If you are anything like us, your first morning challenge during cold winter months is maintaining your body temperature once you've left the warmth of your bed.

Accomplishing this usually involves waiting for hot water to preheat the shower stall. If you've got a steam shower, even toastier.

Recently, after 10 years of cozy mornings, our steam shower went on the blink. Not one drop of steam. No more billowing warmth. We rushed to find a replacement to end our frozen mornings—and discovered a whole new kind of steam.

Before we elaborate, we need to explain that a steam generator is nothing more than an overdeveloped electric tea kettle. Electricity turns water to steam, which is then sent through the wall via a short pipe or "spout" into your enclosed shower.

The shower has to be tiled everywhere, including the ceiling, and the opening over the shower door needs to be sealed with a piece of safety glass, which corrals the steam and keeps it within the enclosure where it can do the most good. You can take a steam shower and a regular shower all at the same time to get really, really clean.

You've been waiting for what we discovered right? In our search for a replacement we found that steam shower technology has improved over the past 10 years. Steam generators used to merely produce steam. Today they definitely do more.

We interviewed Martha Orellana, vice president of Mr. Steam®, one of the country's largest manufacturers of steam generators. Orellana, known by company employees as "Mrs. Steam," gave us an inside look at some pretty cool innovations.

<

AROMATHERAPY

Do you like the smell of eucalyptus, lavender or mint? How about during a shower? Orellana told us that today's steam generators can be fitted with a built-in automatic scented-oil dispenser that injects and blends aromatic oils directly into the steam. The Carey wives have spent more money than makes good "scents" at fancy health spas for nothing more than these soothing whiffs. Orellana says it's a calming therapy—even more so without the big spa bill.

<

CHROMATHERAPY

"Like water and heat, light can affect how we feel," Orellana says. If you don't believe her, ask John Travolta how he felt in the 70s, dancing under a disco ball illuminated by colored strobe lights. Orellana says certain colors ranging from soothing shades of blue and green to sensual and energizing colors like red and orange can be selected to saturate the steam environment.

<

MUSIC THERAPY

Also known as Beatles-therapy or Bach-therapy. Speakers can whisper your favorite tune in the shower. Sorry, Mrs. Steam, you're too late. We've had waterproof speakers in the ceiling of our shower for more than 10 years. And yes, you're right—music in the shower is incredibly soothing.

<

Now, for the rest of the story. There was absolutely nothing wrong with our steam generator. It was a bad wire in a nearby electric panel. Within an hour of discovering the problem, our unit was up and running again.

We had steam again. What a disappointment.