Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

No hot water for a while

18 replies

Ribrabrob · 01/10/2020 22:27

There seems to be an issue with the boiler and the water is always cold at the moment. I can’t afford to get it fixed right now and won’t be able to do so for another few weeks, sadly Sad

Cold showers are horrible! The water feels absolutely freezing therefore I’m having to have a super quick shower which just makes me feel dirty.

Anyone have any ideas to make the shower more bearable for now and to help me feel a bit cleaner?! I thought about perhaps boiling the kettle and trying to fill a bath that way but I’m guessing I may be there a while!

I could go to parents/friends for a shower but they’re about an hour away and I so I can’t really justify the petrol money at the moment (I’ll be in a better financial position in a few weeks, however).

OP posts:
Ribrabrob · 01/10/2020 22:27

The cold water also seems to make my hair really frizzy!

OP posts:
justaweeone · 01/10/2020 22:31

I would get a basin n/ bucket of hot water and use it in the shower to have what used to be called a 'strip wash'
Growing up we had these but using it in the shower you could probably splash it about

BackforGood · 01/10/2020 23:14

If you are confident you will be in a better financial position soon, would you not be able to borrow the money to get it fixed sooner rather than later ?
Either from your parents, or by putting it on a credit card or asking for an overdraft ?
3 or 4 days without hot water is one thing, but several weeks isn't great.

Aquamarine1029 · 01/10/2020 23:21

I feel for you, op. This happened to me many years ago and it was a real pain, although I only had to do this for a week. I used the biggest pot I had, put a lot of boiling water in and then cooled it with tap water. I just took the pot into the shower and washed up, then slowly poured the left over water to rinse off. It worked just fine. I washed my hair in the kitchen sink.

Munkeyface · 02/10/2020 00:11

I visit family in India. No shower. We fill a bucket with a combination of boiling water and cold.

Use a small jug to scoop out water and to splash body and wash hair.

I was horrified when I first went and had to do the above. I have gotten slightly more use to it now and actually it's a surprisingly sufficient way of washing.

JaJaDingDong · 02/10/2020 00:37

Strip wash as people have suggested, or local sports centre. It's worth paying to swim and not swim, just to have a shower.

PurpleDaisies · 02/10/2020 00:42

@JaJaDingDong

Strip wash as people have suggested, or local sports centre. It's worth paying to swim and not swim, just to have a shower.
The pools near me don’t have showers open.

Are you budgeting for a as big fix or small op? Has anyone looked at it? It could be something minor.

JaJaDingDong · 02/10/2020 00:56

I forgot about The Covid Sad

Susannahmoody · 02/10/2020 01:58

Boil kettles as people say

blueberrypie0112 · 02/10/2020 02:02

I grew up without running water which mean no hot water, we heated our water on the stovetop with a huge canning pot, and had a sponge bath With it with several dishpan

CampfireZen · 02/10/2020 03:12

If you get desperate, maybe try Nilaqua waterless towel-off foaming body cleanser! Worked a treat on a camping holiday.

(Is NHS approved for bedbound patients, so does really thorough job).

Not sure if by same company, but you can also get no-water-needed (hospital approved) shampoo equivalent, which comes in a sort of shower cap. You can heat it up in the microwave, stick it on, massage it in and towel off.

You don't want to risk adding to your woes with headaches from icy water!

Marshmallow07 · 02/10/2020 07:18

My boiler was broken for a few years when I was growing up - we'd just boil two kettles of water, mix it with cold and tip it over us with a jug.

AlwaysCheddar · 02/10/2020 07:24

I saw a hack online which might work. Large bag filled with water, so could be warm, stab some holes in and use it to rinse your hair?

BoudiccasBoudoir · 02/10/2020 07:35

When I was in this situation I had a strip wash myself and filled the bath with kettle water for the DCs as they have shallower cooler baths anyway (still took a long time though). I would borrow some money and get it fixed at all if possible. I'd take the tv to the pawn shop and have a bath 😂

BlackeyedSusan · 02/10/2020 07:55

One bowl of water on a towel on the floor. , two jugs of water. Wash hair in water first using jugs of clean water to rinse after shampoo then conditioner. Put a towel o. Your hair while you undress the top half and wash that, then redress that bit and wash you bottom half standing in the bowel.

This was how I survived as a student.

Then

Catmads · 02/10/2020 08:06

Some plumbing companies send you an invoice after the job is done rather than pay on the day.
Might be worth ringing a few if you'll definitely have the money in a couple of weeks.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 02/10/2020 08:14

Do you have kids ? If so you just have to stick it on a credit card as I'm assuming this will affect your heating too and it could be really cold in a few weeks

If you are just adults in your house I'd go for a bucket wash in the shower cubicle and dry shampoo as much as possible!

sashh · 02/10/2020 08:42

Strip wash is very effective.

Do you live anywhere near a motorway service station? The often have showers, obviously check a) they have one and b) it's open.

New build FE colleges often have at least one shower in their accessible toilets.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page