Showers and more

I think its a culture thing. When I was in London (3 trips), I rarely smelled anyone that was....ripe... but when I did, it was usually someone that wasn't "english" ...

I dont know why they do that showerhead on a hose thing. My husband is english and when the showerhead went out on one of our showers, guess what he replaced it with? Yup, showerhead on a hose. No idea why they like that (But it is handier to clean and rinse the shower with!).

It is how the shower is taken or used. Remember, everything in Europe, water, electricity, etc. is more expensive and the pressure to conserve is much greater. American are used to standing under a steady stream of water. If you want to soap up you step away and step back in to rinse off. The European shower is not designed to stand under. It is on a "rope" as you put so that the water can efficiently directed to the body parts that you wish to wash. Also it can be easily turned on and off as you need the water. Truthfully I think it is a very efficient way to shower and we like it to the point having installed similar set ups in our home. And the systems, especially the Grohe brand, are not cheap.

I have regular showers here at home, but I like the handheld shower-heads- you can rinse yourself cleaner, really. I don't want to be graphic, but I do all sorts of gymnastics here to rinse (I am half German and lived there as a kid- so maybe it's cultural for me?)

I do know that bigger water heaters are now becoming more common, but they were not that common in the past. When we visited my grandfather in '92, he had a bigger water heater than normal (inspired by a U.S. visit), and I still couldn't get a "full" shower that I was used to for washing, conditioning (long hair) and bathing- I had to combine a shower with boiling my own water for a hand-wash. So, it really is a hassle when they don't have the same facilities we do.

It's also considered ecologically wasteful to run that much water for regular showers. Another character trait of older Germans is fear of catching pneumonia from wet-hair (or drafts!) Just throwing some thoughts out there.

I can't imagine not having a shower head on a hose anymore. It is great for rinsing out the tub, adjusting the spray, or for those times when maybe you just want to wash your hair, but not take a shower. I don't get why there should be any problem with this. It certainly isn't inefficient in any way at all.

We had a BO thread on the forum a while back and it got pretty smelly after a while, so be prepared.

My opinion on the BO issue is that most places here are not air conditioned. So, one does not step from the cool house into the cool car, then into the cool store or cool work place or cool restaurant. Here, you leave your warm house, walk in the heat to the warm tram or train, then into the warm office all day, and then into a warm store and even warmer, muggier train to go home. I don't care what kind of deo you use, you are going to be hot and sweaty.

I also never encountered a non-hose shower head until I came to the U.S., and while I've gotten used to just standing under a stream, I still prefer the hose. It's much easier to wash your hair and not get your face wet or even get in the shower if you don't want to. Easier to shave and wash your feet without striking a yoga pose, too.

I wouldn't be surprised if it were a conservation measure. I don't know if this happens in the rest of Europe (I am guessing it doesn't), but all of my relatives who life in highrises in Moscow also get their hot water shut off in July/August for "conservation"...there's one thing I definitely do not miss.

I do think the lack of AC is an issue. I travel to work on the London Underground every day. During the summer it gets to ridiculous temperatures (I have seen people have to get off because they are feeling so ill). I wear clean clothes every day and shower, but still end up looking like I have been dragged through a bush backwards.

Apart from a few old people (who just have baths) everyone I know has showers, but they don't have power showers. The cost of water can be really high and I think a lot of people don't wish to waste water. Most of the people I know are pretty ecologically-minded.

My first trip to Europe was to visit a friend in Paris. She had a TINY apartment in an older building. Her bathroom had a toilet (one of those with the tank up high on the wall and a long chain to flush) and a small tub with the showerhead hose thing. There was no standing up, you just sat in the tub and did your "shower."

As far as the BO thing goes, it also has to do with the kind of foods that people eat on a regular basis. Europeans eat differently than us, ergo their smell is also a bit "foreign". Ever ate a lot of garlic and then got real sweaty?

What in the world must those thrifty Europeans think about those showers you see on the home shows, with 2 or 3 heads, and sprays on the sides?!

I suspect there is a funny video show on European television. It shows Americans in hotel bathrooms, trying to cope with the tiny glass partition, the V-shaped tub, and the shower head on the rope.

Bo is one thing, what about the lack of oral hygiene in some? I have a sensitive nose and noticed that some of the people I met didn't ever brush their teeth let alone floss them.

Is any of this tied in to why washcloths are few and far between in European hotels? That's always been a pressing question for me, one of life's eternal mysteries...

Washcloths are considered a personal item, like a toothbrush. Just as you wouldn't use a presumably clean toothbrush that was left in your hotel room, neither would a European use a washcloth that was there.

People, it is about understanding cultural differences and practices. Your prejudices are showing if you assume that American practices are the standard and anything that varies from that is sub-standard. Adjust -- that is part of why you travel.

Thank you, Frank.

