to think baths are not relaxing

[LioneIRichTea]

What am I doing wrong?

I should love a bath, I can be pretty lazy, I like pampering myself, I love the peace and quiet... but I just can’t get a bath to be relaxing!

Tonight for example. DP was gaming, I ran a bath, nice music, scented candles, bubbles... even made a cup of tea to have in the bath. It was looking like a treat.

I must admit for the first 15 minutes I felt like Marie Antoinette and I almost wanted someone to come in with a platter of cream cakes to accompany my tea, but then, it happened...

It got cold.

Well not cold, but luke warm, so I turned on the hot with my left foot. Was bliss again for another 10 minutes or so and then I had to keep topping up!

This is in between constantly slipping and deciding what to sacrifice to the cold air, knees or boobs. So I’m alternating between them, never really being comfortable because IS THIS A BATH FOR ANTS?! So I mostly look like I’m giving birth with THE BEST DOUBLE CHIN.

The worst bit though is when I’m trying to get as much of my body under the water as possible to warm up and most of the bubbles have finally popped, revealing my cold goose pimpled boobs, like two sad blancmanges just asking me why I bother! I got out and had a shower!

I’ve seen you all! You instagram perfect bath women. The long legs, the wooden thing over the bath with a glass of Chateauneuf du Pape and the latest book club read. How do you do it, HOW?! Do you have a chair in there? Velcro? How do you relax enough to read, how do you not have to top up the hot every other page?! How do you not get bubbles on your hands then all over your forever itchy face!

I want to enjoy baths please help me!

Also why can’t you stretch out properly in a bath, I’m not a giant, I’m 5ft 9! Did they make doorways taller but forget about baths?! Ugh!

I've never understood the appeal of baths.

Where's the pleasure in lying in rapidly cooling water?

And as for reading in the bath? No thanks, I like to relax when I read, I don't want to be thinking about topping up the hot water or having to be careful not to drop my book in the bath, or the possibility of the pages getting all soggy and crinkly.

And I just couldn't be bothered to make myself a drink and carry it up to the bathroom and faff about making sure I can reach it and then having to sit up when I want to drink.

I haven't had a bath for years; it's far more relaxing to stand under cascading water in the shower.

If I couldn't have a bath I would cease to exist. Even when Hubble takes me away he knows a non-negotiable is a bath. Keep topping up with hot water. Not environmentally grovel this, but fuck it. We recycle everything.

I like the feeling of being in warm water and the fresh clean feeling I get after a bath but can't stand spending more than 10 minutes in one.

My DP laughs at how quickly I take baths as he likes relaxing in them but I find I get cold too quickly and I have a real phobia of the wrinkly fingers being in a bath too long gives you. I much prefer doing my relaxing in bed or on the sofa.

@LioneIRichTea

In my next rich life, I'm having SimonJT's bath. He posted it on a thread recently and it was a thing of warm titted beauty.

@Commentutappelles Your whole reply was pure poetry. I really need to see this bath!

OK, is there a pic? It would have to be a super special bath to tempt me

I've got a deep bath where the water covers all of me, I'm only 5ft though.

Favourite bubble bath, matching shower gel, lights off, candles lit, cold bath pillow (can't deal with a sweaty neck), cold drink and the iPad!

I don't run any cold water into the bath so it's roasting, get a good series or film up on the iPad and I can sit in there for hours.
I've always loved lounging in the bath, I could quite happily soak all day.

I have a big deep bath and I'm only 5'2 which helps a lot. In my older smaller bath I fit fine too tbh, but I was able to have a pillow which was really nice. The design of the bath means a pillow doesnt work unfortunately.
I have it painfully hot which helps with having to top backup with hot water, a dry flannel to dry my hands, a stand for drink and snacks, bubbles. Ahhh heavenly! I'm a single mum so I've struggled especially during lockdown to enjoy a bath.

I guess I'm short so can stretch out and easily get comfortable. I also only run hot water. I don't ass cold water to get the temperature right but rather let it cool to an acceptable temperature and that helps it stay hot for longer. I love a bath and have one every day. I do almost all my reading in the bath.

Also can I ask without being weird. If you don't take hot baths frequently how do you keep your feet soft? I find if I take showers only, no amount of scrubbing and exfoliating can keep my feet soft. Am I the only weird one with this problem?

I have it painfully hot

I'm the same. The bath stays hot for a good hour.

It's not a good bath unless I come out of it bright red

I have a 2 person jacuzzi bath so it comfortably submerses one person. Also has a heater. Then add a wall mounted tv to stream something only I want to watch. It is heaven.

I hate having a bath. I just get so bored so fast. I spend the whole time thinking about all the great stuff I'll be able to do when I hoist myself out of there. For me, it's just about getting clean and I can be in and out of the shower in 5 minutes. I've never been very good at being in the moment though.

Ohh I love a bath. For 7 years I lived in an apartment which only had a walk in shower and when I moved to my house I was so happy to see a bath here 😆 For me with baths the water has to be scalding like close to 3rd degree burns lol so it stays hot for ages and I leave the chill time ones for when the kids are asleep

I only enjoy baths when they start out buttock-burningly hot, so you can just about get in. Otherwise they just go cold too quick.

