5 Ways British and American Bathrooms Are Very Different
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- čas přidán 10. 05. 2024
- After 4.5 years doing this channel, I have somehow never done a comparison of British and American bathrooms. From the taps to the toilets and everything in between, here are 5 Ways British and American bathrooms are very different.
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For the record: Americans that like to take baths Hate our average shallow bathtubs.
Yep, they suck. I think if a bath was a more enjoyable experience (bigger tub), then more people would take them. Showers are done out of convenience.
It's not the depth, it's the length.
Mark Horton that depends....
I would like it if my tub was deeper.... yes. But at 5’1”, if the tub was longer I worry about keeping my head above water.
We're house hunting right now, and we found something that's really nice and suits basically all of our needs.
My only complaint is that the bathtub is not big, at all. I'm spoiled at the moment, my bathtub is massive and has jets.
@@tanya5322 You are blessed with fitting into a bathtub. Downside you probably need a step to reach the above the counter kitchen cabinets. The rest of us need longer tubs.
I'm American. Showers are for cleaning, baths are for relaxing. Guess what I get to do more often? (Why would anyone take a bath to wash themselves? You make the water dirty and then continue to sit in it?)
Precisely. We always shower before we climb into the Jacuzzi.
TiggerIsMyCat agree 💯 don't get me wrong I love a nice hot bath from time to time just to relax but not for getting clean, Especially if you have long hair and not to mention women and certainly times if you get my drift. Yuck not hygienic at all.
I grew up taking baths but I totally agree! Lol, after about 13 I would take a quick shower after a bath. Probably wasteful but I don't like funk!!
Baths are for relaxing my sore joints. Or for getting warmed up when it’s really cold. But I always rinse off in the shower afterwards. I have a walk in tub but that’s a love hate relationship.
@charlie cheeseface I'd rather take a freezing bath. I'd bathe in ice if I had to. I got nauseous just reading that, oh jesus.
We do occasionally encounter separate, “taps,” in the US too but they’re fairly rare and typically in older buildings.
Jean Vail
I had a wonderful apartment in an old, seedy neighborhood in San Francisco that had the best bathroom of my (now) 63-year life. Sink with separate taps (neither here nor there, but aesthetically very pleasing) and a beautiful old clawfoot tub to luxuriate in. Living there I learned that the secret to the best bath is to be in the tub while the water runs, because you can get it so much hotter than anything you would be able to step into. I would spend about 40 minutes reading and soaking, then shampoo, condition, scrub with a scrubbie, pull the plug (and making sure all the suds were wiped off the side with the washcloth I had been using), using my tall plastic glass to rinse out any remaining yuckiness and a couple of full ones over my head to rinse off anything still on me, then run a warm bath to cool down in for about 20 minutes, all remaining soap/shampoo/conditioner is absolutely gone, and then I’d wrap myself in a big-ass towel for my body, a regular bath towel for my hair, and then throw on a terrycloth robe, go lie down for another 40 or so minutes. So clean, so relaxed, so happy!
70s house, taps separate. Have to shower, because if I get down, I can't get up again.
One of the stores at old faithful in Yellowstone has them but I think that's the only place I've seen separate taps.
+Jean Vail Same applies to the 'pull string' light switch.
While I haven't really seen it (much) in quite some time. . . . I do remember it in my grandparent house, back in the day.
Yup
I was looking for this comment
I never imagined it would be possible to hate a house that has no wasted space in it. We have 2 bathrooms. One has a tiny tub and the other has only a shower stall. I haven't had a decent bubble bath in over a decade. I fondly remember Granny's 6' long claw foot tub and wish we had one of those wonderful porcelain covered enamel beasts.
Imagine my horror when I found out my house used to have one, but the previous owners took it out.
My family lived in an old farmhouse where I was a teenager. The bathroom sink had two faucets and the bathtub had feet, The tub was deep and roomy. Best bathroom ever, even the commode was an old one that never failed to flush. . The bath was installed in 1910.
My last house had an old claw foot rub. It was glorious.
They stopped being commonplace not only because they're much more expensive to make(normally solid metal enameled in porcelain) but houses aren't as sturdy as they used to be.
I looked into getting a claw foot tub and was told I'd need my bathroom floor reenforced just to keep it from falling through the floor
My grandmother had a clawfoot bathtub. I felt like I could get lost in it.
They actually make fiberglass reproduction claw foot tubs. They’re more manageable to install.
Sounds wonderful.
Two facets were common prior to about 1960. When I was to boot camp,,early 1980s but in barracks built during WWII used separate hot and cold facets. Quite common in older homes.
Please not house building died in 1927 as the Great Depression kicked it, some surge in the late 1930s, but that surge was killed by WWII. Post war you saw a new surge in New housing, but mostly ranch style then Two Stories colonial. That lasted till the 1960s, but as early as the 1950s single facets started to be used. By 1970 the old dual facets just were no longer installed, even as replacements for older dual facets. Thus in the US it is rare to see dual facets today but it has been over a 50 year trend in the US.
I recently discovered baths but only for soaking in hot water to soothe my aches and pains. I then drain the tub and shower to clean myself.
