A bathroom, also known as a restroom, washroom, or lavatory, is a room in a residential building, commercial property, or public space primarily dedicated to personal hygiene and sanitation activities. While its specific features and purposes vary across cultures and contexts, some key elements are almost universally present.

Essential features:

• Toilet: A fixture used for the disposal of human waste.
• Sink: A basin with running water and a drain, used for handwashing, brushing teeth, shaving, and other tasks.
• Mirror: Typically located above the sink, used for grooming and personal care.

Common additional features:

• Bathtub: A large container used for full-body immersion in water for bathing.
• Shower: A compartment where a person stands under a spray of water for bathing.
• Toilet paper: Absorbent paper used for personal hygiene after using the toilet.
• Towels: Absorbent cloths used for drying oneself after bathing or washing hands.
• Soap and hand sanitizer: Cleaning agents for personal hygiene.
• Lighting: Illuminates the space for various activities.
• Ventilation: Exhausts moisture and odors.

Variations and terminology:

• Full bathroom: Contains a toilet, sink, and either a bathtub or shower (or both).
• Half bathroom: Typically contains a toilet and sink, but not a bathtub or shower.
• En suite bathroom: Attached to and accessible only from a specific bedroom.
• Guest bathroom: Shared by guests and not attached to a specific bedroom.
• Public bathroom: Located in public spaces like offices, restaurants, or transportation hubs.

Cultural and regional differences:

• Toilet location: In some cultures, the toilet is located in a separate room from the bathing and sink area.
• Bathing practices: The use of bathtubs or showers varies depending on cultural norms and water availability.
• Terminology: Terms like “restroom” and “washroom” are more common in certain regions than “bathroom.”

Overall, bathrooms play a crucial role in maintaining personal hygiene and sanitation, contributing to public health and individual well-being.

Related terms: Sanitation, hygiene, plumbing, fixture, personal care, accessibility.

Bathroom (Wikipedia)

This article is about private rooms for personal hygiene. For toilet facilities outside the home, see public toilet. For private toilet room at a residence, see toilet (room). For washing facilities outside the home, see public bathing.

A bathroom is a room in which people wash their bodies or parts thereof. It can contain one or more of the following plumbing fixtures: a shower, a bathtub, a bidet, and a sink (also known as a wash basin in the UK). The inclusion of a toilet is common. There are also specific toilet rooms, only containing a toilet (most often accompanied by the sink), which in North American English tend to be called "bathrooms", "powder rooms" or "washrooms", as euphemisms to conceal their actual purpose, while they in British and Irish English are known as just "toilets" or possibly "cloakrooms" - but also as "lavatories" when they are public.

Historically, bathing was often a collective activity, which took place in public baths. In some countries, the shared social aspect of cleansing the body is still important, for example with sento in Japan and, throughout the Islamic world, the hammam (also known in the West as a "Turkish bath").