We're in the process of taking out the bathtub (really old 70s thing, insanely deep and tall, a hazard to get in and out of - the plumber commented on how awful it is) and replacing with a big shower. I hate baths. I have temp issues and too hot when I get in (once needed a cold flannel on my head while laying in one to help muscle pain with dead sea salts), then too cold, my bum feels all knobbly and I slip about, most bubble baths make my skin itch. And I hate HATE getting wrinkly and prune like, it feels horrible. I used to have baths on a Sunday as a child and would want to read my book afterwards bt my fingers were crepey and disgusting when I touched the page, I almost have a phobia of it!

I like the idea of a Japanese soaking bath better than a normal one. But I wouldn't want to use it too much, so shower it is.

I gave up on baths after being in early labour and the midwife on the phone suggested a bath.

So I ran the thing, heaved my vast bulk into it, only to find the water covered none of my bump and I was then stuck in the bath, wet and slippery, in pain and unable to hoist myself out. I felt RAGE!!

Never tried a bath again.

All this moaning about baths, and no one has said yet the thing that when you have your bath hot enough and bubbly enough and long enough to actually enjoy, you’ve a 50:50 chance of the first signs of thrush. (Is that just me?)

I’m with the nice-idea-but-doesn’t-live-up-to-the-hype crowd.

Ooh, I love a bath!! But I’ve got a biggy, made for two, with taps in the middle to save the “tap end” debate. I’m only 5ft so am quite liable to slip down so I have the opposite problem to cold knees!!
The long haired German Shepherd likes to lie along side the bath... you never get any true ‘me time’ with her in the house!! I never drink or eat in the bath, makes me burpy or nauseous but I do like a read... to the extent that some paperbacks have be replaced over the years due to being dunked too often.
Baths are wonderful cures if you are feeling poorly, sad, cold, unloved or just want a cry ... you always come out clean, sweet-smelling and feeling better!!

Best bath recipe;
My speaker&phone
One of those wooden bath thingys for the pints of water/herbal tea
Badedas bath foam

So i love my baths (but not for the sensuous, candlelight, peaceful musings that most people associate with bathing)I have a decent amount of time on my hands to indulge myself & have many different playlists of 70-80youtube musicvids, a decent speaker with great bass & a nice flashing multi coloured light setting and spend about 2 hrs each time in there. I sing my heart out and have a lil detox with as much water and herbal tea as i can manage..i feel amazing afterwards..completely rejeuvenated : )

I hate them too. I’m over 6 feet tall so I don’t fit. Unless you sit up and half freeze, reading involves holding out a book and my arms ache. Then the glass of wine. How does that work? You have to sit up for every sip, unless you submerge the stem in the water to get it level with your lips. And it is difficult to wash your hair using clean water. And when you get out, you are wrinkly and covered in bath product scum.

I rented a very old place, it had the best ever bath. I'm 5'8". It was long enough and deep enough that I could float in it. In hot summers I'd fill it up and jump in to cool down. Never had another tub like it.

I’m here with my famous bath 😂

Attached is the catalogue picture of my bathroom, I have that tub but as I’m a greedy bather mine is square rather than rectangular. You can comfortably fit four rugby players in it 😂

1. If its cold after ten minutes it wasn’t hot enough to start with, when your butt first touches the water it should be so hot you lower yourself in slow motion while pulling weird faces.
2. You need it nice and deep, this will also keep it warmer for longer.
3. Get a decent bath pillow, you can get ones with suckers if you need one for the inside of the bath for lumber support.
4. Supplies, you don’t want to be hungry or thirsty!
5. Share a bath, its one of the best places ever for a cuddle, we go for the ‘sled’ cuddle and he uses me as a personal pillow. Sled as in how two people sit on a plastic snow sled on laid back onto the other.
6. Make your bath buddy do the work! I usually read in the bath, as he is laid on me I make him read my book out aloud to me while feeding me snacks 😂
7. Have a wee before you get in, you’re guaranteed to need one in the first ten minutes, farts however can be saved for the bath, they make a great rumble and the person sharing with will definitely appreciate it.
8. A playlist, you gotta prepare, we have a spa music type playlist.
9. No harsh lighting, candles/low level lighting.

10. Give the cat some treats or she’ll spend the entire time scratching at the door.

If you want to spent more than 20mins in there you need something that keeps the water warm, like a hot tub does, rather than a bath. This is the main reason I prefer a shower.

I love a bath, but don't understand wallowing more than 15 minutes on your own, anyway. Isn't there life to do? I think shower only has to be > 9 minutes to use more water than most baths, actually.

I love a bath, have one every evening before I go to bed but only stay in for about 10 mins ... can't imagine anything worse than sharing a bath though ... I think DH suggested it once in our early days of courting ... never again .

Make your bath buddy do the work! I usually read in the bath, as he is laid on me I make him read my book out aloud to me while feeding me snacks

The idea of sharing a bath fills me with total horror. It reminds me of when I was growing up in a very poor household, and had to share baths with my younger sister, as we didn't have a shower.

@genteelwoman

I guess I'm short so can stretch out and easily get comfortable. I also only run hot water. I don't ass cold water to get the temperature right but rather let it cool to an acceptable temperature and that helps it stay hot for longer. I love a bath and have one every day. I do almost all my reading in the bath.

Also can I ask without being weird. If you don't take hot baths frequently how do you keep your feet soft? I find if I take showers only, no amount of scrubbing and exfoliating can keep my feet soft. Am I the only weird one with this problem?

I'm not 100% sure but I think the hardness of the skin on feet may be correlated with having overly hot baths.