It’s time for our latest Friday Poll!
This week, we’d like to know how many showers you have in your home.
Happy Friday everyone!
Category Archives: Fun Stuff
Interesting Facts About Showers [Infographic]
Today is World Water Way, and to raise awareness of water usage, we have posted a fascinating infographic about showering.
In the UK, around 68% of household water is used in the bathroom – mostly in toilet flushing and showers and baths.
We also found the Men vs Women statistics particularly interesting.
For example, 70% of men shower daily compared to 57% of women, however, 64% of women think about to-do lists in the shower compared to 48% of men. So does this mean that women are too busy to shower everyday? And when they do, they are still thinking about other tasks to do? This may be why they tend to shower for 2 minutes longer than men.
Have a read through and leave a comment to let us know what you think…
New Era in Air Travel – Photon Showers
Business travellers are always looking for ways to make travelling more comfortable. After all, frequenting flying is tiring and business travellers often have meetings straight from the airport. What little sleep they manage to get on the flight is often interrupted, causing stress and tiredness. Furthermore, time differences and jet lag can make the situation even worse.
So, Delta Airlines have presented a concept “photon shower” which uses bright lights instead of water to wake up tired travellers. It’s been described as a “90 second light bath”. When the starting and destination cities are put into the shower, it can calculate how many time zones have been crossed and how much light is therefore needed to combat jet lag. Very clever!
This is not the first time an airline has experimented with light therapy; Finnair has offered business travellers bright light therapy into the ear canal since 2012.
What do you think of this “light shower”? Would you be tempted to use it on a long flight?
At the moment it is just a concept product, but it could be making its way to aeroplanes in the future.
Image courtesy of LinkedIn
Filed under Fun Stuff
Friday Poll Time: How Long Do You Spend In The Shower?
For this Friday Poll, we’d love to know how long you spend in the shower.
Are you in, washed and out in less than 4 minutes? Or do you prefer to relax and take your time?
Is saving water important to you? And does it determine how long you spend in the shower? Let us know in the comments box!
14% of UK Homes Don’t Have A Shower
We recently read a report published by AMA Research and found out that 86% of UK homes have at least one shower. That means that 14% of homes in the UK don’t have a shower. This got us thinking about how popular showers have become in the UK, and how today they’re just part of our everyday lives which we don’t really think about. So we decided to do some investigation into the history of showers. We wondered…
Where did showers come from originally?
Who designed the first showers?
How did people wash in the past?
And we found some interesting results. So interesting in fact, that we created a bright and colourful infographic (see below).
Here are some of the key findings:
- In the UK, 86% of homes have at least one shower [Source: AMA Research] [Tweet This]
- 30% of UK homes have 2 or more showers [Source: AMA Research] [Tweet This]
- The average person in the UK spends 8 minutes in the shower [Source: BBC News] [Tweet This]
- An average shower uses 62 litres of water, compared to 80 litres in a bath [Source: BBC News] [Tweet This]
In terms of the history of showers, we found these interesting facts…!
- The first showers known to man were Waterfalls! #Natural [Tweet This]
- The Ancient Greeks designed the first proper showers using aqueducts #Innovative [Tweet This]
- During the Black Death, almost 1/3 of Europe’s population died – partly due to a lack of cleanliness #Shocking [Tweet This]
- The First ‘Designer Shower’ was called The English Regency #Snazzy [Tweet This]
- Electric Showers were originally called Tankless Water Heaters #InventiveName! [Tweet This]
You can read the entire infographic below. We’d love you to share it with your readers. If you would like to, please copy and paste the following code to add it to your site:
<img title=”The History of Showers – Infographic” alt=”The History of Showers – Infographic” src=”http://www.gainsboroughshowers.co.uk/upload/Infographics/HistoryofShowers.jpg” width=”574″ height=”3492″ border=”0″/>
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[Source: <a href="http://www.gainsboroughshowers.co.uk/">Gainsborough Showers</a>]
Showering Inspiration
For this week’s Friday post, we thought about the words we associate with showering, and we’ve put them together here for you:
Can you think of any other inspiring shower words?
