It seems that we humans are not the only creatures capable of using and benefiting from video calls in tough times. The study, named ‘Birds of a Feather,’ recruited over a dozen parrot owners and their pet parrots to see if video calls could make the birds less lonely and improve their mental health. Northwestern University organized this unique study in collaboration with the University of Glasgow and scientists from MIT. They taught the parrots to initiate video calls by instructing them to ring a bell first, then touch another parrot’s picture on a tablet screen to make the call.

All the parrot owners were experienced bird keepers, capable of identifying signs of aggression, fear, or disinterest in birds. During the study’s first phase, 18 parrots made 212 video calls with a time limit of five minutes. In the following ‘open call’ phase over the next two months, 15 birds initiated 147 video calls to each other and also selected their preferred individual to call. The study showed that, alongside freely making the calls and understanding the presence of a real fellow bird on the screen, the parrots had garnered many positive experiences. The bird keepers overwhelmingly reported that many parrots even learned new skills from their video friends, including new vocalizations, foraging, and even flying. Also, the parrots initiating the most calls received the most chat requests from other parrots. Strikingly, this particular finding is also mirrored in human behaviors.

The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in any house and it gets most of the foot traffic. So, it’s bound to get dirty and smelly quite often, posing a risk to the health and hygiene of the household. But don’t worry! We’ve got you covered here with a few easy tricks to have up your sleeve so that you can keep your bathroom smelling fresh for longer.

Getting a Toilet Spritzer

Toilet spritzers are real game savers when it comes to a bathroom’s smell. A septic-friendly toilet spritzer perfectly keeps the smells of the bathroom to a minimum. The trick here is to spray the water in the toilet using a spritzer before use. This helps to trap any smells by creating a coating on the water surface.

Scenting the Toilet Paper Roll

This is probably the easiest way to keep your bathroom smelling fresh for a longer time. Just add a few drops of essential oil to your toilet paper roll! Pick your favorite scent and squeeze out a few drops inside the roll, onto the cardboard core. Now, spin the paper roll to distribute the oil evenly. A pleasant whiff after each use is guaranteed!

Placing Dryer Sheets in the Bathroom Cabinet

Dryer sheets have a lovely clean and fresh scent. To liven up your bathroom with fresh smells, tape a dryer sheet in a corner of the sink cabinet ceiling. It’s hardly noticeable but highly effective! Don’t forget to change it out whenever the scent begins to fade. If you don’t like the idea of taping anything in your bathroom, just store the sheets underneath the sink, in their original box.

Spaying the Shower Curtain

Another common reason behind your smelly bathroom is the shower curtain. The look and smell of a moldy curtain are not only off-putting but can also cause serious health troubles like asthma and allergies. So, prevent the mold from growing in the first place by using a daily shower spray to spritz on the curtain, and also around the tub, after every bath or shower.

Freshening Up the Toilet Brush

It’s often hard to realize that it’s your toilet brush causing all the foul smells in your bathroom. To fix it, spray or pour any good-scented cleaning product on the brush after every bathroom scrubbing session. You can even use bleach for this purpose, too. It’s a very useful trick to prevent the scent of your bathroom from getting pungent and to sanitize the toilet brush, as well.