Michael actually asks 3 different questions:

1. why is the shower head on a hose

2. why is the shower inefficient

3. what's with the bo in public places

ad 1. It gives the shower more flexibility: + makes it easier to wash small children
+ you can use it if you only want to wash a particular part of your body e.g. your hair, only your feet ...
+ makes cleaning the shower so much easier as you can use the shower head to wash it out

ad 2. is independent of the hose. What you consider "inefficiency" is usually a water conservation measure. We have that installed in our basement shower with a fixed shower head as in all other bathrooms which were recently renovated and all have the flexible shower head on a hose.

ad 3. You got already lots of opinions here. My guess would be that it is a combination of lack of AC and some people simply not showering as often as Americans do - and that can have a variety of reasons.

That's not why I travel Frank. I am in it for the beer.

Well, it kind of sounds like you mostly order Bud Light. :-P

Well, I have lived in the US all my life. The showers in our own home have the "shower on a rope". Being able to move the shower head about is a great idea -- not at all unusual. A bidet is a great idea too, BTW, and not exclusive to Europe.

Michael's post reminded me of the a posting a couple of years ago from a women who had just returned from Paris and strongly recommended that one take instant coffee for your morning coffee because she had been unable to find a cup of "good American coffee" anywhere in Paris.

You can get beer out of a shower-head-on-a-hose?

Ya, called lite beer. And it is much cheaper. Michael's preferred brand.

Not sure what a shower on a rope is. Maybe you can post a picture of it. Are you talking about a shower head on a hose? That's sounds more like something I've seen in Europe. I actually like it that way, it makes it easier to wash and clean the tub IMO. How would you clean your tub without getting water all over the tub???
If I live in an apartment, I change the shower head with my own head'n hose thing.
There are countries in Europe where people smell, maybe it's the lack of deodorant or AC. Not sure.
A shower can not be inefficiant either on a rope or with 3 heads. It's all about how often one takes a shower or how good one washes.

One other thing not yet mentioned is that dry cleaning of one's "not launderable" clothes is very important to N. Americans but may not be affordable for some in Europe.

"dry cleaning of one's "not launderable" clothes"

Apart from my wool winter coat, I refuse to buy any "dry clean only" clothes. It just costs too much and I would rather spend my money on something else (more clothes!).

I agree, Linda, but I remember being in Prague in cool November weather when most people wore wool jackets or sweaters and being in close quarters on the trams had me longing for a sprtiz of cologne.

I am feeling like this thread will not be a candidate for Helpline Question of the Month.

Ah, yes, Michael, see what thou hast wrought?

Bea,

I'm in Europe now and could certainly post photos of "typical" European Showers, however I'm not sure where to post it, since the Helpline rules prohibit that sort of thing.

I don't mind the shower head being on a hose as it's actually quite convenient. However the 3 x 3 shower stalls are a bit of a challenge.

Hmm,, I have never thought the "shower on a rope" was completely unique to Europe,, my friend just spend mega money on a bathroom reno here, and yep,, that included a "shower on a rope". In our first home I purchased a shower hose and installed it as it made rinsing off the kids so much easier. We don't have one now,, but I wouldn't mind one, as certain things are easier to do, hair washing, leg shaving, etc.

As for BO,, I don't consider it unique to anywhere, but I think lack of AC and the likelyhood of being closer to people physically then I normally am here has something to do with it,, I was on the Tube about a week ago during rush hour and was way to close to way to many armpits. yech.

Well, since our memories are often very tied to our olfactory sense, just think how great it will be when you catch a whiff of BO at home and are magically transported back to Europe... :-)

Ken thanks.

I was wondering about "showers on a rope" as Michael AZ stated in his 1st post, not "shower with the head on a hose". I know how those look like.Seen them in Europe, but they didn't really bother me.
I actually used one in my former apartment...Nice head with 3-4 massage settings.
When I first read shower on a rope I was thinking about a bucket that can be pulled down by a rope so you get a splash of water.lol Seen those in movies only.
You can buy shower heads on a hose all over US and they are not that cheap.
Like this?
http://image06.webshots.com/6/5/64/49/189856449hemYzW_fs.jpg

Or the combo:US/ Euro:
http://www.plumbingworld.com/images/sotc-0702cinfo.jpg

Maybe the hand held shower heads are for faster showering as well. I made sure when visiting my english inlaws in Manchester, to be quick because they dont even have hot water heaters with hot water constantly available, rather you turn on "immersion" to heat-as-you-go.

A bit off topic but worth a mention-I think this is why some people in B&Bs complain about "cold water showers".. it may not always be because there is no heat, but because they didnt turn on the "immersion"... just a thought!

