Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how you manage with one bathroom

259 replies

Intrepidintrovert · 02/09/2020 21:43

We have one bathroom in our house and it's getting pretty unbearable. I don't really know what to do! Are there ANY 'workarounds' that you've come up with? We categorically can't move for very specific reasons that are too outing to share but are 100% solid stone.

Every morning when I wake up I need a wee straight away, and inevitably my husband is in the bath. We have no shower. No way of installing a shower as it's a very old, pokey house and the ceiling is very low and sloping over the bath and there's no other room. I end up in discomfort (and unable to do anything to start my day as I need it too urgently to move about). Occasionally I go in and wee but hate invading my husband's privacy and since the bathroom is tiny, it's pretty weird to just sit next to him weeing. Even if you told me to get over myself (I know plenty of people don't mind weeing or pooing in front of their spouse), we have two children who are approaching teenagehood and whom definitely won't want to wee or poo in front of mum or dad while mum or dad is naked in the bath, or vice versa. Obviously right now it's not a problem when the kids are bathing or on the loo as they barely even shut the door but that will change.

To add to the fun I have IBS, which doesn't flare often but when it does I need to go urgently, and someone being in there can be quite distressing. We can't have visitors despite having a spare room as we can't manage any more people using the bathroom. It's a very old house, rented and no way they will put in another bathroom - we have tried to persuade them! There's also no way of dividing up the room and separating the loo from the bath as it's tiny and the bath is against the back wall, door would then be off my son's bedroom. The kids and I bath in the evening to space out the usage, but husband is a big sweaty fella (sorry!) so needs to bath in the morning before work.

Just typing this out has made me realise how shit it is, but other people must live like this too... don't they?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
burnoutbabe · 03/09/2020 08:50

I would move.
Your life sounds pretty crap if you can't have any guests due to Ibs and you will be stuck in this house for years with kids getting older. You mention many other maintenance issues that the landlord won't fix either. (Back door)
So this will be your life for the future unless you work to fix it in next few years. And can rent somewhere which suits you better.

NC10101 · 03/09/2020 08:55

Could he join a local/close to work gym, pool or leisure centre? Then he could pop in there and have a shower every morning?

If you can’t afford the membership, some leisure centres allow you to shower for about a pound

Heronwatcher · 03/09/2020 08:56

You can get sloping rails for baths
“www.<a class="break-all" href="https://amazon.co.uk/Shower-Rods-SR-132-Sloped-Kit-Ceiling/dp/B01H7ILORA%E2%80%9C?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-am-i-being-unreasonable-4012874-To-ask-how-you-manage-with-one-bathroom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">amazon.co.uk/Shower-Rods-SR-132-Sloped-Kit-Ceiling/dp/B01H7ILORA“
Or just use a straight rail for as far as you can, then have a hook on the wall which you can hook the shower curtain to and then it will cover the slope. If you google shower curtain sloping ceiling there are loads of pictures. I would also say that getting the back door mended (it may be a very simple or inexpensive job, you could try to do it yourself) and rigging up a loo and shower in the garden is a good idea as in the worst case “holding on” to wees for a long time can lead to kidney damage in some cases.

daisypond · 03/09/2020 08:58

@NC10101

Could he join a local/close to work gym, pool or leisure centre? Then he could pop in there and have a shower every morning?

If you can’t afford the membership, some leisure centres allow you to shower for about a pound

If they live rurally in a tied cottage, he will be living virtually at his workplace and there may not be a gym around for miles.
SoupDragon · 03/09/2020 09:01

There were 6 of us in our house growing up with only one bathroom and it was never a problem - however, the toilet was separate to the bathroom upstairs and here're was a second toilet downstairs. I think this was key.

RhymesWithOrange · 03/09/2020 09:04

If they live rurally in a tied cottage, he will be living virtually at his workplace and there may not be a gym around for miles.

A refreshing dip in the local loch?

CheetasOnFajitas · 03/09/2020 09:04

I know you have said that your living arrangement is complex but having a landlord who refuses to fix a broken back door is unacceptable.

minnieok · 03/09/2020 09:07

We managed on one bathroom but did have a downstairs loo - no option of fitting one under the stairs I'm guessing? Is a seated shower an option? Basically a seat in the bath with shower over as it's quicker?

jessycake · 03/09/2020 09:11

With difficulty , but the is nowhere to put another loo, you could get a shed and put an emergency camping loo in there

garlictwist · 03/09/2020 09:13

DP and I used to house share with another couple years ago. We only had one bathroom between the four of us and we inevitably all needed it at the same time. I remember one rather low point I was so desperate waiting for the loo to be free that I had to shit in a carrier bag.

category12 · 03/09/2020 09:39

This is all so nuts - I've shared one bathroom my entire life and have never been in a shit in a carrier bag situation. Hmm You just tell whoever is in there to get out of the bathroom if you're that desperate or hold it if you're not. Nobody gets to sit in there for bloody hours, you just are considerate of each other.

