2025 - 12 Problems with Showerheads
A short essay on everyday problems, particularly regarding the various designs of showerheads
(A literary challenge!)
Modern, comfortable showers generally feature a large, usually plate-like outlet mounted high on the wall, from which water cascades down on us like a gentle rain. And they have separate handheld showerheads that can be selected via a lever, featuring a spiral-shaped, flexible metal casing about 1 meter long—inside of which, however, is merely a cheap plastic hose. You pick one up and can use it to rinse any part of your head or body.
And these showerheads, with their various settings, give me some cause for concern. They all have a lever on the side that usually locks into three positions: center = “normal,” to one side a thick, roughly 5-stream jet, and to the other side multiple jets with much higher water pressure.
But the one in Cádiz sprays much more forcefully in the high-pressure setting than the one in my Madrid shower. There’s no manufacturer’s mark on either of them. So how could I swap out the Madrid showerhead for one that matches the qualities of my Cádiz shower?
You could, for example, go to a home improvement store or even a specialty shop and browse the selection there, perhaps checking the size and arrangement of the spray holes. But that’s where the dilemma begins: First, there are at least fifteen different models, and second, they’re all boxed up, so you can’t get a look at all those various details. And don’t think you’ll find a salesperson there who knows anything about showerheads!
The only solution: Buy all fifteen, try them out at home, and then toss fourteen of them in the trash.
Bathtubs
And here’s another problematic detail from the “hygiene department”: My bathtub in Madrid isn’t deep enough, which means my belly is always sticking out of the water, uncovered. In Cádiz, we have a different, much deeper tub that covers that part of my body perfectly. What silly everyday problems life throws at us!