Friday, February 17, 2012

How to Read Your Kindle Touch in the Bathtub

I love to read. I love to take bubble baths. It's not going to surprise anybody to learn that I love to read while taking a bubble bath.

However, my habit suffered a hitch when I acquired my Kindle. I fretted about how to protect the device from the water: from steam, from splashes, and from the catastrophe of total submersion.

My father, neither a bath lover nor a novel addict, told me I would have to stick to reading hard copy books in the bath. The problems with this solution will be evident to all novel-loving bath addicts.

Everybody else said, "Stick it in a Ziplock bag."

I tried that. I used a gallon sized, freezer strength Ziplock (well, Target brand), and almost experienced Kindle meltdown. Every time I tried to turn the page the plastic hit the sensitive touch screen in multiple places, causing it either to turn too many pages or freeze up.

But tonight, I HAD to read Cybele's Secret (review coming in a future post), and I HAD to read it while immersed in hot water. I went online to see if anybody had solved the Ziplock bag problem. Apparently some had, but all they would say (in taunting cyber voices) was, "I had no trouble using my Kindle Touch inside a Ziplock baggie." The selfish, misanthropic cretins!

I looked at a waterproof case available on Amazon (for $19.99) and watched a demo about how to use it. I contemplated building my own waterproof case out of a discarded bedding bag, duct tape, and those foam thingies you put on cupboard doors. And then it hit me. The way to solve the Ziplock baggie problem. I can't decide if I'm an idiot or a genius.

What I am NOT is a cretin, so here's how to do it. You too can enjoy the pleasure of e-novels via touch screen in the bubbly!

You will need
1 quart-sized Ziplock bag, freezer strength with double seal
tape
2 minutes

  1. Put your Kindle Touch in the bag.
  2. Seal the bag, leaving a little air inside.
  3. Slide the Kindle to the corner of the bag.
  4. Bracing the Kindle against the side of the bag, pull the plastic tight over the screen. Fold the excess around the back of the Kindle and tape it.
  5. Repeat step 4 for the top of the bag.
  6. Run your bath water. Use extra bubbles.

You're welcome. Donations of cash and chocolate will be accepted.

23 comments:

  1. Or you can simply keep your hands dry and not be a total klutz that would drop stuff in the tub. I read a kindle in the tub, read paper books in the tub, and I've never dropped either into the tub...

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    1. Kinda mean, Forrest. I'm not a total klutz, and I've dozed off and dropped 3 kindles in the tub (so far). Reading in warm water makes a person sleepy. You nod off. The kindle takes a fatal dip. It's an easy mistake to make. Three times. (So far.) ;-)

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  2. In the first place, your remark assumes that klutziness is a choice. In the second place,I quote from my post, "I fretted about how to protect the device from the water: from steam, from splashes, and from the catastrophe of total submersion." I have never accidentally immersed a book. But I splash or drip on them all the time. I assume steam isn't the best for the device either, although not being mechanically minded, I can't vouch for that.

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  3. You are pretty genius for someone with a blog called "Lack of Genius" :-)

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  4. If I took baths, I would definitely employ this advice.

    Oh...and if I had a Kindle too...haha. ;)

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  5. Thank you so much! My boyfriend told me to take a bath and put it into a ziplock. But before I even started the water the baggy was driving me nuts! It was turning the pages, making the text bigger everything that annoyed me! And then I found this page and taped up the ziplock and it worked.

    I'm not a klutz either, but it's worth having the protection just in case.

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  6. I want to read sitting on a float in the pool. I'm going to try your technique!

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  7. Totally going to try this. Looked up a million products to buy, but reviews are iffy. Thought about using ziplock bag and googled it. Thanks for the info so as to beat trial and error fatigue and shipping costs!Can't wait to get on a float and read! Summer here I come!

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  8. I hate to be a braggart....but while on my evening walk I was thinking about my Kindle, and how much I wanted to read it in the tub. Then I thought "why not just stick it in a ziplock baggie?". Of course, I have an IQ of 143 so it was simple for me. I admire when those with a lack of genius can figure things like this out!! Good going sir!

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    1. Wow... This may be one of the rudest comments ever. Your IQ of 143 does not help with this problem as much as simple common sense would. Also, your high IQ obviously has left no room in that big brain of yours for rules of proper social interactions!!

      On another note, to HD Elliott, the idea to TAPE the plastic bag to prevent tapping errors was genius!

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  9. Lol, the first day I got my kindle touch I hit this bath "problem", the 2nd day I bought a crud load of ziplock freezer bags (nice and thick) and off I went.

    Yep, the air pocket is the only way to ensure total user-only touching, but I've also discovered that after a few uses the bags become more floppy and tend to become "fuzzy".

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  10. When is kindle goig to make a waterproof kindle???????


    duh amazon

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  11. I am undeniably thankful to you for providing us with this invaluable related information. My spouse and I are easily grateful, quite frankly the documents we needed.
    meat bag

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  12. Thank you Thank you Thank you. Trying to make it work with a ziploc bag was driving me nuts. Now it is working perfectly and the bubble bath is running :-D

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  13. or you could used a small sandwich bag they fit the kindle perfectly no need for tape

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  14. Just dunked mine (none-touchscreen) in the bath this afternoon ... Didn't drop it, didn't doze off - finished reading for the duration, switched it off and put it on the side (as I always do), while I made my ablutions. There I was, happily submerged, rinsing off what little hair I have left, when it decided that it wanted to violently join me - jumped off the side, and hit me in the head. Just hoping that a bag of rice will save it from complete brickhood! Not a happy little bunny!

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  15. BathQuilt...the new way to take a bath while reading!

    www.BathQuilts.com

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  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  17. Nice tips. In washroom, the floor should be dried and shower doors should be good enough to prevent leakage. Frameless shower door seals can help to prevent water leakage outside the washroom and it helps to keep the shower net, clean and dry. Try the best product from DK Hardware.

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  18. I've used Aldi's Goliath sandwich bags with my 2nd Gen Paperwhite for over six years in heavy rain and even in the shower. I've been unlucky with the odd bag where the corner might let a tiny amount of water in, but it's pretty obvious when this happens - which is very rare in any case - and never affects the device. I reckon I swap the bag every month or so, just cos the plastic gets a bit worn, but I love how effective they are and how easy it is to grip the kindle by the sealing strip, which folds about halfway round the back. :D

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  19. Brilliant! This totally works, thank you for posting this. I was becoming so frustrated.

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