Bathrooms are one of the risky areas in your home where there is a high potential of slippages. Whether it’s near the shower base or at the tub, you may fall slipping on the water resulting in severe injuries. And the matter becomes worse if you have elderly or kids at your home, who are prone to accidents.
To avoid such accidents, you need to ensure that your bathroom is dry always, and the water is not retained after every time you take a bath.
If you have a newly constructed or renovated bathroom, then the problem might not be severe. As you may have taken care of the bathroom to make it slip-proof, you don’t have to worry too much about it. However, the real problem is for the people who have older bathrooms or for the people who are living in rented homes with no proper bathroom construction.
So, what should you do to ensure the safety of you and your family members? Here we’ve collected some pro tips that you can follow to make your bathroom slip and water-resistant:
A grab bar
There’s no risk of falling when you grab something strong and walk in your bathroom, especially for the elderly and kids. Install a grab bar in the shower stall so that the old people can grab it while taking the bath. Moreover, consider adding a bar on the length of the walk space. They can hold it for support while entering and exiting the stall. Even if your bathroom is slippery, there’s no risk of falling as you can grab and walk.
Grab bars are the essential bathroom accessories that you should not ignore while constructing or renovating your bathroom. Don’t worry that you will make the space look cramped up, particularly for small bathrooms. You can seek help from the professionals or take advice from the architects and install the grab bar at a suitable location.
Anti-slip shower mat
Installing an anti-slip shower mat is the most feasible solution for slippery bathrooms. These mats are affordable and provide enough friction to your bare feet so that you don’t fall off from the floor. Available in various colours and designs, you can buy the right one that matches your bathroom’s theme and design.
Mats are made of rubber or plastic material with enough vacuum holes at the bottom that stick to the floor. The mat will not slip even if you walk or apply pressure on them, giving you confidence while walking in the bathroom. Even if you slip, the mat offers enough resistance and time for you to hold on to something before you can fall.
You can place them in the shower stand, near the tub, at the sink, and at wherever you think you walk most.It acts as a good defence mechanism for your children and the elderly from not falling off accidentally.
Buy a bathtub mat
If you have a bathtub in your bathroom, then covering the surface with a mat is essential. While climbing in and out, due to the water retention, your foot may lose contact causing you to slip. It may result in minor to major injuries. To prevent this, install a textured mat in the tub to give you enough traction.
Buying a bath matt is easy. Take the measurement of your tub and search online or visit outside stores. Take a look at the variety of mats with different designs, colours, and textures. Choose the one that suits most with your bathtub. Installing a bathtub mat is one of the easiest and affordable solutions to make your bathroom slip-resistant.
Helpful tips to keep your bathroom always dry
Always clean the bathroom floor
While taking a shower, the soap we use mixes with the water and leaves a residue on the floor after drying. The floor gradually becomes slippery and thick with dust creating high chances of falling. So, to avoid it, keep the surface always clean. For this, clean your bathroom at least once in two days so that the floor always looks dry, clean, and hygienic.
[Also Read: The real truth about bathroom bacteria]
Install more lights
Some people like the bathroom to have dim light. However, it will not help you when you having older people with poor eyesight. With more light, you can see where the dry area is and which place to avoid while walking. Proper lighting at the right places dramatically decreases the chances of falling. Moreover, you make your small bathroom look bigger with those additional lights and reflections.
Ensure proper drainage
While constructing or renovating the bathroom, ensure to keep the proper drainage holes for the water to flow easily through it. If not, the water remains on the floor taking a longer time to dry. The situation becomes worse if you live in high cold and humid areas as the water takes even longer to dry.
Have separate shower stall and tub
If possible, construct separate shower stall and tub with mats at the foot of them. This design helps the water to retain at one particular place keeping the other areas dry. So, while coming or entering the bathroom, you don’t have to be extra cautious all the time.
Prevention is better than cure
By keeping the bathroom dry and making it slip-resistant is the best way to prevent accidents and slippages. You can avoid serious leg, hand, and head injuries with simple tricks and tips as mentioned above. Moreover, an always dry bathroom leads to better hygienic conditions as you can control the growth of mould and mildew.