13 for 2013 [Part Two]
Welcome to Part 2 of our 13 for 2013 posts. In this post, we’ll go through the last few features of our website, starting with…
8.) New Showers
In our opinion, this is the most exciting part of our website. It’s where we list all of our latest shower models. Currently, our new GSX electric showers are featured, but later this year we’ll be adding lots more new models and we can’t wait! Our product team are currently busy planning the new releases, and as soon as they’re launched you’ll find them on the New Showers pages. We always link through to the individual product pages from this page to allow our customers to find out more information and buy if they wish.
9.) Next Working Day Delivery
We deliver all of our showers and spare parts to UK customers completely free of charge. Small spare parts are sent via Royal Mail First Class service, while large parts (such as engines) and showers are delivered by courier on the next working day (when ordered before 2pm).
10.) Register Your Guarantee
For complete peace of mind, customers who buy a Gainsborough shower can register their guarantee online quickly and easily. There’s a handy button on our homepage, and there’s also a link within the Advice Centre.
11.) Shower Articles
To provide our customers with interesting and informative we’ve added several shower articles on our site. These articles are designed to help our customer in their search to buy a new shower, and they range from explaining the differences between electric and mixer showers to the pros and cons of different shower types.
12.) Installation Guides
Our showers are all supplied with an Installation Guide, but in case the hard copy gets misplaced, we’ve added downloadable PDFs onto our website. These shower installation guides can all be found within the Advice Centre
13.) About Us – History
Did you know that Gainsborough Showers has been established for over forty years? The About Our History section explains the varied heritage of the company from its humble beginnings back in 1972. It makes interesting reading for anyone curious about how Gainsborough Showers has evolved over the years.
So, that concludes our 13 helpful website features for 2013. We hope you enjoyed our 2-part series.
13 for 2013! [Part One]
Seeing as we’re in a brand New Year (although, almost at the end of the first month – where did January go?) we thought it would be a nice idea to explain 13 of the most helpful features on our website. While 13 might be unlucky for some, we think it’s the perfect number. Our ultimate mission is to make buying a shower online quick, simple and painless. And to make sure we achieve that mission, we know that we need to have a brilliant website!
This post will explain the first 7 features. Look out for Part Two which will go through the final 6 features.
1.) The Shower Store
We consider the Shower Store to be the heart of our website. It’s where we list all of our current ranges of showers, whether electric, mixer or digital. We have made it easy for our customers to break down the categories even further by price, colour (for electrics) and home water system (for mixers) depending on which criteria are important. On each product page we have added plenty of detail to allow users to make an informed purchasing decision. So, that includes all features, as well as technical information such as water entry points as well as minimum and maximum pressure. We also display suggested alternative products at the bottom of each product page in case the current product is not quite suitable. Once the decision has been made, it’s a straightforward process to add the shower to the basket and complete the checkout process. And of course, all showers on our website are delivered free of charge.
2.) Help Me Choose
Now, while the Shower Store is definitely the heart of the site, the Help Me Choose function will be the starting point for many users. Help Me Choose has designed for customers who are not quite sure where to start. It will help them determine whether they want a mixer or an electric shower. For those who would like a mixer shower, the feature will help them work out which type of hot water system they have, if they are unsure. Once the type of shower has been determined, users will be directed to the relevant product listings with the Shower Store.
3.) Shower FAQs
Although many of our customers come to our website to buy a new shower, we have some current customers who may require some assistance. Our Shower FAQs have been devised by our knowledgeable Customer Service team to ensure that they contain the most appropriate advice. To keep things clear, the FAQs are separated into three sections: Electric Shower FAQs, Mixer Shower FAQs and General FAQs. On each page, users can find the solutions to some of the most commonly asked questions. We know this feature is particularly handy when the customer service department is closed. On every page, there is the option to contact us, whether by phone or email, should customers require further assistance.