I do the same
*Yvonne* "I then drain the tub and shower to clean myself."
I usually shower first, then soak in the tub. I don't want to soak in my own dirt.
@@MADSMOM02760 me too, on the rare occasion that I have time to soak in a bath, I shower afterward. My dad called baths, "Stewing in your own juices." :D
Usually in USA we have strings to turn on lights in basements and closets
Don't forget ceiling fans that use both a switch and a cord.
@@apexone5502 yes, exactly
A live circuit is a bad place for a wet environment. To prevent shocks, modern bathroom have a gfci ( ground Fault circuit interrupt.) That would be expensive maybe in an old home with old wires. So, a nice non-conductive string pull is safe...
@@jeeprod1 particularly, in the UK, mains voltage is 240, which is much more dangerous to a wet person than US 120, so in the UK, anything electrical in the bathroom must be either isolated from all chance of accidental contact (double insulated - including the pull string) or routed through a current limiting transformer (or in a newer home, a transformer with GFCI protection) that steps it down to 120V.
The tanks on some old-timey and retro gravity toilets are well above the seat. So some strings even flush the crapper.
American here. Sometimes I take a bath. I quickly get bored, the water cools off, and I'm left sitting there wondering why I'm taking a bath.
I agree about the getting bored part.
I like to bring a drink with me in the bath.🥤
Netflix ? You Tube ? Podcast? Books ? I never get bored while taking a bath. I love it in the winter time. I can’t imagine not having a nice spacious bath tub. Greetings from Germany.
@@sphhyn yeah, but i can take a 5-10 minute shower then lay in a comfortable bed and watch those.
Thomas Jenkins I don’t take bath for the sole purpose of cleaning. That’s what the shower is for! Taking a bath is like going to a spa in my own home. It is much more relaxing after a cold day outside or after exercise. More like a massage or a sauna visit. But I guess you have to grow up with that. It is just very common to do that here.Of course one needs a large comfortable bath tub. I would not take baths in those tiny American bathtubs either.
"Look master! Look what I invented!"
"That is fantastic! What do you call it?"
"I shall call it toilet paper"
"Toilet paper? what is a toilet?"
"I don't know. It hasn't been invented yet"
The Romans had toilets just not flushing ones they used running water from streams or aqueducts to carry away the waste. And used sponges on sticks for toilet paper lol .
Of course sponges don't grow on trees socialist never talk about that . LOL every one gets toilet access but you have to share shit sticks .
@@remley8877 Communal sponges - how hygienic! 😱
Or Environmentally Conscious depending on which side of the poop stick you stand on .😂🤣😅🙄
jimbotheassclown Oh, yes, all the prosperous socialist states of Northern Europe are very secretive about the fact that they share sponge sticks in restrooms.
6 ft 1 ? CZcams makes you look much shorter 😁
I thought the same thing, too!! 😂😂😂
@@AutumnGoth363 yeah I was thinking 5'9"??
Yes, he mostly shoots with the camera above him. If the camera were below he would look taller.
ZER0ZER0SE7EN He'd also look a little bit taller if I was watching on a computer monitor instead of my little phone screen.
@@flamingpieherman9822 Yea like 5'8 or 5'9
Here in the Colonies we find the a hot shower to be faster and more efficient in getting clean. Many, including me, find a nice hot shower gets the day started nicely!
A bath isn't just about getting clean, it is about relaxing. I hate that there is no tub in my house. My knees and shoulders would very much like for me to be able to have a nice hot soak on a regular basis.
I never got the morning shower thing personally. Im just going to go get filthy and sweaty at work. I prefer doing so before bed.
@@LanMandragon1720 To each their own... I don't get filthy and sweaty at work. And if I do for some reason, I shower asap.
@@BrigitofBergental I have often thought about getting a walk in to replace my tub but know I would regret it.
@@manifestman132 I would love a walk-in tub as I have a disability & wear a shoe appliance & am unable to tolerate the pain that comes from standing on a hard surface with the appliance on. Unfortunately the shoe it's attached to doesn't do well in water. To step in & then remove it would be an advantage...and to sit & then get out without possibly breaking a leg would be a joy. So to bathe, I am forced to use a shower chair, a handheld shower attachment and a basin to soak my feet in. Far cry from younger days...& to soak up to neck would be a joy.🤭
The pull switch was intended to prevent electrocution by touching a light switch with wet hands.
Installing a GFCI will accomplish the same.
I thought this was common knowledge 😂
Not if you watch the electroboom Channel he had a great video explaining why you shouldn't plug your cell phone charger into a extension cord knot on a GFCI or for those over the pond RCD.
As far as the pull string was most light switches started off as a rotary switch that was easy to turn into a pull string motion until we develop better switches. or at least ones without big giant gaps in the front.
@@imark7777777 the point is that the pull cord is still the standard in most UK bathrooms despite using switches in the rest of the house.
@@JoshHarris9395 for safety
@@jpw6893 I know, I'm the person defending the post
"Pull the plug"
British meaning - "to empty the bath"
American meaning - "to turn off an electric device"
@@blendedtonesable by turning off an electric device.....
@@a-drewg1716 Dear, in the American venacular it is also an idiom. Electricity doesn't have to be involved.
