Friday 3 July 2009

The Toilet - Victim of a "Definite" Lack of Recognition

Yes the toilet has had a definite lack of recognition. In the world of today, our bathrooms boast the utmost in amenities, not only the typical bathtub or shower, but steam shower, massage shower, multi-jet showers, jet tubs and whirlpool tubs, heated floors and towel warmers just to name a few.

But what about the toilet? A very necessary fixture in our homes. As a matter of fact, one of the more polite terms for the bathroom at one time was "the necessary room". Bathrooms were looked at with distaste, and even today the toilet is often thought of as a necessary evil, and looked upon with a certain amount of disdain.

But just stop for a moment and think about your home without a toilet! Not a pretty thought at all. Toilets have gotten a bum rap.

Although codes in most municipalities by the 1920's required an indoor flushing toilet in new construction, many of the old outhouses were in existence adjacent to existing homes for many years thereafter.

The house I grew up in was just such a house. It was probably 70 years old when my parents took ownership and it had no indoor plumbing. I remember outhouses vividly. It was some years later that remodeling took place, and we had an indoor flushing toilet. Ah, the sweet smell of success!

Toilets are not a new invention

We, in the 21st century think we are so smart, but the toilet is not a new or recent invention. Rather, the toilet is a newly accepted invention that has been improved upon and that finally gained popular usage over the last 85 years or so.

The toilet dates back at least as far as the fifteen hundreds and Queen Elizabeth I. Other primitive attempts were made at improving the toilet through the centuries until they became widely accepted in England just prior to World War I.

The word toilet is derived from the French and was first used to define various articles used in grooming from coverings worn while dressing the hair to items found on the dressing table, and finally to the act of dressing itself. If you've read many novels set in the 16th to the 20th century you've probably come across the term toilet in regards to grooming or dressing.

Today the toilet has been refined, we have modern sewage systems and running water and should praise the convenience and improved hygiene this adds to our daily lives and at such little cost from us.

Toilets cost us little in either expense or time for the service they provide. The new toilets use much less water, so our water bills are significantly decreased, and if we have the good sense to choose a model with sleek lines and few crevices they are easy to keep clean looking and sanitary. A toilet will provide many years of reliable use with only a minimum of maintenance. The toilet is a truly ingenious yet simple, and indispensable luxury!

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