For most people, a morning shower is more than just daily hygiene. It's a wakeup call, a transition from sleep to being alert and ready to take on a day. It's also a soothing way to rinse away tension and frustrations that build up during the day, as well being a comforting, therapeutic environment, for easing all sorts of aches and pains and reinvigorating your body and soul. There are many ways you can upgrade your existing shower to make it more of a rejuvenating experience. Even if you consider yourself a DIY (do it yourself) novice, you can change out your existing shower head for one with more spray options, add a hand shower, or install a rain shower head and wake yourself up with the feeling of bathing in a warm, tropical rainstorm.
Change is Good
Many shower heads can easily be changed out by simply unscrewing the old, and attaching the new. You will probably spend more time unpacking your new shower head than you will on installation. So don't let that stop you. There are many finishes and styles of shower heads making finding the perfect upgrade to your current shower a fun project with a lot of payoff. Shower heads come with many functions, including variable spray patterns, pulsing and massage options, and needle spray features which can often be accessed all in one multi-function head by twisting the ring or pressing a button on the side.
Shower Options
Singing In The Rain
Rain shower heads are similarly easy to install and often feature a broad, flat disk which spreads the water out over a larger surface area and allows it to fall like raindrops from overhead. The best installation includes a rod that angles the rain shower head up and over you, so the water drips down on you rather than spraying at you from an angle, for a very refreshing and soothing sensation.
Give Yourself a Hand-Shower!
Also in the easy-to-install category, hand showers are classics and can be used in place of a standard shower head as well as in addition to, through the installation of a diverter, which may be installed without having to tear into your shower walls. Hand showers are excellent for various spray patterns and functions, as well as making a shower more accessible to people who prefer sitting to standing, or have physical challenges in standard showers. As a result, many hand showers are ADA compliant.
A Body Spray a Day…
If you want to take it up a notch and either have the ability or have a plumber on speed-dial, one other option is to add a small constellation of body sprays to your shower. Body sprays like to work in groups as well as in conjunction with a main shower head, and are best positioned in three-walled showers in the two walls on either side of the main shower head. When added to your existing shower, body sprays project water at various angles which helps when you are rushing to rinse off by getting those "hard to reach places," or to provide a stimulating shower experience varying from soothing to massaging.
Variety Pack
Finally, if you're looking for some sort of combination of the above without a major overhaul of your existing shower, then you may want to explore shower panels, which combine various shower elements such as hand showers and body sprays in one unit, most of which can be installed by a homeowner in an hour or two, without requiring an extensive knowledge of plumbing. Just think - you're only an afternoon away from a greatly improved shower experience. So what's stopping you from making your shower the stuff dreams are made of? You'll thank yourself when your alarm goes off tomorrow morning.
