Sharing bath water…acceptable or grim?

[Kibble19]

Lighthearted of course! What are your thoughts on the sharing of bath water between two people? Not necessarily a mum having a bath with their young child, but someone having a bath then getting out before giving their family member a shout to go in.

Grim and unsanitary? Or totally normal at your house?

Yes because it’s very diluted. I always wonder when these threads pop up how anyone swims in a public pool with piss and snit and gob in it or sits in a shared hot tub or god forbid swim in the sea. There is decomposing shit and live organisms in there by the billion. People are happy to put their faces in pools and the sea and get water in their eyes and nose and mouth yet balk at the idea of bath water. It’s peculiar to say the least

Fine if you're the first one in 😀

I was born in 1957, there was four kids and my mum and dad. We ALL shared the bath water! I can remember playing with the scum on top of the water. AND we only had one bath a week!

Grim, but is it just me that sang 'it was acceptable in the 80s 🎶🎵' in my head after the post title?

I’m in my 50s and this was totally normal for a working class family. Hot water was expensive so it was one bath and everyone went in turn! I always used to try and get in before my siblings got their chance and I was the eldest so always pulled rank ;). My younger sisters now love baths as they can have them on their own and with hot water (as it was always lukewarm by the time it got to them!).

Three small kids here share bath time usually, and I often top up the hot and get in after them. It really is expensive and wasteful to fill and empty the bath multiple times to accommodate each person. Unless you have been shovelling coal or spreading fertiliser for the day the water will be plenty clean to wash a few people.

So so grim, can't believe your teenage son agrees to this. Even on your period?!

Growing up we shared bath water for the very reason you mentioned - we didn’t have enough hot water and for a good year no hot water at all as my parents couldn’t afford to fix the boiler, so we’d use hot water from the kettle and use a washing up bucket to sponge bath, so part of me feels that being disgusted at sharing bath water is from a place of privilege, any baths were shared to ensure everyone got to wash so you’d be in and out in a flash

Saying that, as an adult now in her 30’s with my own child and a very different financial position to what I grew up with, I’d never do it as I luxuriate in the bath and it’ll be cold by the time someone else goes in haha

I don’t see the problem. Most people aren’t that dirty and it’s such a waste of water too. I’ve got three kids and yeah, I use the bath for at least two because one prefers the shower 👍🏻

I would gladly use my teens bath water (and often do) but not hubby’s - I’ve seen what he does in there!

Or vom. A young boy vomited in the overflow bit at the side of the pool right next to dc and I last year. We both came down with D&V very shortly afterwards and I'm convinced it was from that.

My last partner always got into my night time bath water. A totally normal thing to do (although I wouldn’t have got into his) 😂

Just pop in a squirt of toilet cleaner before and after each person. (Joke, don't do this. Martin Goodman's tip.)

Old fashioned. From another era when tin baths were used and it was hard work to fill one bath with hot water.
Not for 2025. Bloody grim. Yuk.

I don't mind being the last person in, as I always have a shower after a bath anyway.

I don't even like baths let alone sharing one. Human soup. Before I got my shower and would have to wash hair, shave and bathe in it I never felt clean. I couldn't imagine having someone else's dirty water. Kids fine but definitely not for adults.

Totally normal in our house!

This.

Otherwise grim.

Totally normal. I always go in first 😁
Having said that my daughter once went out with a guy and all the family had tje same water .Mum first then Dad eldest son younger son, that is a bit grim.

I'd hate to be the last person in! "Your bath is ready, sorry the water is so grey and cold!"

This is what happens here as well .

We do it. Once or twice a week.

We once stayed in a holiday cottage where the water heater either didn’t work or we couldn’t understand it which mean 3 of us had to share a bath everyday. Now that was grim. But we survived!

Grim. We did it as a child to save money but I'd never do it by choice.

I only ever go in after my partner, he has the water boiling and is in and out so quick I usually have to cool it down to actually get in after him. However, I like a long soak so we wouldn't do it the other way round as it is almost cold by the time I get out!

We share. I draw a big soapy bath, and let my 2 DC go in first, then I go last. More than anything it saves us a lot of time! Both are under 10 and are quite clean kids who don't yet have body odour. We bathe every day, but we don't wash our hair in the bath. If they did get muddy or dirty, I wouldn't want to share. I never bathe before them but sometimes I roll my eyes and allow my youngest to share with me upon their insistence. I wouldn't share with another adult, I don't know why but I draw the line at other adults, or kids who are not my own.

DH doesn't get involved, he showers.