I use the switch to turn off an electrical device. I "pull the plug" to put the electrical device away or move it to a different location. I "pull the plug" to empty the bathtub as well.
@wmfivethree I pull the plug in order for the bathtub to drain.
@@blendedtonesable "Pull the plug" is normally used in reference to putting a living being down, generally humans. It comes from the process where the life support keeping someone alive is is turned off ie disconnecting the electricity running to the machine. It is almost always used for that as other wise Americans mostly use "put down" or "put to rest".
As an American living in England...separated taps are the worst. 😆
They're in America, too, but mostly in older homes. I've got one from the 1920s.
I agree. I'm British living in England and I don't have them in my house! Can't stand them.
I had separate taps in my circa 1935 house, until we had to replace the taps. I can’t believe that we put up with that for almost 20 years.
why did u move to england?
I agree. I lived in England and we had Hot and cold taps not just in the bathroom but in the kitchen. So I was constantly doing the rotation of burning my hands to a crisp and then putting them under the cold water. We had this rubber thing on our shower that was supposed to mix the water so you could take a shower. But it didn’t work very well so you have to spin around really quickly so you didn’t burn half your body and freeze the other half. And also in English bathrooms there were no electrical outlets. I have my electric toothbrush sitting charging outside the door.
Turns out my grandma's house was in Britain, and all these years I thought it was Ohio.
Mine was too--in California!
I think you will find that most older homes/buildings in the US do have split taps, pull string lights, and bigger deeper bathtubs with the inclined backs.
My house was built in the early 1940's no longer has the split taps , but it has a big iron/porcelain tub, pull string lights, a mail slot, milk door, and laundry shoot.
I miss the laundry chute!
How bout a coal chute? And a basement room that was cooler for root vegetables in the winter.
@@carolperczak9938 I don't remember seeing a many coal shoots, it may have had to do more with area city vs rural as well as wealth. I know that I have seen coal shoots in very large old buildings and homes on the east coast of the US, but I haven't come across any in the Midwest outside of cities... likely because it was developed much later in time and wood was plentiful and easier to get. But that's just my theory on it without digging into it :)
The root cellar is a huge thing that you can still find, though people have often let them fall into disrepair. A good root cellar is at the top of my list with a wood stove in my next house...and a hand pumped Well, our ancestors knew a lot of things that people today really should not be forgetting.
Growing up in the States we actually had one of those pull string lights in our bathroom.
We had them in our basement, and every so often, one would pull on the string and it would break away in one's hand, making it just about impossible to turn the light back off.
ISn't it for old buildings? My place has a massssive long pull string for the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom....
@@ibekingape Somewhat, it was just a style of light, but with time and more innovations in design, some choices just overtook others. We had them on desk lamps often, which was really nice, since they were easier to find the string that it was to reach up next to the bulb to find the little switch there.
I most often see them on ceiling fans, but some fixtures have that style of switch.
My gran had pull string lights in her old home. Mostly they were in small areas like closets, the cellar, & bathroom.
Separate hot and cold taps WERE certainly common in the US all the way through the 1970s.
And I'm glad they were basically done away w/. Hated having to switch back & forth between the 2 faucets when I did encounter them & don't see why he thinks the single faucet means he uses more water. I don't want to switch between burning myself & freezing--just give me my WARM water!!
@@leiatyndall8648 in the UK we have plugs.You put the plug in, this stops the water from escaping. You then turn on the taps as appropriate to get the desired temperature. Once. Finished you take out the plug and the water drains. It's quite incredible really.
@@jpw6893 In america we also have plugs.
@@jpw6893 but then you must choose between a scalding or freezing rinse to get the soap off
@@leiatyndall8648 It doesn't 'IF' you fill the basin. Both will then obviously use exactly the same. However, because of the problem you said about 2 faucets, people with them, are far more inclined to wash themselves in a half full basin. However, with a single faucet, people instead are far more inclined just turn on the water and wash themselves under the running water, with the plug out. Which in most cases, uses up far more water, than half filling up the basin.
Every time you said "baths" I imagined it was short for "bathematics" for some reason
Of course they have a whole city named Bath over there.
That's funny!
@@chicagodaddy1 both sides of the pond have a city named "Bath".
The string light pull is a relic of many of our pasts. I remember having them in older apartments and homes as a child.
To this Midwesterner baths aren't for cleansing. They're for relaxing in comfy hot water while reading a good book with some good tunes.
Especially late in the evening after the rest of the household had gone off to bed. No interruptions of kids needing things, dogs barging in to check in you, or someone else needing to use the potty wich will stink up the joint.
My rental apartment came without a plug for the bathtub. Isn't that sad? I just bought one (a year after moving in), so maybe I'll test out my bathtub soon!
String light-switch thing is just the standard for closets.
So, it's not *totally* foreign, but would definitely be weird to encounter.
cpMetis A string light switch is much easier to wire.
I thought he was implying that it doesn't go directly to the bulb, because we would all recognize that.
Add E I listened again and it wasn’t clear to me.
cpMetis and old, dark, scary ass basements.
So it's the standard for standard closets, but not for water closets?
A lot of old houses in the US have separate taps.