BO is cultural :) several years ago while hiking the inca trail to machu picchu for four days everyone smelled gamey...but the peruvian porters had a certain smell and the european backpacker kids had another...so im sure us middle aged americans and our teenagers had our own too. :P

I have to say I'm not a big fan of the showerheads on a rope. They're fine when they're fixed in place and you can stand under them (typical American!) but I've had some issues with them. I stayed with a friend in Goettingen (a college town in north central Germany) and his apartment had a bathtub with a shower curtain around it, and the showerhead was placed on top of the bathtub faucet. Of course when I turned on the water it sprayed everywhere, and I couldn't reach high enough to set it into its little placement up on the wall. And of course by then I was in the nude, so I couldn't ask my friend to come in and help me with the damn shower. So I did what all Europeans do, I guess: turn off the water, wash my hair with shampoo, turn on the water (aiming the showerhead in the corner of the wall and the bathtub) and rinse my hair, etc.

But my question is: how in the world do you take a shower with the detachable showerhead in a bathtub with a curtain without getting water all over the bathroom?

Sarah,

Actually, I had some experience about a month ago with a bathtub that was equipped with a "shower on a hose", in a deluxe Hotel in Athens. The bathtub was very small, probably about half the size of a North American tub. There was a small seat at one end for sitting and it was fitted with a shower curtain.

It was virtually impossible to avoid spraying water on the floor. That's probably why there was a floor drain installed between the tub and the toilet. It was a bit "different" but I wasn't complaining as in the heat of Athens, I was happy to have a shower of any kind to use!

Cheers!

I'm glad someone brought up the second problem with European showers. While some have doors, the shower curtains rarely contain much water. I end up mopping up water as I exit. Am I the only one? Perhaps Rick could release a training DVD on showering in Europe?

While some have doors, the shower curtains rarely contain much water. I end up mopping up water as I exit. Am I the only one?

No you're not alone:) No matter how diligent I'am in tucking-in the curtain, I always manage flood the bathroom. I do what I can to use towels to soak it up, but I'm always embarrassed! The weird part is that I have a shower curtain at home, so I know how to work them and prevent flooding at home???? My theory is that the nozzles are at different heights, and I'm not judging the angles correctly.

had one in germany with a head on a hose and no shower door or curtain. just stand in the tub and decide which part of the room to drench?

Just make sure you put the toilet paper outside of the room before you take a shower (voice of sad experience speaking here...).

"Just make sure you put the toilet paper outside of the room before you take a shower (voice of sad experience speaking here...)."

Excellent advice. Should be in the top ten of traveller tips!

You are supposed to SIT in the tub,, wet down with shower on hose. Turn off hose. Soap up. Rince while sitting. Water does not get on floor if done this way.

Energy to heat water is expensive.

These shorter bath tubs with a built-in seat are also called "Sitzbadewanne" in German. And as they apparently don't exist in Northamerica it's no surprise that I wasn't able to find a corresponding English word for it. It means "sitting bath tub" and as Pat already said it is meant for sitting in it, not for reclining in it and not for a stand-up shower. They are used mainly for two reasons:

a) if you don't have enough room in the bathroom for a full-sized tub

b) if you want to provide a safer and easier to use option for older people or those with mobility problem

My experiences of soaking everything in range is with shower curtains around shower trays not bath tubs. Sorry if I have missed it but no one seems to have mentioned the clinging!

I have a shower "on a rope" over my own bathtub and a curtain that does its job properly. IMO its all to do with the placement of the rail/hook for the shower head and the size of the curtain fitment and the curtains themselves.

Well, there is one simple reason for having a showerhead on a hose vs. a fixed showerhead: To be able to wash all your body parts thoroughly and rinse thorougly. I've always wondered how the heck you Americans get the soap out from everywhere without a showerhead on a hose?

Christophe- The answer is washcloth. Now two mysteries are solved-why don't European hotels have washcloths, and why dont' Americans have shower head on hose?

There's an old joke here in America. When you bathe, you wash down as far as possible. Then you wash up as far as possible. Then you wash possible.

Christophe,

We do it by using too much water (especially teenage girls). :)

Did I miss the comments about the various knobs and/or having to remember to turn on the hot water. While I've always been able to figure out any variation of European shower I encounter, it's a complaint I've heard many times from Americans.

"Shower on a rope" makes me laugh because it reminds me of "soap on a rope".

Thanks to everyone for your helpful posts! This time I'll try sitting in the tub and using the showerhead. It turns out that I'll be staying in Goettingen again this time, but also with friends in Hamburg and Berlin whose apartments will undoubtedly have crazy showers! I will ask my German friends about these showers and report back. I'm glad that I'm not the only American who had/has trouble with this!

One more tip: When you have a "bathtub and shower curtain" combination, remember to let the bottom of the shower curtain fall on the inside of the tub and not hang on the outside. Otherwise, you will create a mess. But this is maybe trivial...

The point we were making (and what makes it so funny), is that we were tucking in the shower curtain, but still managed to make a mess.