Short youtube video featuring a few of the automations mentioned below: https://youtu.be/6vDO5ZOqzzg
Sight - Lighting:
Using a motion sensor to turn on ambient lighting (a lifx bulb) when motion is detected, which activates a light scene and this particular light entity is also using the Circadian Lighting Integration available in HACS to not wake me up at the wee hours of the morning (pun intended). Very useful for night-time bathroom breaks. My accuracy has improved 90% since adding ambient light. Also, when this light is turned on it provides a visual indicator that my heated towel rack is turned on (automation turns off via wifi tplink mini smart plug after 10 minutes of no motion detected). The heated towel rack helps dry the towels and eliminate moisture from our most used bathroom (I have 3 daughters btw).
Hearing - Music:
Using an original Amazon Echo (v1) for Alexa hands free access to Spotify or Amazon Music. Of course, I also have a bathroom playlist available too. I have an Amazon Echo button (bluetooth) when pressed fires a routine to play nature sounds (Waterfall) for some bathroom break inspiration and ambience.
Smells - Essential Oil Diffuser:
I bought an Air Wick Essential Mist, Essential Oil Diffuser from Amazon. Repurposed a smartthings multipurpose sensor to detect movement / acceleration. Put the multipurpose sensor inside of a small ziplock bag and duct-taped it inside the toilet, to the flush handle.
The Airwick thingy also used batteries so in my proof of concept I simply cut off a usb cable exposing red and black wires and connected them to the battery terminals using removable pen cap tops to fill the battery space. The POC worked fine but then I migrated to a much cleaner solution by purchasing on Amazon the “Lenink AA Battery Eliminator Power Supply with USB to DC Cable Replace AA Battery”. I plugged the Lenink AA Battery Eliminator Power Supply adapter into a spare usb to AC plug adapter and that into a wifi tplink plug (to have constant power vs battery power).
When you flush the toilet… acceleration detection occurs from the handle movement which triggers and turns on a tplink plug for 2 minutes then automatically turns off. This is enough time to initiate the startup sequence which results in a single puff of essential oil fragrance when you need it most. This automation should significantly extend the life of the refillable cartridge’s and removes the requirement to replace batteries too. There is a slight delay upon flush, so about the time you are washing your hands a delightful puff of essential oils surrounds the space.
According to Airwick published marketing material “Each refill provides up to 45 days fragrance based on low setting”. Low setting releases fragrant mist for 4 seconds between 17 minute intervals. 1440 minutes (in a day)/ 17 minute intervals = ~85 air puffs a day on low setting. 45 days (85 air puffs x 45 days) = ~3,825 per refill cartridge (which cost ~$4 per single refill). I don’t know exactly how many flushes we conduct per day (yet) but I am sure it is not anywhere close to 85 per day even with this being the most active bathroom in our house.
Touch:
Or touch-less in this case… I purchased a hands free, battery powered motion detected foaming soap dispenser (“LAOPAO Soap Dispenser, Automatic Foaming Soap Dispenser Hand Free”).
I also have the amazing Brondell Swash SE600 bidet toilet seat which is heated (awesome during winter) and acts as an automated carwash for your backside. This reduces amount of toilet paper consumed and also simply makes you feel cleaner since water is involved. Apparently, toilet paper during a pandemic is like having gold and could potentially be used as currency too. This fancy toilet seat has an ir remote to control the different options. I am considering adding another broadlink rm mini 3 to send ir commands via voice (Alexa) but implemented this yet.
Taste:
Yuck! I’m afraid I do not really want to taste anything while bathroom operations are underway so no real automations with this sense.