I live in a house that was built in 1896, we replaced the plumbing but I kept the claw foot tub and the original 1920’s toilet. I love the deep tub, and you could flush a bag of kittens( I never would, I love cats) down the toilet. We also had to replace the wiring, we had to pull a string in every room.
Reminds me of the house I grew up in
I'm surprised you didn't say anything about not having outlets in the bathroom. That drives me crazy every time I'm in the UK.
Better than getting electrocuted our outlets have higher voltage levels and that is why we dont have them in the bathroom
@@lissie8602 Here in the US we have circuit breakers on the electrical outlets in the bathroom.
Barbara Melone They do too. I think you mean a GFI?
joan whitaker I’m surprised he didn’t mention the fact that it was/is law that lights had to have pull string switches based on the assumption that you could get shocked from a wall switch and the reduced voltage outlet that’s specifically for shavers.
@@lissie8602 That is not why u don't have outlets in your bathroom. 120v can be just as deadly as 210v. The reason why is a lot of European housing precedes GFCI tech. I also believe codes have not been updated in a lot of areas to provide for GFCI outlets.
In America, the bathtub is mostly used by children who are too young or too afraid to take showers. Aside from spas, resorts, fancy hotels, and some luxury homes, appropriately large bathtubs are a rarity on this side of the pond...
Afraid of showers? I remember the water being cold by the time it got as low as me, so showers were always cold. But I wasn't _afraid_ of the shower.
Speak for yourself....I love baths! LOL 😁. Maybe I never grew up!
The thing is is that kids who use the bathtub are using it to clean off rather than already having washed off and just enjoying the warm bath.
InventorZahran 327
I got a big soaker tub a shower that sprays from all sides .
Through I guess it’s only for high end houses.
My house was 180 k .
Love the bath.
Whenever I travel to a big city on business, I try to spend at least one night in a hotel with a large tub so I can take a long hot bath. Often I will eat vanilla ice cream or drink ginger ale while in the bath.
There is a feedback loop where small bathtubs cause Americans to not want to take baths.
If you take a bath in a tub you have to scrub the soap scum ring off it when you're done. If you take a shower you can just spray the walls with bleach water and then hose everything down after a minute or two. No scum to scrub as it never has a chance to collect. Less mess, less fuss, less time wasted. And if you have one of those massaging shower heads - oh the joys!
R Tyria
Nothing-absolutely nothing-can match a long leisurely soak in an old clawfoot tub.
I have that Cerberus logo tatted on my ribs lol
As an American, I suspect my fellows lag in the great bath love because taking a shower is quicker and we like to think it saves water. As an Alaskan, and living in a house with the delicious luxury that is plumbing, I live for the bath. My perfect evening is a shower to clean and a bath to soak - and an Agatha Christie mystery or some P G Wodehouse which I read aloud for the cats.
When I was in Anchorage, showers were water on, rinse, water off, soap, water on, rinse and get out before the water freezes on you. Not a relaxing experience. Three years of that.
The toilet in it's own room threw me, although I can see now how that's so much more sanitary
Melissa Walker Add the fan and it’s a godsend.
In Switzerland and France, it drove me nuts that the sink was in a separate room from the toilet. Having to go to a separate room to wash my hands was annoying. I've seen Japanese toilets which use incoming water for a sink on the toilet tank that then goes into the toilet for flushing. Smart!
San Francisco is full of buildings that have the toilet all by itself in a separate room.
In the netherlands every house has a toilet with a tiny sink near the front door ( for guests) , and one bathroom upstairs that has a shower and a sink, and sometimes a toilet and/or a nice, deep tub. Oh yeah, and most toilets have a flat part in it, so you can admire your own business...
Having a singular tap saves so much water. Not sure why you think filling up a sink just to wash hands means less water.
I think maybe he meant that because the hot and cold tap temperatures are so uncomfortable, they use as little water as possible while washing their hands? Even so, I'm American and all for having a singular faucet. Seems crazy to divide them.
harusameiro older buildings still have them divided. I work in an old residential building. All the bathrooms have the split faucets.
@@harusameiro Perhaps if one was to leave the water running while soaping up ones hands the water used would be more than a sinkfull? This is why faucets should not only be singular but also easy to operate with a soapy hand, none of those twisty-turny faucet handles for me, please!
Running water continuously and it going down the sink, versus using a plug
Yeah, if you think you use more water with a single tap, can’t you just fill the bowl with the proper temperature water? It’s not like you have to change the way you wash your hands just because the tap is different.
I lived in a hundred year old house that didn’t have a shower for 11 years, now I don’t think I will ever take another bath in my life!
Can imagine that. I don’t like baths at all. It’s boring, and in the end you had to shower anyway.
was the old house haunted.?
David Brown unfortunately no.🙃
I'm not sure I would survive lol. I just don't feel clean after a bath.
I lived in an extremely old house and one of the bathrooms did have an antique claw foot tub but the other bathroom had a show stall, thankfully
I like soaking in hot water on occasion (maybe once every week or two), often while reading. It helps me better clean and exfoliate my feet. I soak in clean water for a while, then when I get bored I exfoliate my feet, shampoo my hair and wash my body, then stand up to rinse, condition my hair, and rinse out the conditioner.
