Inflatable Shower Curtain Inspired By Medieval Torture Devices Lets Bathers Know When It's Time to Get Out

Sometimes people need a little prodding to be mindful of saving water, designer says

A London-based artist may have the solution for those who enjoy long showers even in the midst of a drought.

Elisabeth Buecher designed a shower curtain that encourages people to stop wasting water after four minutes. The project, which features a water tap sensor that triggers the inflation of spikes, is part of an installation series called “My Shower Curtain is a Green Warrior.”

Bucher said in an email that people sometimes need a little prodding to be mindful of saving water.

“I see my curtains like alarm clocks,” Buecher said. “You don’t want to get up in the morning but you have to and the alarm clock helps you to do it”.

Although the plastic spikes are harmless, Buecher found inspiration in the medieval torture devices seen in Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow.”

Buecher uses her textile installations to raise awareness about social and environmental issues.

The shower curtain is currently a prototype, which the artist and educator uses for educational purposes. However, Buecher would love to see her products on store shelves.

She has also created a shower curtain that slowly inflates around a person and only allows for a four-minute shower before it traps them.

“People get very excited about it for lots of different reasons,” Buecher said. “The curtains do create a lot of interesting discussions across generations and fields.” 

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