Of course, in order to experience this, you’d have to get your own shower enclosure with seats in the first place. And today, I’d like you to take a look at the Sterling Advantage 60″ Alcove Shower Swirl Gloss.

Before we dive into it though, here are a few benefits of having such a shower. Just in case you’re sitting on the fence.

1. The seats are perfect for the sick
2. Old folks who have trouble standing will find this to be an answer to their prayers
3. And as we’ve already established, it’s the pinnacle of relaxation 101

Now that we’ve gotten this settled, let’s get down to business.

First off, the Sterling Advantage is built from start to finish using a material known as Vikrell. Basically, this is a patented material that Sterling exclusively uses in the design of their high end bathroom products. It’s not some cheap, second hand rubbish. It’s strong, durable and mold resistant. It’s exactly what anyone would be looking for.

But it’s not just the design of the material. Installing the shower enclosure is dead simple as well. And thanks to the instruction manual that comes with it, just about anyone can set it up themselves. You really don’t need to be an expert on carpentry or plumbing (though it’d probably save you a lot of time if you let the professionals handle it).

The Sterling Advantage also has the trademark finish. The swirl-gloss coating adds to the durability of the material. Doesn’t need any explanations, does it?

Once installed, the shower enclosure is very compact. Unless you live in a dwarf’s house, it will hardly take up any space.No more than 2 meters in any direction in fact. It’s perfect for the cosy house.

Of course, every major purchase should be backed up with a guarantee of some sort. It’s the onus of the company to make their customers feel as comfortable as possible before asking them to hand over the cash. And while there’s no concrete money back guarantee (that is rather impractical), the Sterling Advantage comes with a massive 10 year warrantee.

At face value, the $570 price tag might seem rather audacious. But with the quality of the design, along with the mega-warrantee, it’s actually great value for money.

There are many ways to clean shower enclosures but it is important to understand the causes of corrosion, scum and water spots.

Causes of Corrosion

This might be a little bit technical so bear with me for a moment. Glass is mostly composed of Silica, Sodium Oxide, Calcium and Magnesium. When these chemicals come in contact with moisture (mostly water) leeching occurs(ion exchange). The ions of the glass exchange with the water ions in turn that creates spores. Overtime this constant chemical reaction corrodes the glass.

Temperature and moisture further accelerate the process of corrosion. Hot steamy showers actually increase the effect of corrosion. Although they maybe comfortable for you, hot showers are harmful for the glass. Temperature increases the pH levels causing many water spots or residue left over on the glass.

A quick note on cleaners

Be very selective about the glass cleaners that you use. Every glass cleaner must work to clean your shower glass and not enhance the corrosion.

Many acidic glass cleaners are harmful for the glass showers because the chemicals react with the glass. These reactions create pores in the glass structure (water marks). As the pores increase, the process of corrosion increases.

Always make sure that you are not using acidic or harsh glass cleaners for your shower.

Coating Eliminates Corrosion

There are many glass companies that are researching ways to create coatings that eliminate or delay the effects of corrosion. Coatings cannot eliminate 100% of the corrosion effects but they can prolong the quality of the glass.

Claravista glass conducted a study that was in coherence with PPG(http://www.ppg.com/en/Pages/home.aspx) standards. Their glass performed extremely well against regular glass and their competitors. The glass was tested using:

1. Heat/humidity exposure.
2. Mechanical durability.
3. Chemical durability.

In each test the glass was tested in a high humidity  heated environment called the PPG “Jungle Box”. In this box, the glass is exposed to high temperature to simulate corrosion.

The Claravista seems like a great solution to end all worries about glass corrosion. However I would like to see an independent study that is not done by the company itself.

A look at cleaning products

DRIVEN Extreme Duty Glass Cleaner Information

This product has some great reviews behind, as professional cleaners have been using this product. This product will work on any glass surface. It combines its gel with it’s trademarked “Extreme Cutting Abrasives” to give the bet results. Most of the customers have reported that it was able to clean their shower, decks and car glass windows better than CLR.

The customers have reported no faults even though the cleaner is acidic. The company must have a great formula that works well with any glass.

Selecting the right shower enclosure can be a confusing task. There are so many designs to pick from. When you walk into the show room to select your own shower enclosure, you’ll become overwhelmed because you don’t know what you need.

Your heart gets carried away when you walk into a showroom and see all the gorgeous shower enclosures on display. When you walk out there, you are more confused about which one to buy.