Nothing like a good, hot bath! I'm tall, so it's rather vexing that I have to keep my knees bent in a place I should be relaxing! I was lucky in that a house I lived in for 5 years as a child had a jacuzzi and, thus, it was larger and more comfortable than normal tubs. We went on vacation a few weeks ago to a house where my room had a positively massive one in its bathroom ... man, I miss that thing!
As a side note, here on the east coast some buildings still have that two-tap system in some bathrooms, namely at schools and universities. I never quite understood why. Learn something every day!
This was your funniest video!😂
I am living in UK (coming from eastern Europe) and the impact of the british bathrooms was huge!
May I sugest to try and explain in one of your lovely videos why the windows in Uk open outwards and not inwards like in any other country I visited?😄
I have always loved a good bath, but I was raised by my German grandparents, and in the old apartment we lived in Chicago, all we had was an old bear claw tub. No shower. I never saw a shower until my grandmother and I moved into a different apartment when I was 17. Those old bear claw tubs were great ... they held a lot of water and you could take a lovely, long soak. The house I'm in now has a nice big soaker tub because I absolutely insist on being able to soak in a hot bath at least a couple of times each week.
you mean "clawfoot tubs", right?? ive always wanted one myself.
Buy a house made in 1960 that hasn't taken the bathtub out. It's huge and can fit my 6'3 husband. Cast iron too with no shower but we put one it.
The tub in my American bathroom is raised, but that’s because it was made almost a hundred years ago.
The largest bath tub I have ever encountered was in a Hotel on Princess Street in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Third? I myself prefer a nice shower, but to each your own. I think the concept of the pull string light came about due to retrofitting lights into existing spaces, but in the US a pull string in a bathroom is often a health call alert so I was leary of using it on my UK trip.
Pull-strings might actually be safer from an anti-electrocution standpoint. If you're n the bathroom ,you'll probably get your hands wet sooner or later, and it can be dangerous to touch a light switch with wet hands. The string alleviates this danger, and can allow for additional convenience, depending on implementation.
I just hate fumbling around in the dark trying to find the damn string.
@@InventorZahran ~ In America, we have light switches that will automatically shut off the electric current of the outlet if it gets wet. And a person has to push a "reset" button in order for it to be useable again. It's very simple and safe. Only a much older home may not have this. But then again, the light switches are usually covered anyway. So there is no reason to fear being electrocuted...
I was thinking the same thing. Those strings in America are to call for help in an emergency situation. I prefer to flip a wall switch anyway. It's easier, and in most bathrooms, they are just inside the room on the wall...
@@Deborahtunes In that case, my parents must've just told me that so I'd remember to dry my hands well...
In the states, it's mostly children who take baths. I probably haven't had one in at least 20 years, and as much as I think it would be relaxing, I don't see it as being as convenient or as hygienic as a shower. What is nice is a double shower rather than a tub shower combo. So much room!
If I ever get to build my own house, that's what I want in my bedroom/bathroom, a really nice shower. Half of it being the shower area, and half being an area to dry off, before stepping out into the rest of the bathroom. But still having a drain on the floor for water coming off of me.
I honestly don't see the point in a tub, because I would never use it.
Adults use the bathtub also, but it's a pain in the butt to clean. It's just easier to take a shower.
I had a separate tap in my bathroom growing up. The downstairs and master bathroom were modern but my bathroom hadn't been upgraded since the 60's. It was charming.
My grandmothers house had the pull string light switches, it was an older style of doing things.
We had separate taps when I was raised in the 50's and 60's.
I live in a pre-WWII building. Hot and cold taps and a raised bathtub. Weird water pressure.
Me, too, but the two spigots connected to a single faucet, so one could easily set the water temperature.
Ok boomer
I have the benefit of a 100 year old bathtub, so it is large and very comfortable. Now, I just need a bidet.
It was in France that I truly experience the raised bath. I stepped in the slippery tub (I was the last to shower) and my foot hit the bottom before I knew it. It caused me to slip forward, almost into the wall. Then getting out I almost fell and broke my neck cause the floor was much lower then I thought it was.
You manage such great humor and delivery throughout your videos, yet you wince in pain and apologize when you make a pun. Don’t apologize, we deserve it 😂
It's not like it's a pun-ishment. 😎
I prefer a long hot shower with an epic shower head.
Me too. It's quicker, cleaner, and so much easier. Baths take up too much time, and then you have to constantly clean out the tub afterwards. Too much of a hassle, especially if you are on your way out the door in the morning...
@@Deborahtunes Showers are good before work. Baths are great for after work. Both fulfill certain needs.
@@midgetwthahacksaw ~ Thing is, I'm not going to waste all that time. You're talking at least an 1 to 1-1/2 hours from start to finish for a bath. Especially since I've already had a shower that morning. It's just not happening...
@@Deborahtunes I work a job that has me always on my feet so, for me at least, it's nice to soak for an hour or two and get some reading time in with a good book.
It's helps me relax and unwind.
@@midgetwthahacksaw ~ Oh well, to each their own. By the way, most of my jobs have been physical labor employment, all on my feet; but I still prefer a shower. I relax by listening to music...
