MIL bathing habits

I know the difference and you don’t need to use soap on your vulva either, cleaning with water is sufficient and any detergents in that area can be irritating. Some are more sensitive than others.

No, it is not "gross".

I'm old enough to have grown up in a home with no central heating. If you wanted a bath, you put the immersion heater on and waited two hours until there was enough hot water. If someone wanted a bath after you, they had to wait for the water to heat up again.

We weren't having daily baths or one or two showers a day. In between baths, we had daily "strip down" washes.

As people age, many of us sweat less and our skin becomes dry. It is not necessary for many elderly people to have a daily bath or shower.

As people age, they may also require a bath step, a non slip rubber mat in the bath or grab handles on the bath or on the wall. They may need a bath bench or bath seat in order to bathe safely.

I don't know how old your MIL is but unless she has a hygiene issue it is entirely her choice how often she bathes when staying in your house. And if she chooses to use bubble bath instead of soap, that is her choice, too.

I am in my early 70s and have had a a successful hip replacement. I still need the following aids in order to use a bath or shower safely and comfortably:

a non slip rubber bath mat
a small stool to get into the bath
a grab rail fixed to the bath
shower cream as soap is far too drying and makes me itchy

It really is none of your business.

Yes dd bathes her young dc in water only because of this

Bubble bath isn't liquid soap. HTH

That's like saying she doesn't use soap to wash her hair when she uses shampoo. You're not meant to use soap if you have liquid soap in your bath 😅
Do you use soap on your washing up along with washing up liquid?
Bathing every day isn't good for the skin. So long as you keep your intimate area clean there really isn't any problem bathing once a week.
Do some research.

Same in our house and 4 of us kids had to share the water. Far too expensive for fresh water. And a strip wash the rest of the time until we got a shower fitted

Also, to all those saying 'bubble bath is soap', that's not quite true - the lather/bubble aspect is the focus of bubble bath. If anything it's better to skip that and use actual soap/shower gel.

Why don't some of you know the difference between the vagina and the vulva?

Something else grown women have to be told. Jesus Christ.

I cannot shower at the moment following surgery, and I'm able to have a really thorough strip wash every day and keep perfectly clean. She may be strip washing every day? You don't mention that you have noticed body odour, so she must be managing to keep herself clean. Unless this is a recent change in behaviour I don't see what the issue is?

I've not once said that, merely pointing out the reality of life a few decades ago.
If folk don't like that reality, or choose not to accept it because they didn't experience it, then so be it. Some of it stems from privilege. Also, I don't recall 'everything being cheap' when I was growing up, but, as I say, we all have different life experiences.
Have a pleasant day.

What an odd thing to say.

But I take that as you accepting that you don’t need soap on your vagina, vulva or indeed any other ’flaps’ you care to name.

Yes, good point!

I actually have a really good idea regarding sanitation, in the UK and some other European countries because I am a sad geek who is quite into social end economic history, but you crack on assuming you know better.
Have a lovely day.

Bubble bath is soap!!! If someone needs to scrub their skin with soap in addition to sitting in an bath of soap then it sounds like they are the ones who are filthy and have a hygiene problem!

My grandparents never had central heating or double glazing and we sold their house in 2016! The bath was put in the house in the early 80s as I remember it going in and the shower was a rubber attachment to the taps

Everything was cheaper then - that’s what history is.

Wages were also £11 but you could buy a house.

We didn’t have a shower growing up, kids shared bath water on a Sunday and a sink wash in between.

We didn’t live in extreme poverty, we had detached house, Vienetta etc.

But these conversations always descend into ‘I can’t cope with people who don’t live like me’

No idea how old your MIL is but my in-laws run the sink with water and have a cloth wash because growing up, it was expensive to heat the water every day or fill a tub. My FIL is nearly 90 and from a dirt poor background. Started work aged 7 (totally illegal even back then probably) he has a bath once a week on a Sunday and then a wash at the sink every day. Doesn’t smell. Not even sure he uses deodorant as not seen one in bathroom.

As kids we washed once a week on a Sunday. Get over yourself. It’s not great for baby’s skin to be washed every day as you strip the natural oils.

You have no idea.
My parents were rock bottom poor. In today's terms I'd have been considered to be brought up in poverty and they would have got every benefit going.

If she's and older lady, she may struggle getting in and out of the bath and doesn't want to risk getting stuck or falling whilst staying with you

BTW no woman should be washing her vagina with soap or any sort of shower gels. The vagina is self cleaning and water is sufficient. You’re much more likely to have a smell there if you are washing it with soap as that can actually encourage bacterial growth by upsetting the natural biome.

'I’m not giving myself thrush just to keep you happy love.'

Do you refer to it as "down there" too, 'love'?

Good for them, that doesn't negate that lots of others did.

No, not utter nonsense, actual reality.
Your privilege is showing.

Same here. I had a similar background, it wasn't uncommon.

Your mum was very fortunate - that certainly wasn't the norm for working class folks.