The Associated Press

A shower head attached to a flexible hose not only makes bathing easier, but is also handy for cleaning the tub or shower. A hand-held shower provides greater flexibility than a standard spray head by letting you control the direction and height of the spray.

The key to the versatility of this shower is a vinyl hose, usually 50 inches to 60 inches long, with threaded fittings at each end. A handle and spray head are attached to one end. The other end connects to the shower arm - the curved pipe that holds your current shower head.

Hand showers generally are sold in kits that contain the spray head, hose and a mounting bracket.

If the hand shower is to be installed in addition to the existing spray head, you'll need to purchase an inline diverter.

Hand-held showers come in a variety of styles and spray patterns.