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Previous: Caps Lock | Main | Next: Interstate sign
February 12, 2004 01:05 AM
Broken: Shower squeegee
Doug Anderson writes:
In an effort to reduce humidity and the unicellular organisms that thrive with it, I decided to buy a squeegee with which to remove the water from my bathroom shower enclosure. Clean lines, smooth stainless steel for durability and low maintenance, nice heft in the hand, soft blade that glides across grout lines without chatter, seemed perfect.[I didn't include the picture he sent of said lacerated toe.. -mh]After several months of satisfied use, a design flaw appeared - suddenly. Standing in the shower, bare feet softened by warm water, wet hands grasping smooth & hefty stainless steel. Only problem: the stainless steel wrapped around the blade extends about 3/16" (about 0.5 cm) past the end of the blade.
When dropped just right (or just wrong), the u-shaped end of the stainless steel readily penetrates the water-softened skin of the toe, leaving parallel lacerations.
I agree, this is bad design, and besides not simply ending the rubber before the sides, a better design would have rounded sides and perhaps even rubber covers.
All that said, here is evidence of at least a few people who would have been very unhappy with such a safe design:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/september11/collection/record.asp?ID=35
Tie a lanyard about 3 feet long around your exposed sexual organs. If you drop it, it won't reach your feet. The sudden jerk on your vitals will certainly train you to firmly grip the implement in the future, and not be so insolent, and complacent as to stand there naked, limp wristed, weakly gripping a squeegee, and wiping the shower walls.
Another less painfull remedy is to just get some of that anti-fungal shower spray.
wow. the squeegee is not broken. your head is however- like chris said, you definitely need to be smarter than the squeegee you are using. how would you recommend fixing the squeegee? foam pads and flashing neon warning signs? ill read about you in the darwin awards someday.
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Previous: Caps Lock | Main | Next: Interstate sign
Wait, you use a heavy smooth-finished metal thing in the shower while you're wet and naked? Even without the protruding metal bits, that seems like a Bad Idea.
Easily worked around, though. Tie a bit of string onto that loop at the top to make a wrist strap for it.
Posted by: Chaz Larson at February 13, 2004 10:43 AM