Couchbettato · 03/09/2020 09:40

Can't you all agree to have baths/showers (with attachment) in the evening once the day is done rather than the morning?

If he doesn't have to travel for work at the moment, does it really matter? Not rtft though so sorry if that's already been suggested

Shedbuilder · 03/09/2020 10:02

You seem to be tied to this house for the foreseeable future. It would be useful to know why and for how long but clearly you're not going to say. So this being the case, and your landlord being an arse, I suggest you're going to have to spend some money to improve the situation.

I'd have a second loo fitted in the large understairs cupboard you've mentioned. If you need to remove it when you leave it should be relatively simple to take it out and cap it off. I'd also take the bath out and replace it with a proper shower enclosure or have a plumber come in and take out the old bath and taps and plumb in a new one with the taps at the other end of the bath and a shower and shower screen. Or create an en suite in your existing bedroom and deal with the landlord down the line.

The under stairs loo might be £2,000ish, depending on how complicated it is: the replacement bath/shower anything from £1,200-£4,000 but if you're going to be in this house for the next ten years it would be money well spent. A new en suite would be at least £5,000+.

I imagine you'll say you don't have that sort of money but if you're stuck in this house long-term and you're stuck with the morning bath routine then you can have a quick but unsatisfactory fix such as a commode — or you can invest to solve the problem and give you all a more comfortable future.

Bwlch · 03/09/2020 10:08

Only one bathroom but two separate loos. It has never been an issue for us.

How about a putting a portaloo in the garden?

SuzieCarmichael · 03/09/2020 10:22

Would be helpful to have a flat-plan diagram if possible please OP.

Is he going in there, closing the door, running the bath, having the bath - all with sole occupancy of the bathroom? That’s not feasible I’m afraid. He needs to get used to putting the bath on to run, going off to do his brekkie or whatever so the bathroom is available for others to use, going in and having a quick sluice when it’s ready, speedy towel dry and out. Can’t see how that could involve more than 10 mins’ sole occupancy ... ?

Also, from your timings it looks as though there wouldn’t be a problem if he just went in 10 mins earlier than he does now. So why not ask him to do so?!

For occasions when you need to have more than one person at once, can you buy one of those three-panel folding screens and just trim down the panels to fit the slope of the wall? Put it in between loo and shower ... or you could use one or two folding screens to box the loo in, like a room within a room if you see what I mean.

And - finally - as others have said, it shouldn’t cost the earth to turn the bath round so the taps are at the tall end and put a shower-to-tap attachment and shower curtain in.

CorianderLord · 03/09/2020 10:30

Chamberpot?

Aridane · 03/09/2020 10:40

Only one bathroom but two separate loos. It has never been an issue for us.

So a totally different situation to the OP Wink

CurlyStrawsRock · 03/09/2020 10:43

Would you be able to fit a room divider screen in there to fold out when someone's in the bath and then the other person can use the loo?

HappySonHappyMum · 03/09/2020 10:52

You have a large understairs cupboard I would get a portaloo and put it in there. With the chemicals you have to add they don't smell and designate it wee only! With the bath I'd get a bath seat and a shower attachment and rig up a shower curtain. Problems solved.

JanewaysBun · 03/09/2020 10:56

I lived in a 5 adult flatshare with only 1 bathroom once. I can't remember any problems, I suppose none of us took long baths maybe? If there's a crossover if 10-15 mins then your DH is taking too long, a morning batch should be 10 mins total.a

Also yes I would wee whilst he was in the bath

BlackeyedSusan · 03/09/2020 11:01

a "guzunder" or a comode.

Nellylou · 03/09/2020 11:02

Can't see why you can't just go in and pee.. we have one bathroom and manage there is myself , husband and two teenagers ..

FrangipaniBlue · 03/09/2020 11:11

Did you say you have a spare room?

What about a camping loo with one of the camping loo tent things around it in the spare room?

www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15985184/hi-gear-hi-gear-annexe-utility-tent-15985184

Or even just behind a pretty screen like they used to use in Victorian times to get dressed behind (like you see in the films!)

za.pinterest.com/aneremmers/room-dividers/