The Mercury News

5 smart technology upgrades to make the bathroom the brainiest room in the house

- BRANDPOINT

Smart technology has found a place in virtually every room in the home, even the one where we take care of our most low-tech needs. In fact, thanks to innovation­s like sensor-operated, selfcleani­ng toilets, moisturese­nsing ventilatio­n fans and digital shower controls, it’s possible to turn an ordinary bathroom into the brainiest room in the house.

If you’re ready to upgrade your bathroom with the latest smart technology, here are five elements to put at the top of your must-have list:

1. Smarter Shower

From showerhead­s with light and sound, to digital temperatur­e and water pressure controls that you can set from your smartphone, an array of high-tech features is available to elevate the simple act of getting clean to the level of a luxurious, hightech experience.

You can find something for every preference. Love to shower at night? Install a showerhead that features its own lighting. Dislike fiddling with the controls every morning to get just the right temperatur­e? Opt for digital temperatur­e controls that allow for multiple presetting­s for individual users. Focused on conservati­on? Try a showerhead that senses what you’re doing — washing your hair, shaving your legs — and automatica­lly adjusts the water flow accordingl­y.

2. Intelligen­t Toilet

A toilet that cleans itself is a dream come true for many people, but Toto boosts the intelligen­ce of its Neorest AC wall-mount toilet even higher. The intelligen­t toilet features a Washlet personal cleansing system that uses warm, aerated water for comfort, a warm air dryer and a heated seat. An automatic opening and closing function and auto-flush ensure you never have to touch the toilet.

The toilet keeps itself (and the environmen­t in your bathroom) clean with a flushing system that uses an environmen­tally friendly combinatio­n of gravity and high-speed water jets to spin away waste, while an in-bowl catalytic deodorizer helps keep the air fresh. The bowl itself is glazed with titanium dioxide and zirconium, which when activated by the toilet’s integrated UV light, creates molecular reactions that help keep the bowl free from visible and invisible waste.

Not only will you not need harsh detergents to clean the toilet, it’s is also WaterSense labeled, and uses just 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf ) for solid waste and 0.9 gpf for liquid. Visit www.totousa.com to learn more.

3. Versatile Ventilatio­n Bathroom ventilatio­n fans serve practical and cosmetic purposes. Ventilatio­n removes moisture and humidity that could promote the growth of mold and mildew, and can help exhaust unpleasant odors. Of course, not everyone puts ventilatio­n to its optimum use, and that’s where a new style of bathroom fan comes in.

Ventilatio­n fans that sense humidity — such as after someone has taken a long, hot shower — turn on automatica­lly to help remove excess moisture from the room. Some fans can communicat­e wirelessly with wall switches or with an app that allows you to control the fan from your smartphone.

4. Multi-Tasking Mirror Mirrors and medicine cabinets aren’t just for reflection anymore. Now you can kit out your smart bathroom with mirrors that feature built-in TVs and can communicat­e with your home’s security cameras, and medicine cabinets with defogging features that can let you get to your post-shower shave faster.

Refrigerat­ed medicine cabinets are perfect for preserving delicate drugs and cosmetics, and you can find both mirrors and medicine cabinets with built-in USB ports for charging your devices.

5. Advanced Accessorie­s Of course accessorie­s can be additions that put any bathroom over the top, and you never have to settle for ordinary accessorie­s in your smarter bathroom. Enhance the usability and convenienc­e of your bathroom with items like:

• A small robot that mops floor tiles automatica­lly.

• A Bluetooth-enabled toothbrush that communicat­es with your smartphone to monitor how well you’ve brushed.

• A smart scale that helps you track your weight and health progress.

• Touch-free soap dispensers.

• A towel rack that uses hot air and ultraviole­t light to dry towels and keep them fresh longer.

By upgrading to techsavvy versions of everyday bathroom elements like toilets, faucets and showers, it’s possible to make your bathroom not only one of the most-used rooms in the house, but the smartest as well.

 ??  ?? Thanks to innovation­s like sensor-operated, self-cleaning toilets, moisturese­nsing ventilatio­n fans and digital shower controls, it’s possible to turn an ordinary bathroom into the brainiest room in the house.
Thanks to innovation­s like sensor-operated, self-cleaning toilets, moisturese­nsing ventilatio­n fans and digital shower controls, it’s possible to turn an ordinary bathroom into the brainiest room in the house.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States