4.) Parts Store
In addition to customers buying new showers and seeking advice, the Gainsborough website is also used as a spare parts store. If a part needs replacing, or the shower needs a refresh with a new hose or shower head, it’s very simple to find the relevant part and purchase. Customers can either browse by their shower model and then select the part from an exploded diagram, or alternatively type the part code into the search bar to be taken to the correct listing. Any customers that are unsure about their shower model can use the helpful Find Your Shower tool. Once the part has been selected, it is a simple process to add it the basket and complete the purchase. As with all showers, all spare parts come with free delivery.
5.) Shower Glossary
Our shower glossary is a relatively new addition to the website. It’s designed to help customers with some of the tricky technical terms that may be a bit confusing. At the moment, the Glossary can be found in the Advice Centre, but we plan to add a handy link in the future from each Product Page to make it easier to find (we’re nice like that).
6.) Replace an Old Model
If you have an older Gainsborough shower which is nearing the end of its life; and instead of buying a spare part you’d rather buy a brand new shower, then the Replace an Old Model page should be your first port of call. This page lists all of our older, now obsolete models, and suggests the best retro-fit replacement showers. Each suggestion conveniently links through to the respective Product Page too.
7.) Blog!
Yes, it’s this blog in position 7! Since it’s launch in February 2012 (almost 1 year old!), our blog has significantly increased in popularity, and continues to grow month on month. It’s now a valuable information and advice source for anyone interested in Gainsborough Showers – both current and potential new customers. We love to hear from you, so don’t be afraid to leave us a comment on any of our posts. And did you know it’s possible to receive this blog directly to your inbox? Sign up today and you’ll never have to come looking for us! A recent addition to our blog is the Twitter stream which features our latest tweets. And if you’re on Twitter, make sure you come and follow us @GainsShowers.
Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!
Friday Poll: Take 2!
It’s been a while since our last poll, so we thought it was time to do a new one. We’ll try and do them a bit more regularly from now on.
For today’s poll, we’d love to know what time of day you prefer to shower – morning, afternoon or evening!
Add your answer and see the results of our previous poll What Type of Shower Do You Have?
Five Top Tips For Saving Money Around The Home
It’s only 40 days until Christmas – and if this fills you with dread rather than joy then perhaps our money saving tips might help you to get in the festive spirit…
Save Money on Flushes and Feel Flush!
Buying a water-saving ball for a few pounds into your toilet cisterns can help you save water – particularly useful if you’re on a water meter. Flushing toilets uses about 30% of household water, and one of these cistern balls only costs a few pounds to buy.
Get A Water Butt
Installing a water butt in your garden will collect rainwater from your drainpipes to provide water for plants and flowers. Not only will these help you save money if you’re on a water meter but it will also come in useful the next time a summer time hosepipe ban comes into play…
Secure Your Home and Secure Your Possessions
As the evenings get longer and darker, our homes are more and more at risk from the threat of burglary, particularly when left empty. Upgrade your home’s security features, such as good quality window and door locks, install some outside lighting and consider a burglar alarm too. Having your home burgled just before Christmas will not help the finances!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Society today has a ‘throwaway’ attitude rather than preserve and mend what we already have. Instead of throwing things out when they get a bit tired, think about how you can repair them and make them as good as new. Descale the kettle, defrost the fridge regularly to keep them in tip top condition and less likely to breakdown. Similarly with your shower – make sure the shower head is descaled frequently to make sure your shower is kept working at its best.
Keep your shower head shiny and clean to avoid problems
Keep your receipts
Make sure to keep receipts and warranties/guarantees of large purchases in a file or box. This will ensure that they are kept safe and if anything goes wrong in the first year or two you can get it repaired or replaced for free.
