Grass Bath Mats

Most grass bath mats or shower mats on the market today are not actually made from grass but are constructed out of more durable and innovative materials that are designed to simulate the refreshing feel of natural grass beneath your feet. They can also be an extra safety feature in your handicap shower environment by reducing the chances of a slip and fall.

Besides the practical reasons you might purchase a mat, grass shower mats can make your time in the shower a heavenly experience where thousands of fine bristles stimulate your senses and act like your own personal foot massager soothing sore feet after a long hard day.

Buying Grass Bath Mats

Grass bath mats offer several benefits over other types of traditional bath mats, and come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, patterns, and materials to choose from so you are sure to be able to find one to fit your taste, décor, or any tub or shower stall size. Prices vary widely, but a typical grass bath mat sells for $10 to $25.

Here are three products that might suit your needs for a grassy bath mat.

• Grass Pad Shower Mats – This one has the appearance of a grass mat with nylon grass.
• Soft Grass Bath Mats – Highly reviewed soft fiber grass feeling bath mat. Feels very soft on your sore feet. If you want a grassy feeling bath mat, this is it.
• Vinyl Grassy Bath Mats – Soft grass bath mat offers your feet a nice massage and scrub.

Advantages to grassy waterproof shower mats include the ability to better scrub your feet with all the stimulating blades of grass that also relax tired muscles throughout your entire body, ease of cleaning with constant draining action and the ability to simply wash and hang them for the next use, and grass mats won’t block water from flowing down the drain like many other mats.

When shopping and comparing the different grass mats available, look for ones that are packed with the most bristles which serve as mini foot scrubbers and massagers. Other desirable features include having adequate holes for drainage so your feet rinse well and you don’t slip on water buildup, a skid-resistant surface with suction cups, and materials that resist mildew. If you’re sensitive to chemicals or have allergies, you may want to look for latex-free materials, as well.

So if you want to pamper and indulge yourself while relieving stress at an affordable price, consider investing in a luxurious grass bath mat. If you do, you’ll soon find yourself imagining you’re outdoors in the Spring rain walking on a bed of soft lush grass as you wash your cares down the drain.

Safe Shower Stalls

Homeowners are deciding to have their bathrooms remodeled to comfortably and safely accommodate a loved one who may be in a wheelchair or have mobility issues due to age, an injury or a physical handicap. When this is the case, it is necessary to have an accessible open shower unit available for their personal hygiene needs. By using the guidelines for installing safe shower stalls, within the home, that are set up by the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are helping to preserve some of your loved one’s sense of independence, while providing them a safe showering environment for tending to their personal hygiene needs.

Creating a Safe Showering Environment

Some of the provisions set up by the ADA for creating a safe shower stall include:

A shower seat that is located on the opposite side of the facet and water controls in a 36 inch x 36 inch shower stall. When installed in a 30 inch x 60 inch tub style shower unit a fixed seat can be located on the wall that is opposite of the controls or you can install a folding style seat on the same wall as the controls are located.

A grab bar should be installed on the back wall of the tub where it is within easy reach of the individual when sitting down.

A shower head that is attached to a hose that is 60 inches in length and can be used both in a stationary manner and as a handheld unit provide the best results for handicap shower stalls. A fixed shower head that is positioned 48 inches from the floor of the tub or shower unit is also acceptable as long as it does not require the person to have to reach over their head, creating a slip and fall risk.

Safe shower stalls that are 36 inches x 36 inches should have a curb that is no higher than ½ inch high from the bottom of the shower unit. For shower stalls that are 30 inches x 60 inches there should be no curb on the side.

Open Shower Stalls

Safe Shower Stalls For Seniors

There should be no shower enclosures such as doors that will interfere with the transfer from the shower chair to a wheelchair or vice versa. It should be an open shower stall. For the able bodied, enclosures are acceptable to prevent the splashing of water. However, open shower stall units are great for creating the illusion of a larger bathroom. Add a couple of shower mats to reduce the chances of slipping. These are the safest open shower stalls for seniors because they eliminate the curb and anyone with knee or hip problems will find them life changing.

Following these guidelines will provide you with a sense of security when you want to give your loved one a safe environment for their grooming needs. This will also help to alleviate some of the stress placed on the person who is trying to help care for the individual by providing a peace of mind in knowing that the loved one has access to all of the necessary safety equipment available.

Wheelchair Friendly Showers

When you or a loved one must depend on the use of a wheelchair due to an injury, age, handicap or safety concerns it may feel as though you are losing a great deal of independence. One way to maintain some of your freedoms and sense of independence is to create an environment within the home that allows for you or your loved one to still be able to take care of their own personal needs in a safe manner. One major aspect of this is to install wheelchair accessible showers so that the individual can still bath and shower with little assistance with this much necessary task.

There are some guidelines that are set in place by the Americans with Disabilities Act to insure that the shower stall is constructed in a safe manner that will be both beneficial for the individual while providing the tools to assist them in areas that can be detrimental to their safety and security while bathing. Here are some specifications that should be set into place when designing a wheelchair accessible shower unit.

ADA Guidelines for Wheelchair Friendly Showers

A seat is required for the individual to have a place to sit while tending to their showering needs. With there being two basic size shower units consisting of a 36 inch x 36 inch unit or a 30 inch by 60 inch unit, the set up can be different. In a 36 inch x 36 inch unit, the seat should be stationary and positioned facing the controls on the opposite side of the shower. There are plenty of options available. In a 30 inch x 60 inch shower unit the seat can either be a stationary seat that is positioned on the opposite wall facing the controls or on the same side as the controls as long as the seat is a folding style.

Wheelchair Shower Accessories

Grab bars must be installed along the back wall of the shower unit to assist the individual with transferring from the wheelchair to the shower seat. You can also install grab bars on the outside of the shower unit to help with balance and stability.

All of the controls, faucets and shower head units should be mounted on the opposite wall than where the seat is positioned if possible.

A shower caddy for private homes can help put the shampoos and soaps in a reachable area.

The most ideal shower sprayer unit for wheelchair friendly showers is models in which the shower head is attached to a hose that is at least 60 inches long. This type of handicap shower head can be used either in a stationary manner or as a hand-held sprayer. If a stationary shower unit is installed, it should not be positioned more than four feet from the bottom of the tub on the wall opposite of the shower seat. This will help to prevent the individual from needing to reach over their head, creating a slip and fall risk.

The most ideal wheelchair friendly shower units should not have a curb. However, if you have a 36 inch x 36 inch shower pan, it is acceptable for the curb to be no more than ½ inch high.

There should never be any type of shower enclosure installed on a shower unit that can interfere with transferring back and forth to the shower unit. This most often includes shower doors that slide or open up in a limited amount of space.