Pulling a cord to toggle a light is common in the US just with ceiling fans instead of bathrooms. I don't know the situation up north, but down in the South every room in the house has a ceiling fan so we're no stranger to that cat designed mechanism.
It might be every room if you're upper middle class or rich, maybe.
Lamps sometimes have that too. That might be my favorite way to turn a light off and on, honestly. There's something satisfying about that click.
Jwb52z fans would be the lower income alternative to central air conditioning. You’re backwards. Also, “the south” was specifically stated where fans prevent death in heat waves so they’re pretty standard.
@@jwb52z9 Most homes I've been in, rich or poor, have ceiling fans.
We're not so much with the ceiling fans, but their common enough that I've never seen someone not know how to use one.
As a child in Pennsylvania in the sixties our bathroom had separate taps and a big claw foot iron and porcelain tub.
Yes, you have left everyone FLUSHED.
As a large man I despise the tiny bathtubs in most houses.
As an average-sized woman, I also despise the tiny, shallow bathtubs! Either you have the bottom half of yourself in the warm water, and the top half is in the air, or you cans smooch down to get the top half of you warm, but now, your bent wet legs go up out of the water! No thanks! 🛀
In the U S. It was common homes to have the freeze-burn sinks & pull string lights in homes being built prior to the late 1950's
My home was built in 1918 and didn't have separate taps, and we replaced all of the old sinks. We did, however, have toilets with the tank high up on the wall with a chain attached that you had to pull to flush.
A most enjoyable video. After watching, I realized that I was well aware of most information contained within.
Your presentation is what put this over the top. 😃👍🏻👍🏻
As an American, I guess when we want the relaxing "Bath soak" we tend to just jump in the Jacuzzi to unwind
I don't know anybody who has a jacuzzi.
Same here, moonlily
scottc13201420 Jacuzzis are a breeding ground for bacteria. They cause UTI’s and other infections...ughhh...no, thanks!
@@lessehead Yes, I heard a doctor describe a shared jacuzzi as jumping into a bowl ass soup. LOL!
My mom cleaned houses for years, and few of her customers used their jacuzzis. She said they were often dusty.
After I win the lottery I'm going to get one of those walk-in tubs.
I appreciate the elegant design of having the water float in place when you open the door to get in.
Have to be in the bath before you fill and empty it, sitting in the bath getting cold as the water drains away
@@jacquelinewesson1202 Yep. Even with my compromised mobility, I'd much rather have a tub I need to climb into.
Christel Headington they are not that expensive.
can you buy me a pizza too
A lot of British bathrooms have no electrical outlets / sockets except for the shaver etc. . The string for the light might be for no light switch and that electricity and water don't mix . Strick building regulations on this in a lot of homes
Where I live the light switch is often found outside the bathroom, right by the bathroom door. I guess this is for safety reasons. On one hand it's easier to find as you walk in to a dark bathroom but on the other hand it gets really annoying when someone turns the light off from outside while you are in there.
@@emmamemma4162 same where I live in the UK. The light switch is outside .
@M Detlef strict. Lol
When I was in the UK i remember using a toilet that the tank was up on the wall i had to pull a chain to get it flush you really right a Bath is the best
Lawrence, you are hysterical! Love your videos!
Actually in the US if you go into very old houses you will see two taps in the sink . I went to an estate sale in a historic home built in the 1920s in an old part of the city that I live near and they had a sink with two taps and radiators in all the rooms which is kind of rare where I live in the south
In my house, the unfinished parts of my house still have pull-string lights. This includes the attic, garage, and parts of the basement. My house was built in 1984 in New Jersey, in case you're wondering.
Ben Schwartz My current kitchen in New Jersey has a pull string light. My childhood home also had a pull chain kitchen light.
Yup, we have them there, too. We're built in 73.
I love your channel. Keep it up!
The best bathtub I ever had was one in a rental upper that I had before moving south. It was a genuine antique claw-footed tubwith the perfect back slope. I frequently would fall asleep in the bath after coming home from work and drawing a hot bath. It was lovely.
Older houses in the US usually have seprate taps.
But in the U.S it comes directly from the water mains in the U.k older homes not remodeled cold water was pumped to the attic in to a opened top holding tank and rats and bugs would fall in and drown and be piped in to your water taps .
Much, much older houses. About 1945 and before.
I have one bathroom with split faucets (1885 plumbed in 1922) and my Mom's house had one built 1942.
I think the open roof water tanks were condemned in the US after WWII...usually the only reason to cling to split taps in codes.
Having lived in many older houses, that is not true. The only place you might find them is with very old plumbing, but most places have been converted. There is nothing usual about separate taps here, no matter the age of the location.
My first apartment after I graduated from college had double taps but I got used to it.
My childhood home had double taps, as did my grandparents' house.
If we redo our bathroom we will not have a bathtub, it’s getting ripped out and put in a walk in shower instead.
Living Life with Momma Wendy
We found a shower pan designed to match the footprint of a standard bathtub since we didn’t have much room in the existing bathroom. With an added safety bar and simple built in shelf/seat, we would never go back to a tub. You won’t regret it.
