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Original poster

Sharing bath water

255 replies

UltimateLuxury · 04/02/2026 19:41

Just that really.
For what it is worth we have a massive roll top bath which takes 15 minutes to fill
I usually offer out to rest of family when I am done.
is that okay or grim?

OP posts:
Sogfree · 04/02/2026 20:57

XP had a huge roll top bath.

We'd been seeing each other a few months when I said I'd be happy to use his bath water after him in preference over the 20 mins turn around to empty and refill.

He was having none of it. Thought it grim. Was shocked I even suggested it.

I still think that was his problem, not mine.

ruethewhirl · 04/02/2026 20:57

Tableforjoan · 04/02/2026 19:44

I’d say grim but I think baths full stop are grim. You just sit in your dirt sweat and dead cells.

Not really, in this day and age when people are washing/bathing/showering a lot more frequently. Manual labour aside, most people just aren't going to get that dirty between baths/showers. It's not like when 'bath night' was a weekly event.

IWantToHibernate · 04/02/2026 20:57

Wishthingswerenouting · 04/02/2026 20:32

This. I cannot believe people actually do this. People are truly filthy and this is why I don’t like public spaces 🤢

Show quote history

But this isn’t about sharing bath water with random members of the public. No one would want to do that. Unless your partner is ‘truly filthy’ what is so bad about it? Are you also against sharing a bed? What about kissing, you are literally exchanging germs with another person. You could argue that is dirtier than sharing bath water.

Anononony · 04/02/2026 20:57

Normal here, either OH or one/both of the kids will hop in after me. We won't run a bath for one person, we have a perfectly good shower that's far far cheaper to run (we have a large corner bath)

LionKing88 · 04/02/2026 20:57

DH will hop into my bath water. We both wash every night before bed - neither of us do a physical job that makes us sweaty and particularly ripe.

He doesn't get in if ive shaved my legs or anything!

In summer we shower in the morning, bath after work and probably have a cold shower before bed too! So there's not much dirt!

DustlandFairytaleBeginning · 04/02/2026 20:56

I don't reuse bath water for a washing/ cleaning bath. Occasionally in heatwaves we have all shared a bath of cold water one after another to have a quick cold water dip at the end of the day before we go to bed. But I don't share water that's had any kind of shower gel or shampoo in it.

MTOandMe · 04/02/2026 20:54

I wish PP’s would come up with a better word than grim? Can we have a different word, let’s have a bit of variety!

Goinggrey88 · 04/02/2026 20:54

No bath now but we did this when I lived at home and used to do it with teen
kids and husband. We shared towels too 🤣

CoralOP · 04/02/2026 20:53

user1497787065 · 04/02/2026 20:50

Do you really mean 2-3 baths a day?

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Yeah 🙈🤣
He has one on a morning when he's getting ready, one at dinnertime (he works at home) then sometimes one on a night.
He's not a germaphobe or anything like that, he just likes sitting in the bath!

TheActualQueen · 04/02/2026 20:52

The germ phobes make me laugh. Have you never had sex with your partner?

spicycats · 04/02/2026 20:52

Very grim

TheActualQueen · 04/02/2026 20:51

We always share. But then we have a lot of baths. So seems very wasteful not to.

mindutopia · 04/02/2026 20:51

Grim. 😬 Our house is cold. A bath would not stay warm for 10 minutes here.

boulevardofbrokendreamss · 04/02/2026 20:50

Grim. Very grim.

user1497787065 · 04/02/2026 20:50

CoralOP · 04/02/2026 20:47

I'm sitting in the bath right now after my husband had been in. I don't usually go in after him but I can't be bothered to empty it and refill it.
He also has 2-3 baths a day because he loves a bath so it's not really that dirty 🤣

Do you really mean 2-3 baths a day?

CrikeyNumpty · 04/02/2026 20:48

Gross

CoralOP · 04/02/2026 20:47

I'm sitting in the bath right now after my husband had been in. I don't usually go in after him but I can't be bothered to empty it and refill it.
He also has 2-3 baths a day because he loves a bath so it's not really that dirty 🤣

ThejustbrothersCarlenaNSoul · 04/02/2026 20:38

Another memory from the mid 70s but that was probably due to the power cuts and living by candle light.

SpringTimeIsRingTime · 04/02/2026 20:38

Tableforjoan · 04/02/2026 19:44

I’d say grim but I think baths full stop are grim. You just sit in your dirt sweat and dead cells.

There's not a lot of dirt or sweat if you shower every day.
Baths are a little bit of luxury - I used to listen to nice music while sipping a nice glass of wine.

I wouldn't use a bath after someone else though.

Wishthingswerenouting · 04/02/2026 20:32

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 04/02/2026 19:55

To me, that's absolutely foul, I had a instinctive recoil at the thought. If someone offered me their bathwater - DP / my parents / sibling I'd think they'd lost their bloody mind.

Why on earth would anyone want to sit in someone else's dirt and used soap?! ----

This. I cannot believe people actually do this. People are truly filthy and this is why I don’t like public spaces 🤢

FelicityBeedle · 04/02/2026 20:21

We do the same, I like a nice warm bath and he likes it practically tepid so makes sense for him to use my slightly cooled off water. We generally aren’t dirty enough for it to be an issue.
I’ll occasionally decline to go after him if he’s filthy after working on a car and run a fresh one, but not often

Nugg · 04/02/2026 20:19

When I was married yes. We both showered in the morning and the bath was more relaxation with candles and music than cleansing.

HoldingTheDoor · 04/02/2026 20:18

That’s disgusting unless you have no other option.

Mosaic80 · 04/02/2026 20:18

DP and I always share bath water - I usually get to use it first 😆. I sometimes hop in after DS. I think it’s fine. We have a shower on the taps and I’ll have a rinse off with that before I get out anyway.

IDrinkTeaAllTheTime · 04/02/2026 20:16

Utterly grim, but I find baths in general to be grim.