Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Replacement Toilet Lids and Seats - Swipe right? 'Toilet paper' for smartphones trialled in Japanese airport bathrooms - This Old Toilet 800-658-4521

Sheets bear the message ‘welcome to Japan’ and contain information on Wi-Fi spots and other travel information





‘Toilet paper’ for smartphones has been introduced in toilets at Narita international airport in Japan. Photograph: NTT Docomo


Japan has taken its reputation for hygiene up another notch with the introduction of “toilet paper” for smartphones inside toilets at Narita international airport.
In a new take on the meaning of public convenience, users are invited to pull off a piece of paper from a dispenser next to the regular toilet roll and give their phone screens a germ-busting polish.
The smartphone sheets, which bear the message “welcome to Japan”, were installed in 86 cubicles at Narita’s arrivals hall this month, according to the Mainichi Shimbun.
The telecoms company behind the service, NTT Docomo, said the option of an extra wipe would remain until next March.
The introduction of the cleaning paper came in response to studies showing that smartphone screens typically house more germs than toilet seats. Surveys show that foreign visitors are universally impressed with the cleanliness and versatility of Japan’s public toilets.


Toilets are serious business in Japan, where many public buildings are fitted with hi-tech washlets with heated seats and jets of warm water and air that the late restaurant critic AA Gill described as “strangely addictive”.
In some women’s public lavatories, users can call on assistance from the sound princess – a gadget that produces loud flushing sounds on demand to cover up any embarrassing noises associated with answering the call of nature.
Japan’s newest toilet models have a deodorising function that, it is claimed, can quickly eliminate unpleasant smells, and “intelligent” seats and lids that rise automatically depending on whether a male user is about to urinate standing upor settle in for a longer stay.
Incoming passengers at Narita are encouraged to read their smartphone sheets before they flush them away for details of Wi-Fi spots and other travel information, according to the Mainichi.
source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/22/swipe-right-toilet-paper-for-smartphones-tested-out-in-japanese-airport-bathrooms
by Justin McCurry

http://www.thisoldtoilet.com

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Replacement Toilet Lids and Seats - Bidet, mate! Feature-packed seat converts your toilet into a luxury spa - This Old Toilet 800-658-4521







You know all that talk about paperless offices? Imagine if you could take the same idea to your bathroom. No, we’re not talking about checking your emails on the toilet (because nobody does that, right?), but rather an alternative solution to wiping your butt with reams of toilet paper — courtesy of a smart water-spraying bidet that sits on top of your existing seat.




“The Swash 1400 is our latest-and-greatest model of electronic bidet toilet seat,” Annie Breen, marketing communications manager for manufacturer Brondell, told Digital Trends. “It’s packed with features that were specifically selected after years of consumer research, which resulted in us keeping the best of our Swash 1000 — the previous top model — and developing new refinements to create our sleekest and most advanced bidet seat ever.”



Like a Swiss Army Knife of toilet seats, the Swash 1400 offers a wide range of abilities. There are dual stainless-steel sterilized nozzles (uncommon in an industry where most bidets use inferior nozzles made of plastic), complete with customizable nozzle positions, water temperatures, water pressures, and spray widths.

The seat also offers a warm-air dryer, deodorizer, heated seat, and even a soothing night light with cool blue hue for those midnight trips to the bathroom. In addition, users get a remote control that lets two people customize their perfect settings.

There are plenty of other neat features, and a streamlined design which doesn’t feature visible wires or a hose — or look like you’ve jammed a massive bulky smart seat on top of your existing toilet.
The Swash 1400 is currently raising money on Kickstarter, where at time of writing it had attracted $110,444 from 223 backers. If you want to get your hands (and, well, not just your hands) on a unit you can do so with a pre-order, starting $474. Shipping is set to take place in March 2017.
Make sure you hurry, though, as there are only a few days left in the campaign.

source; http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/swash1400-smart-bidet/#/2

by luke Dormehl

http://www.thisoldtoilet.com

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Replacement Toilet Lids and Seats - Fancy Flush: High-Tech Toilet Sales Are Surging - This Old Toilet 800-658-4521