There goes resale value. ⬇️
If you have more than one bathroom, one can still contain a bathtub.
We ripped out our shower in the master and put in a huge tub/ shower combo
Just make sure you have a bath somewhere in your house, or it'll be impossible to sell it, especially to a young family
As a British person visiting the Netherlands, I found they do not even have hot taps at all in many toilets, especially public ones! Washing your hands in freezing water is character building apparently...
I absolutely love to take hot bath, daily soak in evening in a large tub is utter bliss!! It’s hard getting in and out of tub with gimpy knee, but is still worth it!!
Also with the exception of the house I live in now the taps have always been separated. Oh I forgot the bathtub taps are separated too!
Definitely have to make sure the temp is right before getting in
As an American who lived in Australia for a few years, one oddity I found was that some houses have the toilet in a separate room from the sink and bathtub. Here in the USA I am currently in an older home with the 2 taps in the bathroom sink and mostly pull cord lights throughout the house. My home also used to be a small cottage and they sacrificed the tub for shower to my great regret. I love baths.
Yes, as an Australian with an American girlfriend I find it hard to know what to call the bathroom here when I want to make it clear I mean the room with the bath in it not the room with the toilet in it.
Whereas when I'm in the US I can just say bathroom and there's no ambiguity.
@@beatrixwickson8477 How about Bathing room?
@@Nyx773 it sounds a bit fancy to my ear, but it works!
@@beatrixwickson8477 Or you could ask in French for the shower:
Où est la douche?
I love your channel, I just came acrossed it this past week :)
Love your sense of humor.
Pull strings for lights were quite common in the states when I was a kid. the 70s.. yes im old... and I will stfu nao.
Cawfee Dawg
I became an adult in the 70s, so I know you’re not all that old.
Yes, I believe the reason that I saw pullstrings in some of my older houses was that if you were putting new wiring in (especially on plaster and lath walls and ceilings), the less wiring, the less cost and the less mess, so if you don't put a wall switch in, you wouldn't need to rip apart the ceiling and the wall to that switch, nor spend the extra on that amount of wiring.
Still see them on things like closet lights or utility rooms where there's little room to run conduit for a wall switch. But overall much less common these days.
@@jonathanvanderpol1435 I think this is correct. We owned an old apartment building with lath and plaster walls and that was exactly the case I believe. As we updated the apartments we added wiring so the lights were controlled by a wall switch. There were aseveralf advantages to this: 1. Pull chains are ugly. 2. They make the bathroom look outdated. 3. Wall switches are much more reliable than pull chain switches. 4. There is a much larger range of bathroom lights that don't have pull chains than that do have pull chain switches.
The string switch is for safety due water splashing on it. Thus having the switch higher prevents this
The string gets higher and higher as it breaks off from time to time, until you have to replace the whole cord. It usually breaks off when you most need to be able to see to go into the bathroom - Sod's Law.
@@prva9347 Those cords cost like 1-3 euro. which is really cheap.
A new switch cost around 15-20 euro
@@darknessblades Retying the cord no matter how short it goes is a habit of human nature :-)
Yrs ago in the US, we had the two taps. As time went on, they put them into one spigot. Those chain lights were in the basement, at least in our old home.
For the record, I remember having your first three items growing up. You are absolutely correct regarding the tubs being too small. I am tall and have long legs and it is more difficult to relax in a tub.
The other thing is the plugs. The British bathrooms I have been in only have that 2 pronged shaver like plug not a hair dryer or general 3 pronged plug (which is configured differently zlso).
Most British bathrooms do not have plugs (outlets, sockets) at all.
To prevent suicide by electrocution.
@@ChrisPage68 yeah, but that that is so rare as to be nearly non-existent.
@@StamfordBridge I don't doubt it.
PageMonster No, to hugely inconvenience a nation.
A lot of older homes and businesses have separate taps where I live. On both the bathroom sinks and especially the kitchen sinks. In America.
My mom lives in an old house in Cincinnati with separate taps.
I had an old house built at the turn of the century.
When they put indoor plumbing in it had seperate taps. I personally hate them because the only way to get comfortable (warm) water is to mix it in the bowl. Welcome to progress with the dual tap on one spout.
“Watered down version” Gotta love it .
My grandmother had a very old house where the sink had separate taps for hot and cold. She also had an original giant "clawfoot" bathtub. That bathtub was so deep you could just about fill it up to your armpits when sitting in it!
So did my maternal grandmother and the room itself was HUGE. You had to walk several feet from the door to the toilet across the room. The house was built around the beginning of the 20th century, so maybe that bathroom was once a bedroom.
A combined tap allows a small amount of warm water for washing without filling the sink bowl - not sure why you use more water.
I'm pissed right now while watching this, no not like that, I mean I'm drunk, but this video just made me laugh so hard I had to actually piss. Mr. Brown, you're hilarious.
New Subscriber! Lost in the Pond! Hahahaha! Loved this video! I love your explaining the differences between the different countries!
I like taking nice, long, hot baths in winter. After purchasing my condo I had the old traditional style tub replaced with a walk-in tub and I REALLY love it! It comes with a shower hose for rinsing. I take quick, cool showers in the summertime.
