How to Keep Your Walk-In tub Clean and Healthy for Bathing
June 19, 2018
The walk-in tubs are exactly what they are: Bathtubs with doors. These are baths that open so that the user does not have to cross the edge of a traditional bathtub.
A walk-in bathtub can be a much safer alternative for the elderly and/or disabled and can minimize the risks involved (in case of a fall, etc.) for the less mobile of us. Learn more about types of tubs for people with mobility issues.
How to choose a bathtub with door
Like traditional bathtubs, bathtubs with doors come in a multitude of shapes, colors, materials, and sizes. It is therefore quite possible to find a bathtub with door that fits your bathroom, even if it is small.
This is important in the home because accidental drownings in traditional bathtubs for people between the ages of 20-84 have been common. When there’s a door which can easily be opened from inside the bathtub, then the risk of drowning will be minimized.
For maximum comfort and safety, pay attention to the following: the bottom of the bath must be non-slip, the threshold of the door must be as low as possible and the door must, of course, offer an optimal seal.
The different models of bathtubs with doors
In order to improve their comfort and safety, people who are often elderly or who have reduced mobility are increasingly choosing the bathtub with a door.
Especially since the senior bath greatly facilitates access to the bath, and allows more autonomy.
There are two types of bathtubs for seniors: the sitting bath and the reclining bath.
Other shower-bath systems include the shower tub that combines the use of the shower and bath.
The access is through the shower screen, the door is waterproof so that the tub fills, and finally, the threshold is lowered, which facilitates entry into the shower bath.
Bathtubs are differentiated by their opening system.
The opening system you choose will depend on the configuration of your bathroom. There are two types of bathtub door: the side door that opens to the outside, the inside or the left or the right, and the front door, which is usually small.
You have the possibility of integrating a bathtub seat into your bathtub.
The latter is in the form of a low stool but can also be suspended. The latter does not facilitate access to the bath, however, it allows to be comfortably installed.
Install walk-in bathtub & enjoy comfort and safety!
Not only age-related, the use of a bathtub can be difficult or even impossible. Even for young people, getting in and out of physical impairments can be cumbersome. The solution: A walk in bathtub that offers comfort and safety at the same time!
To be able to take a full bath self-determined even in advanced age and with physical limitations, you should think early on the intergenerational design of your bathroom.
A walk-in bathtub with door preserves your independence and offers you at any age additional comfort.
But other situations can also speak for the installation of a tub with entrance door: especially in small bathrooms, such a bathing option can save a lot of space and combined with a practical shower zone become.
Why install a bathtub with a door?
In an elderly person, the fall can become traumatic. Lack of flexibility, difficulty getting up and fragility of the bones make fractures more likely.
A fall can happen everywhere and at any time. Most often, they are done at home, especially in the bathroom — which has indeed increased the risk for adults age 65% and older, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. More so, 74% of bathroom injuries among children less than 15 years old are caused by falls.
Access to the conventional bath or shower can be difficult for many older people and/or those with hip and balance problems, as well as for people with reduced mobility.
Raising one foot and then the other while carrying one’s own weight and seeking to maintain one’s balance can be difficult or impossible for many.
Having a bath with a door is simple and allows all seniors and people with reduced mobility to wash or be washed in a secure and suitable shower area.
Additionally, you are not required to invest in brand new equipment; most bathtubs are transformable and can be equipped with accessories for the comfort, safety, and user’s well-being.
The different stages of installation
The installation of a walk-in tub with door comes in several stages:
The visit of the consulting technician
As a first step, a technician goes to your home to study the design of your bathroom and think about what is possible. Feel free to make several quotes from professionals and compare rates and benefits.
When the technician has finished his study, he will propose you several models of bathtubs adapted to your house and to your needs in terms of dimensions, opening, and various options.
The control of the walk-in tub and its manufacture
After signing your quote, the order is placed by the professional. Allow several weeks for your bathtub to be manufactured and delivered to the service provider. He will then go to your home to install the new device.
The installation of the walk-in tub
The duration of the work may vary depending on the service to be performed. If this is a transformation of your existing bathtub, the delay will be different from the removal of your system and its replacement by installing a new bathtub door. Count on average between half a day and two days.
The professional takes care of all the work, including the clearance of rubble and various hydraulic connections. The provider then performs the various tests to ensure that the device is working and that the connections are correct.
The realization of finishes
To perfect the installation of your walk-in tub, most of the service providers will take the care to carry out the finishes necessary to give your bathroom a finished, clean, and reassured aspect.
This is important because the bathroom is no longer seen as just spaces for showering and washing routines. According to Carol Tretheway:
“Children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly are looking to them for pleasurable experiences, for de-stressing and detoxing, and spending more time.”
Therefore, thinking through your bathroom design could become the antidote to stressful, depressed, and boring lifestyles.
You should not have any more work to do. Make sure this point of detail is very important before the quote is signed; indeed, some cheaper service providers do not take care of the various finishing work to be done after the installation of the walk-in tub, leaving you to take care of it.
Since walk-in tubs are generally shorter than conventional models – since they are seated — it is important for the professional to properly make the necessary tile and floor tile connections to leave you a clean and secure room.
Using your walk-in tub
Once the installation is complete and the bathroom is cleaned, the professional will show you the different equipment and the devices you should be using in order to enjoy your shower.
Walk-in Bathtub — Features and Models
Due to its special design, a walk-in tub offers a suitable way for the barrier-free design of the bathroom.
Equipped with a flat access area and a door, the bath model integrates optimally in every bathroom and enables comfortable, ground-level entry and exit. In general, you have the choice between a classic bathtub in a rather elongated shape, a space-saving corner bath or a comfortable and smaller size bathtub.
Which model you ultimately choose depends primarily on your personal needs and the space available in your bathroom.
For example, even if your bathroom is relatively small, you can benefit from the functional tub and install a walk-in corner bath or hip bath.
A walk-in bath with shower also combines the bath with the shower fun and makes the separate arrangement of tub and shower superfluous.
However, a walk-in bathtub is not only available in a variety of shapes from specialist retailers.
You can also choose between different materials and numerous accessories: either the one made of sanitary acrylic, with an entrance door made of safety glass or to the tub made of plastic — the choice is yours.
To prevent unwanted leakage of bathing water, the built-in door is securely locked using electronic mechanisms.
What we recommend
When planning your next bathroom renovation, consider installing a walk-in bathtub. So you benefit from the many advantages of this bathing solution early on. More importantly, there may not be the need to start rehabilitating the bath afterward.
If you choose a walk-in bathtub, consult with experienced professionals and let the pros do the mounting.
Special accessories and costs for a walk-in bathtub
Over the years, due to changes in health and individual circumstances — a further adaptation or age-appropriate equipment of the bathtub may be required.
For this, you have access to retrofittable accessories for a walk-in bathtub that further increases comfort and safety as required.
Here are some examples:
- Tray reducers, which reduce the existing lying surface and thus provide a secure fit and firm grip.
- Tub lifters that also allow wheelchair users to use the bathtub.
- Support and support handles that give physically weak people more stability.
- Non-slip floor coverings that reduce the risk of falls and accidents when entering and leaving the vehicle.
Wrap Up
A walk-in bathtub offers not only elderly or physically-impaired people high comfort and safety while bathing.
The ground-level access of the functional tub facilitates entry and exit, thus minimizing the latent risk of falls, which is particularly prevalent for people who are weak and restricted in their mobility.
However, think about the possible installation of a barrier-free bathtub at an early stage — for example, if your old bath is broken, you need to replace it or generally think about a bathroom renovation. That way, you can benefit from the comfortable bath solution at an early age.