Pre-Shower Enclosure Shopping

Determine the amount of room you have available in your bathroom. There are tons of styles out there in the market but determining one that fits your bathroom is very important. You don’t want to buy an enclosure that leaves you no space to walk.

What style of shower can fit in the bathroom space? There are many different styles and angles in each washroom. Do not get discouraged if you find the shape of your bathroom a bit strange. There will be an enclosure that will fit your bathroom. There are shower enclosure kits that are without doors. You can have a spacious walk-in shower or a closed one. With doors, make sure you account for how the door will open and close. If the door swings outwards, then check that the area for the door to swing is good.

The area of any shower enclosure has to be fully tiled and sealed. This will prevent any water leaks that may go into the groves of the tiles and ruin them. So it is important to check the base of your shower to make sure that tiles can fit with ease.

Shower heads

Making sure your bathroom is dry keeps the mold and mildew at minimum. Your shower should be relaxing and not adding extra work to your life. Having a jet shower head will cause the water to spray out of the shower. Using an overhead shower will reduce any spray outside. The point of the enclosure is to keep the water inside the shower and not outside.

Non stick tiles

Make sure the base of your shower has non stick tiles for safety reasons. You do not want to slip while you are taking a shower. Also make sure the tiles are rough and can handle pressure. Since they are being used for shower, sometimes the shampoo bottle, conditioner bottle will hit the tiles hard.

A lot of manufacturers offer tons of styles and variations for their shower enclosures. Getting customization nowadays is not a problem at all. Look for designs that can accommodate your bathroom without denting your wallet. If you are concerned about the price, then think about your shower enclosure as an investment. Some manufacturers also offer free installations on their shower enclosures so keep your eyes opened for deals

Aside: For deep cracks or if you are uncertain about your bathroom then call a plumber or go to your local home improvement store for some assistance.

Shower repair kits

There are many tub and shower repair kits that are a great inexpensive solution to fixing your bathroom. The shower kits come with all the materials required to repair the tub.

Majority of the kits come with different colorants. Colorants are tinting products that color the filling. When you are finish filling the crack, you can match the color of the filling with your tub. Take your time in mixing the color until you have the right color.

For larger cracks and holes, the shower repair kit might not be sufficient. The larger cracks might require some reinforcement mesh. Call a local specialist for assistance with large holes and cracks.

When mixing the materials in your shower repair kit, make sure that you are using disposable cups. The solvents are very hard to clean and it will be easier to just use disposable containers.

Epoxy Repair Kits

Epoxy repair is also another cheap and fast way to fix cracks in the tub. But before using an epoxy you have to determine how bad the damage is in the first place. If there are any leaks that are going to the bottom floor then look at the tub from the back. It will be easier to repair the fiberglass tub from the back rather than any other area.

You have to be very fast with epoxy repair kits as they harden real fast. Before you apply the epoxy make sure that you investigate where the application needs to be placed. Once you know where it is, use the epoxy in that area. Some epoxy kits don’t come with any colorants so the end result will look like a patch in your bathtub.

Shower repairs

Repairing your shower or tub can be a very difficult task. There are easy ways to go about them with different kits. But if your damage is extensive and the tub is leaking then it will be better to call a professional. The kits work for small areas and the larger cracks and holes will require professional attention.

Designing a doorless shower is a very important task that needs to be well thought out. All the materials and blueprint have to be looked over with a magnifying glass. For example, if you are installing glass walls in the shower, you have to make sure they are sealed properly against the tiles or else you will have tile issues down the road when the water leaks in. The blueprint gives you a birds eye view of where you can place anything you want in the bathroom.

Tips for Designing a Doorless Shower

1. Measurements: Take measurements of your bathrooms. It is imperative to determine what size you have to work with because this will determine what materials you need and how much of it. Using any software, such as Photoshop, Paint or even paper and pencil, sketch out your bathroom. Try your best to scale your sketching properly.
2. Location: On the paper, mark down where you want the shower to be located. Make sure it is close to the drain as you want the water to escape easily rather than flow all over your bathroom.
3. Shower Fixture: What type of shower head do you want to install? Each shower head has a different spray radius. Having an overhead shower greatly reduces any splashes whereas a jet shower head will spray the water every where. You can also get a hand held body wash shower head but it will also spray the water everywhere.
4. Drain: Make sure the shower base has a decline towards the drain so the water has an easy path to travel. Make sure you also discuss with the contractor what the best way to approach the drainage is.
5. Size: It is recommended that the minimum size of the doorless shower be 4’X4’. Anything smaller than that will be very uncomfortable and feel cramped. If you have a small area, then you can always make your entrance bigger. But this could yield in more splash.
6. Tiles: The tiles that you install in the base should be non-skid. The last thing you want in your shower is any slipping and falling. Look for tiles that are non skid and easy to install. You will be glad you did this in the long run.

