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 had my best baths in Japan. I was staying in an apartment and there was a panel in the kitchen where you press a button and it runs the bath for you. It then makes a sound to alert you that it’s ready. Then it keeps the temperature the same the whole time you are in it! These baths do exist! Why we can’t buy them here I have no idea.

Baths come in different sizes y’know? Maybe your bath is on the small side that’s why it’s uncomfy. Also what is it made of? I can stay in the bath for an hour and it not lose any heat. Do your taps/ boiler have a restrictor... maybe check the temperature.

I have a 30-60 minute bath almost every evening. Get in when it’s very hot, wash hair then pin it up to start to dry, relax, read drink wine etc. Bath stays warm (in winter I have to put the bathroom heater on) Get out, pjs on, go downstairs, make cuppa, feed cats etc and off to bed. Drink tea, read and sleep. Totally relaxing. If we are doing something that means I can’t have a bath I don’t sleep anywhere near as well.

I just get bored. I’m no good at baths.

I’ve always used the bath for relaxation. I’m 5ft 2 and have a Victorian slipper bath that is v comfortable. I read in the bath and the children come in and out and chat to me. It’s my go to if I’m having a crap day.

In my previous house I didn’t really mind having a bath. It was quite nice sometimes. But I just don’t know his anyone manages to read or do anything in there without everything getting wet. And I can’t be doing with candles and stuff like that in there.

DH seems to like bath bombs. I can’t think of anything I’d like less in my bath than a grainy, stinky thing that turns the water a stupid colour. I cannot understand the appeal.

I’ve had one single bath since moving to this house (and only the because my arm had just been put in a cast so I couldn’t shower - I’ve since bought a cast cover so normal-ish washing can resume). I’m not planning to repeat the bath experience any time soon. It doesn’t help that the only bath is in the bathroom the kids use. So it’s full of the DSC’s bath toys and generally isn’t relaxing or all that nice in there. As it’s mostly the DSC that use that bathroom (my DS has a quick shower in there and brushes his teeth, but never dwells for any length of time), I generally leave it up to DH to clean it. I’m certainly not cleaning the bath when only he and his children use it (I’ll do the sink and shower sometimes, but they’d be cleaner and easier to clean if I were just cleaning up after DS). So it’s generally a bit grimier in there than I’d like and in no way relaxing.

SimonJT whilst being aesthetically pleasing, your bath looks incredibly uncomfortable to me.
Are you meant to sit in it like you are on a chair?

It also doesn't seem very water meter friendly, although I'm assuming if you can afford a bathroom like that, that wouldn't be an issue .

The last time I had regular baths was because I was told to, twice a day, due to birth injuries. Hated every second.
If it wasn't for the bath loving kids, I'd happily rip the thing out and have a luxury walk in shower instead.

[quote LioneIRichTea]@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz that looks like heaven! Yes I am a bit bloated atm too and my little pot belly sticking out over the bubbles looked like something Richard Brandon would try and buy 🙁[/quote]

I doubt Mr Branson would be interested in buying the flabby expanse of 'land' that peers out of my bubbles

I get in and wash my hair whilst the bath is running.

Like a lobster, you get accustomed to a higher temperature if it runs whilst you're in it. When the bath is run, I'm already clean, facemask goes on.

Food and drink to hand.

Then 20-30m of reading in the bath, dip face under water before unplugging so the water runs out whilst still sitting in the bath reading.

By the time it runs out, my skin has 99% air-dried.

Whole process takes an hour, but only a slot in the middle of pure bath time.

@Whatsnewpussyhat

SimonJT whilst being aesthetically pleasing, your bath looks incredibly uncomfortable to me. Are you meant to sit in it like you are on a chair?

It also doesn't seem very water meter friendly, although I'm assuming if you can afford a bathroom like that, that wouldn't be an issue .

The last time I had regular baths was because I was told to, twice a day, due to birth injuries. Hated every second.
If it wasn't for the bath loving kids, I'd happily rip the thing out and have a luxury walk in shower instead.

I’m not on a water meter, if I was I would have to sell my son to afford the bill.

Inside it had removable wooden supports, that are a similar shape to a regular bath, they’re nobbled so they’re really comfy. It does have a little stool if you do want to sit on one. I only intended to buy one of their sinks and a wooden shower tray, they saw me coming 😂 I blew my entire budget for the flat on it, as a result until recently my blinds were sheets nailed to the wall, very classy.

I’ve never got baths either.

Sweaty or too cold and sitting in your own filth.

And people who eat in the bath - that should be made a crime.

😄😄

I hate baths! I’m either too hot or too cold!

I’ve tried reading in the bath and it was just a nightmare, its also boring and uncomfortable.

I much prefer a really hot shower! Relaxes my muscles and keeps my warm and no slipping or sliding around.

YANBU, baths aren't relaxing at all to me! As I see it, getting clean is enjoyable in the same sort of way as getting the dishes washed and the house shipshape - it's not so much that you love the process as that you want to achieve the result quickly and efficiently. So, showers all the way.

I love relaxing, reading and (unfortunately!) snacking - but it's something to do on the sofa. Water just gets in the way!

