Livinghouse

We’d love to tell you that we’ve discovered a self-cleaning bathroom, but we haven’t. For now you’ll just have to make do with the possibility of a self-cleaning tap in the near future. Currently it’s only a concept, but an interesting one at that.

The Little Twist

Great design is often simple, aesthetically pleasing and provides a solution to an everyday problem. The Little Twist, designed by industrial designer Sarang Sheth, is like all good design ideas in that you wonder why it’s not been realised earlier. And more importantly, why it’s not already in production and available to the masses.

Who needs a self-cleaning tap?

Picture the scene if you will. Your hands are dirty. It could be from food preparation such as handling raw meat or making your own pastry. Whatever the reason, the conundrum is the same. You need to turn that tap on in order to wash your hands. Do you grab the tap and risk transferring food and bacteria, or do you call on your inner contortionist and attempt to turn it on with your elbow or chin?

Even if you are successful with the latter approach, water and soap residue left behind from turning the tap off can still mark or damage it, especially if it has a chrome finish. The Little Twist promises to alleviate both of these problems as its handle benefits from a wash each time you turn the tap on. Clever, eh?

How does it work?

By breaking from tradition and positioning the handle directly under the water source, the Little Twist becomes a self-cleaning tap. The handle is made from ceramic to avoid hard water stains and designed to resemble a splash of water. Give it a 90° turn to release the water and an aerator in the tap ensures a splash-free, steady flow.

Too clean to be true?

The concept certainly makes sense and the look of the design is not so far removed from conventional taps. It could easily be coming to a kitchen or bathroom near you in the future, albeit the distant future.

Until then, there is a huge range of good looking taps available to suit both traditional and modern bathrooms and kitchens. Many taps utilise the latest technology and are packed with smart features to make life just that little bit easier.

For instance, thermostatically controlled taps safely mix cold and hot water to ensure it’s at the optimum temperature. That means you can say goodbye to those pesky scenarios involving either freezing cold or scorching hot water.

Sensor taps are also becoming more widely available, which take away the need to touch any part of the tap at all.