Some Good Shower Heads

Waterpik Handheld Shower

The Waterpik is beautifully designed and provides great water pressure. The shower head comes with 5 distinct modes. The best part about handheld showers is the ability to target any specific area of the body. If you do not want to use your hands then just rest it on the stand for hands free use.

This is a very cost effective shower head that will do what you want. From many customers’ reviews, they were surprised by the quality of the shower head because of the low price.

Most home owners have a hard time trying to figure out where to start working on a glass block shower. It is an overwhelming project after all.

The best place to start is by grabbing a simple notepad or piece of paper and drawing out your bathroom. Draw the current layout of your bathroom and draw the sink, toilet and current shower. Grab a measuring tape and take dimension of the washroom. Your drawing does not have to be exactly to scale, but using measurements will help you understand how much space you have to work with.

Space is the most important factor you have to determine for installing glass block shower. If space is limited then it will determine how much material you need also how exactly to build the shower with glass blocks.

No door/Walk-in Shower

If you have a small bathroom then you can get rid of the door to your shower. This will save you a lot of space in your bathroom. Just make sure you install an overhead shower head to stop the water from spraying outside the shower. This also goes along with having a great shower enclosure to help keep the water inside.

Glass Block Shower kits

An easy way to get started with your glass block shower is by using shower kits. There are many different glass block kits that can accommodate any size or style. There are shower kits that are walk-in without a door to standard shower kit’s which have a door in the front.

The benefit of shower kits is that most of the materials are already put together and are properly sealed. This will reduce any water that might leak out from the shower. This also reduces the amount of time you need to spend on a project.

Natural Light

This type of design works best with a window in the bathroom and is meant for bathrooms that are dark. The glass block will help transfer natural light into your shower and put a smile on your face. The natural sunlight will make you feel as if you are taking a shower outside.

Using Stones instead of Tile

Have a little bit of fun with your shower. Try using a stone pattern in the wall tiles instead of plain colored tiles. The lights reflecting through the glass block hitting the tiles will look beautiful. The stones will give your bathroom a natural look.

Glass Block Shower’s

There is a great amount of things you can do with your glass block showers. You can also keep it inexpensive by looking out for deals with local home improvement shops. Do not rush the project and take your time in developing the idea. It will be worth the wait.

1. Regular shower cleaning

Do not wait until the last minute to start cleaning your shower. This will only make the scrubbing very hard and some of the scum might not even come off.

Stick to a weekly schedule of cleaning your bathroom and shower. Weekly cleaning will make the soap residue and mold easier to come off.

To make it even easier, always keep a chamois in the bathroom. When you are done taking a shower quickly wipe down the shower enclosure or tub with the chamois. This will help it stay clean for longer periods of time. Wiping after the shower will eliminate any unnecessary moisture build up that turns into mold afterwards.

2. Solution for Hard Water

Water drops cling to the shower walls and they dry. The waters residue, after its dry, is mineral deposits. After each shower more water drops dry and cling on to these mineral deposits. As you shower the more minerals deposit and start to attract scum. That is why it is recommended to clean the shower right after you finish. You can invest in a water filter or softener that will reduce the amount of mineral deposits get left behind.

3. Borax, Baking soda and White vinegar

These items are very cheap and are easily accessible anywhere. You can walk into any shopping center to purchase them. To make a mix all you will need is a spray water bottle.

• Fill 1/3 bottle with vinegar and the rest with water.
• Spray the fiberglass surface and let it sit for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Rinse with water.
• You can make a paste with Borax or Baking soda. Then use the paste to scrub our any difficult stains or mildew.

Some great shower cleaners.

Weiman Fiberglass Cleaner for Bathrooms

This cleaner is multipurpose and can be used for your car, boat and bathroom. It is a non-abrasive cleaning so it will not leave any scratches on your fiberglass or tiles.

Some of the customers found this product worked great when it is used with sponge. The sponge helps lift the deposit and mold out.