My grandparents had the pull cord for the only light over the mirror in their bath. Separate hot and cold handles too.
Right, back in the 1950's and 60's.
ilLOOminating discussion.
After a run or other exercise, a hot shower can't beat a nice long wallow in a hot bath preferably with some bubble bath added.
Both of my full bathrooms have nice deep soaker tub and I love baths. Very relaxing after crazy day at work.
Eeeh, I went on a toilet where the water level was too high, dipped a finger while wiping.
ccubsfan94 damn how long is your ass?😳
TMI but yes
@Kimberly Parrish I was wondering how guys who are 'well endowed' manage with a water level that high. lol
Joyce Galloway Parker They They’ll stick to the old joke and tell you the water was cold.🙄
@@kimberlyparrish7522 LOL!!!
I stopped taking baths when I found out about Jacuzzis.
The most filthy bath tub lol when's the last time you cleaned inside the jets ? Never i bet 😂🤣😅 .
Aka spa pools
@@jimbotheassclown Have you never heard of spa sanitizer?
Most people that own Jacuzzi tubs have never even thought about it . Is my point.
Enjoy your staff infection! Lol
Just love your humor!
Omggg I'm only halfway thorough and the puns are killing me!! 😂😂😂
Adorable Puns 😂 that was fun 👏. I totally agree with you, I love hot baths 🛀. My Husband even put a tv 📺 in there so I can relax destress with bubbles and coffee while enjoying tv 📺 oh that was TMI. My Husband only likes showers and he doesn’t understand bathing sitting in dirty water. So I explained to him that I do my unwinding and relaxing first then wash up right before I get ready to get out. My Husband said “ oh that makes sense 👍”, but he still doesn’t like sitting in water, how cute is that. Thank you for sharing, you are always so much fun 👍👍
My hallway has the string-pull light. Actually a metal beaded "chain'" for lack of a better description. But they're definitely around.
Funny that those were always called a chain.
Great & informative episode.
4:08 I believe this is to stop people from getting electrocuted from switching the lights on and off with wet hands, although I doubt this is much of a problem with modern electronics
In much older homes they have the seperate taps for hot and cold, unless they've had an upgrade or remodel.
You still have the option of only hot or cold water in the single spigot if you just turn on one tap or the other. 🙄
Sandra Cox if you can turn on one tap or the other, you already have separate hot and cold instead of a mixer :)
The house we live in was built in the 50s. Most all the faucets are now on the central one faucet system....except for my bathroom faucet. For some reason the plumbers can't convert it over without it costing a fortune. As it takes a bit for the water to heat up, I can usually get my hands washed before I have to worry about being scalded.
@@nathanmercer , I'm almost positive that's exactly what I said.
The reason I even mentioned it is because some Irish woman on her own channel was doing this same schtick about 10 things Irish homes have that Americans don't. The double faucet was one she mentioned, but she asked, "what do you do if you just want either hot or cold water?" My reply in the comments was you just turn on either the hot knob or the cold knob.
@@nathanmercer , I reread it(mine) that's what I meant when I said you still have seperate hot and cold. I should have said with the one spigot you still have hot or cold.
@@ecclestonsangel, that's what I'm saying in our minds the seperate taps are an outdated old fashioned thing. They were in older homes when hot and cold running water was first plumbed into homes. We consider it outdated.
I really don't understand her saying they can have only hot, or only cold water, because you still have that with the single faucet you still have a knob for only hot and only cold. I think she had a blond moment. 🤣🤣🤣
How about lying in the tub while the shower rains down on you? You get the best of both worlds. You relax and you don't have to worry about the water getting cold.
American here. I love a good long soak in a bath. When we bought our new home, I was thrilled to discover that the master bathroom had a separate shower and tub, and the tub is huge. Nice and deep and has armrests built into the sides with a comfortable sloping back side to lay back against. Been living in this house for 11 years this summer and I've only taken a handful of baths in that sucker because it takes about 25 minutes to fill with water. No, I'm not joking. The faucet lets out about the same volume of water as a bathroom sink faucet. 🤦♀️
.....it gets Lost In the Pond!" Nice one! 😂😂😂
I only take baths when I have aches or pains. Like if I injure myself and need a hot soak to just help relax everything. I wish America put a higher premium on deep bath tubs. Houses with master bedrooms, often have an attached master bathroom. Those bathrooms often have large bathtubs. With jets.
"you don't know what you're missing! (re:baths)" I do...repetitive swimmers ear, lol.
Tubs are for bathing our relaxing, not Olympic laps 🤣
@maelienydd laying down...it didn't take much, I was prone to ear infections. I much prefer showers, now, my ears drain better that way.
No one has to waste water while washing their hands. You just take the first part of your description - plug the sink - then wash your hands. The only time I use running water is for the quick rinse . No need to keep the precious water going throughout the process. Works great - same result.
Love this video - subbed.
Light switches on ropes in bathrooms were also common over here in the Netherlands as well until late 60s.
It was mostly because of electrical safety. Wet hands on an electric switch was a safety hazard until residual current breakers where standardized in all modern homes.
Switches also have become more water resistant due to better safety standards.