It is a common belief that African Violets because they have hairy leaves should not be allowed to get wet but that is not always the case. Obviously, in the forests where they originated they would get wet without harm. Or else they would all have disappeared long before man discovered them and brought them to Europe where they were introduced as greenhouse plants. Later they were adopted as house plants because of their low light requirements and ability to bloom for long periods if they were given enough light, moisture and fertility.

The problem with African Violet leaves getting wet is that cold water can chill the leaves and allow them to become subject to various molds that penetrate the leaf surface and cause them to rot away. Or the center of the leaf rosette retains the water and causes that to die either from the cold or from the fungi. Hot water will also kill the leaf tissue so the logical middle way is to use lukewarm water from the faucet  

Online I was able to find "One of the major problems associated with African violet care is excessive watering, which can lead to root or crown rot. Root and crown rot caused by the fungus Pythium ultimum may occur on over watered plants. All ages of plants may be affected. The crown and roots of these infected plants turn dark and soft, and the leaves usually wilt. Infected plants can be lifted easily from the soil. This disease is not a problem when plants are grown in a pasteurized soil mixture in a container that allows for proper drainage. Destroy badly diseased plants, and thoroughly clean and disinfect their containers before reusing them. Highly prized plants can sometimes be saved if the crown is not badly decayed. Remove the rotted portion of the crown well above the line of decay and reroot the plant in sterile medium.
Petiole rot begins as an orange-brown or rust-colored lesion where the petiole touches the rim of the pot or where it contacts the soil. This is aggravated by the accumulation of fertilizer salts on the rim of the porous pot or on the soil surface. An aluminum foil collar on the rim of the pot and flushing the soil occasionally with heavy watering will prevent this problem.
The unsightly yellow or white ring and line patterns that occasionally appear on the leaves are thought to be caused by a sudden chilling of the leaves by cold water or by the sun shining on wet leaves. This condition is known as ring spot or chlorosis, and can be avoided by carefully watering the plants from below with water slightly warmer than air temperature."

For many years I grew hundreds of violets. I started in Northern Michigan while my DH was stationed in the Air Force at Michigan Tech as an instructor for their ROTC program. There the winters were long and cold. The violets were in front of a western window that looked over  the back yard six foot deep in snow.

Many of those plants went with us to Montgomery, Alabama and they were placed in a screened in porch . Those few that survived that tour were brought with us to New Mexico.   

Other interests became more important for those four years. I became an avid rock collector and gemstone faceter. All of that consumed my free time.

Next, with all the kids safely finished with college, we were sent to Hawaii. There is very little rockhunting in Hawaii so I took up jewelry making where I taught silver casting and lapidary at the base craft center and for the public schools. When my husband retired we returned to New Mexico and I returned to rock collecting. but although the interest remained the house became full of rocks. We bought a house and I started collecting the new varieties of Violets. The windows were filled with them and then the garage and banks of shelves with fluorescent lights were filled. I started experimenting with growing new varieties from seed. Some of these were named and registered with the AVSA.  I became a violet show judge and then came the Master Gardener program. So here I am, twenty five years later, playing around with the Internet and looking back at a long journey.