My bath is plastic and retains the heat for hours. I love a good bath. I also love swimming, so it's probably something about being in water.

I've never really read in the bath, though - I used to need glasses, and they steamed up or if I took them off, it was too blurred, and since I had my eyes layered, I was just never in the habit. I don't mind watching TV (live streaming to my tablet) though. Eating in the bath is just wrong. Don't like drinking in the bath, either.

I like lying back and just letting my thoughts drift around as they will.

OP i sympathise. My bath story:

About 5 years ago i had a bath epiphany and bath crisis all in one go: The disappointing bath with goosebumpy knees or boobs (or pregnant tum) sticking out of the water happened to me for the first time and i was and and at me not realising that baths came in different sizes/lengths/depths!. I mean no one tells you these things :(

I grew up in a house which happened to have a big bath.
My first house house happened to have had a big bath.
My 2nd house happened to have a big bath.

The above baths were all the old white enamel 6ft long 3ft wide jobs. I thought all baths were the same.

My 3rd house - bath horror!! Heavily pregnant, we moved it and on day 2 or 3 i lowered myself into the bath for the first time and it was like sitting in a bloody washing up bowl I'm only 5'5 and not overweight. I was SO.UPSET. Four years we lived there. Four years of no having a bath and side-eyeing the stupid teeny bath every time i walked into our bathroom. (On the odd occasion we happened to go to a hotel i would make a bee line for the bath and they always seem to be nice big baths)

Fourth and current and forever house - another shite tiny bloody bath!! You can't chose where to live based on its bath size and we haven't got round to doing the bathrooms up yet. But next year when we do by God i'm going to convert a bedroom into a bathroom and buy the biggest bloody bath the joists will hold.

Hotels do not always have big baths. Hotels often have narrow and/or shallow baths.

EBearhug i must have been just lucky then so far with my hotel baths like my first 3 houses baths

I don't enjoy them either. Definitely could not stay in for long, and not for relaxing or fun. I hate seeing all my rolls and it's uncomfortable!

I love baths. We have a long, deep one, and I can happily spend a couple of hours in there on a Sunday afternoon. I don’t go in to get clean, it’s a leisure activity. I generally have a shower and wash my hair afterwards.

My recipe is this:

It needs to be properly hot. DP says I look like I have been boiled when I come out.
Cold drink - I like a can of Diet Coke. I don’t tend to eat, but if I do, it will be Percy Pigs.
Cheap bath foam. I have tried them all, and Imperial Leather or Radox give far better bubbles then luxury products.
Face mask on just at the end, I usually shave my legs when it’s on.
Kindle, plus at least one trashy magazine - I like Closer.
Phone for music if required - I also tend to watch Instagram Stories when I get in.
Make sure no-one needs a wee beforehand. I generally leave the door slightly ajar because the cat will often wail outside until I get out and let her in.

I totally agree with you OP - I love the idea of a bath and enjoy them for about 15 minutes, then I just spend another 15 feeling guilty about wanting to get out of my tepid dirt stew so quickly when my DH has waved me off for a “lovely relaxing bath, take your time, enjoy it” etc etc.

Haven’t had one for ages now. My bathroom is small and I am limited on how big my bath can be, and I am 5ft 9 so I reckon that is a reasonable part of it! The big tub type thing that you can sit up in looks ideal though.

I love the idea of a bath but always find them uncomfortable. The water stays quite warm enough, and the scented bubbles are nice, but after 15 minutes my skin feels taught, I'm bored, despite listening to the radio, I can't wash my hair properly because of the bubble bath, I get out and feel hot and uncomfortable and my skin feels dry and itchy.

I only have a bath now if I've worked 7 hours in the garden building the new deck!

I'm the same in a hot tub.

I have really enjoyed this thread! I always felt like I wasn't a proper woman because I didn't want to go off and soak in bath.

My best friend has one every single night after work. Nice candles. Glass of wine. Bubbles and oils galore.

I have a bath that is actually the right size for me. And we have a range that's on all the time so we always have plenty of hot water. And the toilet is separate so no one needing to come in for a poo as soon as you get in. I feel like I want to love them. So I buy fancy bubbles and oils. I light the candles. I even put a hand towel next to me for those moments when I want to turn a page but my hand is wet! I have a bath pillow!!

I find it kind of boring. And then washing my hair is such a pain in the arse. And I feel like I need a lie down afterwards.

Need to out more effort in maybe.

YABVVU. The bath is my place to think and plan. I have all my best ideas in there. I often have Lucrative Ideas in there. DH knows this and is very happy to let me wallow in there for hours. 😂

If you have a metal bath, run it too hot and let it stand for a few minutes to heat up, then top it up with cold water. it will hold the temperature far better.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I've decided I don't enjoy a bath until I replace it with a Soaking Tub. Deep, I can sit up and still have my shoulders covered, and I don't have to look at my flabby naked body stretch out in front of me.

I hate baths, but I think I'd love that soaking tub. I wasn't planning a bathroom renovation but that could persuade me. Second thoughts, I wonder how much water it uses. I probably can't afford the tub or cope with the guilt about wasting water every time I use it!