Shower Power

The shower has traditionally been no more than a pit stop in a family's morning routine: Jump in, jump out, get on with the day. But with the advent of bathrooms comfortable enough to spend all afternoon in, the humble shower is moving up in the world. From pit stop to a secret vacation spot, the shower is becoming its own world of relaxation, refreshment and therapy, and homeowners are investing in this secret vacation. Knowing what's behind this trend will help you better satisfy your client's needs and desires.

Of course, people still use showers the way they always have. A recent consumer study commissioned by Moen found that people take showers at different times of the day for different reasons, including the obvious ones of waking up in the morning and cleaning up after exercising.

The study confirmed a number of other consumer trends to take note of.

1. People are thinking about theirs showers as more than a place to get clean. They see it as a way to help them build self-esteem, to bring a sense of accomplishment, and to create a feeling of motivation and control in their lives.
2. The shower has captured the role once symbolized by the claw-foot bathtub. Consumers in the study didn't like to spend time waiting to fill up the tub, and they found shampooing and rinsing in a tub too hard. They didn't find anything relaxing about the idea of sitting in "dirty" water that cools too quickly.

For a healthy life
Doctors are starting to see new possibilities for the shower as well. Dr. Kathleen Hall is director of a cardiac rehabilitation program focusing on stress management. The program helps patients recover health through lifestyle changes. To her, a shower is more than just a way to clean up, and one of the first things she asks her patients to do is to change the way they take a shower.

"Most Americans race in and out of the shower. But if you have a busy life," Hall says, "the shower may be the only time during the day that you are alone." She shows her patients how to jump-start a positive attitude during this alone time by choosing just the right water pressure and temperature. "When you're aching and overwhelmed you need warmer water. At other times, cooler is better."

Under pressure
Temperature isn't the only therapeutic aspect of a home shower. Pressure plays an important role too. Dr. Hall advises depressed patients to use a pulsating shower to increase energy. For anxious patients, she suggests a more nurturing and soft type of pressure to create a calm feeling to start the day. Dr. Halls sums it up best when she says, "The most simple and ordinary things can give us the most pleasure, and that is certainly the case with today's shower."

What does this mean to a builder? For one thing, it means that when you are talking to clients about their shower, you are talking about more than a place to clean up. Clients will appreciate anything you can do to make the entire experience more comfortable and relaxing, from installing alternative lighting to explaining the benefits of different types of showerheads.

For more information on the Moen showering products, go to www.moen.com.