*sneaks into teacake's bathroom to put soap into mouthwash* a walk in tub and shower (as in stepping into it through a door without having to climb over a high rim) has nothing to do with ensuite bathrooms and is actually a pretty cool invention! My parents are in their mid-70s and are currently considering to install such a thing. It's more comfortable if you're walking impaired and the risk of slipping and falling is smaller, too. I once had one in a hotel room - loved it!
Two of the places I have lived in had an outside loo (and in both cases the laundry was outside as well).
The "hot" water temperature setting on most American washing machines is usually about 140-160ºF (60-70ºC). Not even close to boiling hot. I assume you mean a Jacuzzi, not a huge Yakuza! (That's okay, I wouldn't dare try to write anything in German!)
oh dear! *blush* I googled it, using "yakuzi" because I was uncertain about the spelling and got lots of pictures, so I thought it was ok. Seems a lot of people have the same prob as me, judging by the tags Is it in your country? Over here only very few hotels have them. I guess it'll get more, though, considering that we get more and more old people. I love old houses! They are so much more comfortable and more solidly built. You don't have your picture frames falling off the wall when your neighbour sneezes Modern buildings have such thin walls that you hear really everything. It's such a nuissance. And old houses have so much flair -they have a character, are individuals. Modern houses are often like factory made, all the same and all equally nondescript. It's a bit like with people: the older you get the more you develop your own characteristics.
Old houses are only great if you have the money to pay for them. Ancient plumbing, ancient roofing, ancient WIRING (gah).. all of these things are a considerable dent on their charms.
Good point, indeed, teacake. I love my parents' house (it's about 100 years old which is not *that * old by Bavarian standards) but the wiring is quite a nightmare. Some electric lines go diagonally through the walls! I currently live in a quite old house (early 19th century I believe) but it has been thoroughly modernized. Only the plumbing could be a little better. Still, just in case, I always check for cables, lines and tubes in the wall before I drill a hole. On the other hand it's so nice to have a solid brick wall which easily holds heavy citchen cupboards instead of a drywall that gets a hole when you poke a cooking ladle at it.
But just like people, old houses are full of creaks and groans and everything's a bit off-kilter! Wouldn't that be consolidated with the Nose Hair/Boogers Thread?
If it was socially acceptable for me to shower less often, I would. I don't like showering everyday. It just feels wrong to me, like it is wasteful and unnecessary and probably better for my skin if I don't. I didn't learn that anywhere, it's certainly not the way my family thinks, it's just something I've always felt since I was a child. I also don't like them for practical reasons. I really hate being wet and showers make me very sleepy. So, I can't really take them in the morning or else I will be extra tired at work. The warm water makes me want to crawl right back in bed. I take them in the evenings before bed, but then this is annoying because I hate to go to bed with wet hair, and I don't like using a blow dryer. Basically the whole process is just annoying and I wish I didn't have to do it every day. My mom used to have to literally drag me to the shower or bath. I have often dreamed about living in a culture that did not believe in such excessive bathing. Now, I hardly sweat at all. In fact I am usually shivering cold when others are hot. It would have to be nearing 100F degrees before I would start to feel sweaty. I also don't noticeably sweat at night, so I don't really get feeling icky in the morning. Actually when I get up in the morning is when my body feels most refreshed and good. If I was to do a heavy work out, I would shower afterwards. However I don't do this every day or really that often at all, unfortunately. As for my hair, I definitely don't wash that everyday. I used to and it would get so dry and gross. So now I wash it every 3 days and it's much better quality.
So, since you don't get dirty or sweaty, why do you still take a shower every evening? You mentioned it being "socially acceptable", so is it a matter of what other people will say? It's a bit confusing to me because people in the house already know you are clean and people out of the house cannot tell if you showered or not. I also hate going to bed with wet hair. It is uncomfortable and my hair is a mess when I wake up.
Basically just because not doing so is such a big taboo in this culture. I mean, just look at some of the comments in this thread about how you are basically a disgusting nasty person if you don't shower every single day. As you might have seen in the PJs thread, I usually skip showering on the weekends because I don't really leave the house anyway. I probably shouldn't care so much about whether it's taboo or not, just do what makes me feel most comfortable.
Americans are kind of obsessed with cleanliness I've noticed. Not that they are cleaner in other ways, just that it seems to loom larger as Very Important than in other countries.