The TOTO Neorest toilet costs $10,200. TOTO
Toilets with high-tech functions such as heated bidet seats, air dryers, lighting systems, self-cleaning options, automatic lids with motion detectors, and remote-controlled panels, are growing in popularity in the U.S. According to market researcher The Fredonia Group, the electronic-toilet market in the U.S. is expected to grow 8.5% annually in the next five years. “Americans are spending more on master bathrooms, so there is a market for these products,” says Fredonia’s Matt Zielenski.
These toilets are more water efficient, which is further spurring sales growth. Leading manufacturers include TOTO, American Standard, and Kohler. Japan’s TOTO saw its electronic-toilet and Washlet bidet-seat revenues in the U.S. increase by 30% in the 2015 fiscal year.
TOTO’s sales tool: showrooms, including one recently opened in New York, where customers can actually try out a $10,200 Neorest toilet or a $1,560 Washlet. TOTO also publishes a map of Manhattan hotels, condominium buildings, and restaurants that have bathrooms with Washlets, including the Four Seasons Hotel, The Chatwal, and Park Hyatt. “People need to touch, use, and feel,” says Kazuo Sako, president of TOTO USA. “We want the customer to try out the products in clean conditions.”
In Japan, electronic toilet seats are installed in three out of four households, and there are more bidets than microwaves. They are so common that the government tracks their sales as a measure of national prosperity.
It’s likely, though, that the upward trend of high-tech toilets will unroll toilet-paper sales

source: http://www.barrons.com/articles/fancy-flush-high-tech-toilet-sales-are-surging-1481347235
by Carrie Coolidge

http://www.thisoldtoilet.com

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Replacement Toilet Lids and Seats - The Potsdam toilet wars: One Upstate NY man sees art, others 'see crappers' - This Old Toilet 800-658-4521





Our nation is divided, perhaps no place more than Potsdam, N.Y., where neighbors are struggling with this question: Can a toilet be art?
Hank Robar says yes, and he's planted three toilet gardens around this North Country town of about 17,000 near the Canadian border.
"I get more thumbs up than thumbs down," Robar said. "People even call me and give me suggestions of what to do."

Daryl Kolanko, the owner of the local Agway, finds little inspiration from the displays. When one collection of toilets filled with sand and fake flowers on Pine Street near his store recently toppled over, he'd had enough.


Kolanko changed the electronic sign outside the Agway to read: ""We Don't See Art. We See Tipped Over Toilets."
The flashing lights drew the attention of the town's code enforcement officer, who requested Robar upright the bowls. Robar complied and tidied things up. The toilets themselves – dozens of them – stayed.
That prompted Kolanko, the weekend before Thanksgiving, to update the sign: "We don't see art. Now we see crappers."

Robar started the toilet displays years ago, after a dispute with town officials over whether he could sell a parcel for a future Dunkin' Donuts. (He couldn't.)
Over time, the toilet gardens grew. "People donate them," Robar said. "They just drop them off to me. The more the merrier. If somebody brought me 50, I can put them right up."
But the bowls are wearing on some town residents' nerves, Kolanko said.
"The village officials' hands are tied," Kolanko said. "He's claiming it is art. He has a leg to stand on there. It's an eyesore to 99.8 percent of the people in the village. You can see it from the main intersection of Potsdam. It's getting old."
The good news, Kolanko joked, is that winter is here. The snow helps disguise the white toilets, masking the issue for a few months.
Kolanko also said Robar has been a customer at the Agway. The store owner said he realizes he's risking losing Robar's business over the public displays.
But when it comes to signs, Robar isn't holding any grudges. When asked today if he'd continue to shop at the Agway, Robar didn't hesitate. "Sure," he said. "Why not?"
source: http://www.newyorkupstate.com/northern-ny/2016/11/the_potsdam_toilet_wars_one_upstate_ny_man_sees_art_others_see_crappers.html
by Teri Weaver

http://www.thisoldtoilet.com