Plunger from Alice Supply Co.
Trust me (because, unfortunately, I know) it is mortifying to experience a clogged toilet as a guest at, say, your boyfriend's parents' house and then to find no plunger anywhere. Much worse than being visually reminded of reality by a plunger is to be unprepared when reality inevitably strikes. —Graefix, on Apartment Therapy
Most of us (at least in the U.S.) own a plunger — and sometimes storing it can be a challenge, especially if you want to keep it close at hand in the bathroom. My last post provided one idea; let me give you a few more.
The most common storage option I'm seeing is something along the lines of this one from Simple Human: a plunger that comes with a "housing to neatly hide the plunger out of sight." You can find similar products from OXO, and there's also the Waxman Hide-a-Plunger. Some products will hold both a plunger and a toilet brush, like this one from Polder. While many of these come with a plunger, Interdesign has a plunger house that comes without a plunger; it's a good option if you already have a good plunger, and don't really want a new one that might not work as well for you.
If you're willing to wait a bit, the Nautilus plunger from Quirky, which comes with a base, is going into production.
And take a look at Plungees, "the pretty plunger in a box." There are a number of designs: metallic, mirrored, and more. And then there's the custom line, which includes these birdhouse designs. The birdhouses are pricey, at $199 each, but some of the other designs are much less costly. Note: I was seeing problems with the online shopping cart, so you might want to just call the vendor if you're interested in any of these.
There are other designs, too — like these taller receptacles from Taymor, where the plunger is attached to the lid. There's a stainless steel version and coated oil rubbed bronze version, both of which get mixed reviews on Amazon.com.
A somewhat-similar product is the Sani-Plunge: an 18-inch tall receptacle that holds the plunger that comes with it. In this product, the lid is not attached to the plunger.
The Hy-Dit takes a totally different approach; it's an in-wall toilet plunger storage cabinet. You can buy it many places, including Amazon.com.
Don't want to buy a plunger-specific product? You could also use something like a decorative planter, as Crystal Ray suggests.
And if you want to minimize the yuckiness factor, you could consider the Rubbermaid Clean and Dry Plunger; see the review from Unclutterer.
Isn't funny the "cultural" difference of seemingly very similar countries? I have never owned a plunger; I don't remember my parents ever owning a plunger. A very vague recollection of there being a need for one at some point in my childhood (not because of my childhood). I can't say I've even seen them in the shops. If I had to buy one, I'm guessing the hardware store, but I really would be guessing.
ReplyDeleteMakes me very curious as to why the USA would need them more than Australia. I'm sure there's some simple scientific explanation.
When I lived in the Philippines, we didn't really have them. Only became necessary when I started living in the U.S. Must be some plumbing thing. It's also entertaining how much discussion can go into toilet plungers, and I mean that in a good way. :)
ReplyDeleteSusan and Michael: In the Unclutterer post I linked to, some commenters mentioned not needing a plunger in Australia, New Zealand and Britain. I think it had something to do with toilet design. Thanks for the additional data points!
ReplyDeleteSo this was one post where all the products I linked to are readily available in the U.S. — where they are needed!