The Bathroom Squeegee

If you think you can live here without a squeegee, think again.

Most Americans are familiar with the squeegee. We have one at home in Duluth, but it’s almost exclusively used to clean exterior windows. Here it is a daily tool that has nothing to do with clean windows.

Finnish living isn’t unique in the frequent use of the squeegee compared to America. European countries seem to be more ok with wet bathroom floors than I think most Americans might, but if you add the sauna part of Finnish culture to the equation, especially in the modern sauna context with in-home, in-bathroom electric saunas, then perhaps there’s an argument that the bathroom squeegee is a touch more prevalent here than in the rest of Europe.

Apartment, or “flat,” living is certainly more common around the world than much of America, save the big cities where population density is an issue. The bathroom layouts for Finland in general might be tied to the prevalence of flats in urban settings, but these layouts are certainly common even in single family and spacious homes here. The difference, I believe, is practicality in use of space, and perhaps just the nature of fixtures and expectations of how a bathroom functions here.

The common bathroom in Finland, especially in an apartment where there’s only one, is usually a multi-use room with toilet, laundry, sauna changing room, and shower, all with the same floor and drain. These usually have in-floor heat to evaporate water relatively quickly on the floor after water has been sprayed about.

The layout typically consists of a shower and commode sharing a wall with perhaps a splash guard or shower semi-enclosure of some kind, that marginally manages the splash of the shower, marginally being the operative word. In Finland, a modern sauna with a door between it and the shower is very common—probably more common than not. And even places with an old, traditional wood burning, out-building sauna in the yard, will still have a convenience electric sauna in at least one of their bathrooms. Furthest from the shower/commode wall will be a sink and vanity, and finally the clothes washing machine (no dryer, see first blog post).

This isn’t a ”poor-person’s” bathroom setup either. This is common in luxury hotels, upscale homes and apartments. We once stayed at the Hilton (on points of course, as they are hugely expensive to stay in over here) at the Helsinki airport and were in an upgraded room with the sauna IN the hotel bathroom. The bathroom had this layout minus the washing machine, complete with squeegee. While our current apartment downtown Jyvaskyla isn’t a “luxury” apartment, it is certainly slightly upscale. It has been commonly rented to up-and-coming stars for the Liiga (top pro league) JYP hockey team, so in essence, the club has put some of their best players here to live (at least two current NHL players we know of have lived here before us). They want to make a good impression. This isn't a dumpy bathroom. This is what a bathroom basically is expected to be, upscale or economy. It only functions with a squeegee.

I think the first time I ever encountered taking a shower in this set up, “you’ve got to be kidding me” went through my mind, as I wondered how I keep the water “in” the shower like at home. The splash from my shower went EVERYWHERE. Which leads to the first rule of this setup—don’t leave anything on the floor that you don’t want soaked. Another upside potentially, depending on placement of the commode, is it brings a whole new meaning and residual decency to peeing in the shower.

The squeegee is employed in obvious manner. Upon completion of a shower, squeegee the film of water on the floor into the drain. It's remarkably enjoyable. Choose between dripping-wet-naked, or dried-off-towel-covered as a squeegee outfit, but before your kids rush in to go pee with their socks still on, you'll want to employ that squeegee with vigor and precision. The better the job, the quicker the evaporation work by the in-floor heat.

We live two minutes walk from a Clas Ohlson, a Swedish catch-all discount home store I was mostly unaware of just over a month ago. Funny, the Corona virus and Clas Ohlson may forever be linked in my psyche due to timing each had as they collided with my life. The store has been a lifesaver. When you move your family into a new flat in a new country, even if it is furnished, you are missing a LOT of stuff. Clas Ohlson has just about everything you need to survive domestic house life. Batteries? Check. Tool belts and tools? Check. Potato peeler. Of course. Barbeque grill brush? Yup. US/Europe outlet adapters (both ways). Indeed. Bilar candy? Woohooo!!!!

The very first thing I bought at Clas Ohlson, in a long string of visits and items on receipts, was a squeegee. It’s that vital.