To ask how you manage with one bathroom

[Intrepidintrovert]

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?

I sympathised with him a bit until you said it's how he gears himself up for the day. He should go downstairs and have a sit down with a cuppa like the rest of the population (who have a spare 15 minutes) does.

I'm guessing you are 'tied' to the house somehow through one of your jobs and either related to the landlords or have a very long term tenancy relationship with them...

Yes you've got it!

Not sure about the cold portashower (though I bet he'd be quicker then!)

sorry not good suggestion of mine just realised you don't own the house

When your husband runs his bath in the morning, he wakes you so you can have a pee while the bath runs.

He has a quick bath. Washing yourself in a bath shouldn't take any longer than a shower. if you only have one bathroom, long soaks are for when everyone is out of the house.

You have a potty or something similar in your bedroom for emergencies.

I knew someone who developed severe IBS while in a flat share with one bathroom. She used to end up with plastic bags/containers in her room - only way to avoid disaster.

@FOTTFSOFTFOASM I thought you were saving up your poo in the carrier bags and taking it to sainsbury!! I re read and realise now what you meant.

OP I also love your labelling of husband. Its clear from the diagram he's enjoying his bath with the smile on his face!

@Intrepidintrovert

Here’s a diagram (my first ever mn diagram but sorry I can’t draw!) looking straight in at the bath which is against the back wall. Shows why the curtain may be tricky and also why the shower attachment is tricky as the taps are at the slope end so you’d have to crouch under the slope.

This is quite beautiful, OP.

Chamber pot under the bed for you OP

We had three children in a tiny cottage and one bathroom. My teenage son was the absolute worst as a bathroom hog. The mornings were excruciating and sometimes involved a garden wee

I don't know how we did it, I really don't, especially since we moved there from a house with two family bathrooms and a loo. Somehow we did. And now the children are gone and we revel in a bathroom all to ourselves. Wahoo! One day, OP, one day.

Intrepidintrovert

You say your OH is a "nice" man- not that nice when he is seriously inconveniencing all the other family members by having a soak in he bath while everyone is busy getting ready in the mornings.
I am sure mornings in your house are busy times, everyone trying to get ready for work/school/college etc, having one family member relaxing in the bath while others need to use the facilities is plain selfish.
If I decided to have a lounge in the bath while "gearing up" for the day, I would have other family members banging on the door and shouting at me to hurry up, ( and rightly so).

I know you say you can't move but think ahead to teen years and your DH having a quick bath will be the least of your worries.

Teens are generally smelly individuals who need to be encouraged to wash daily. If you have a DD and a DS the family friendly going in anyway when someone's in the bath will be completely inappropriate. What if DS is in the bath and DD has period issues? They both have the right to privacy - as do you n DH, but that is not of as much concern.

I would've HATED not having a separate toilet - and we only had one bathroom and no shower, but separate loo.

Imagine someone saying all through their teens their brother or father was able to come in n use the toilet if he needed to whilst she was in the bath? Your house will very very soon not be fit for purpose and you will have to find a solution.

I'm not having a go at you at all and feel sorry for you, but your current issue of the morning is part of a much much bigger issue coming down the track.

What?! Yes, you are weird. I love to fart in front of my husband like oh listen to this pffft 😁

Argos have some better push on hoses with long tails so you could clip to the ceiling. (Croydex )

I’m serious here if he can’t stand up use one of those stools to sit on and wash hair. Don’t know if it would help but perhaps the little things will add up.

I can sympathise OP. We are a family of 4 and have one bathroom. Ds2 takes forever on the toilet and that's usually when DH decides he's desperate to go. Drives me up the wall and we've no space for a second toilet either.

In Indian culture a bucket bath is very common as many households don't have a shower. So they fill up a large bucket with water from the taps. Then dip into it using a smaller bucket or plastic jug and wash themselves. It's actually less time comsuming and water wastage.

No you’re not weird.

I agree get the old fashioned rubber shower attachments for the bath taps, they are great, we used to use one for washing hair in a basin ( sink)

Don’t let your husband loll in the bath, mine will spend over an hour, whenever he gets a chance.

We shower and bathe morning and night. So I can understand that.

Something else I thought of, when partitioning off a toilet if it’s at all possible. Sliding doors/ concertina sliding doors to save space.

No idea if that’s possible in your house, but it’s so much easier if the bath and toilet are separated.

We have had guests in our house with 4 adults and 2 children in total.and have managed. It's doable. I however have no qualms about doing my business in front of DH. It's either that or an accident.

Just remembered that my FiL (farmer) used to get up early and so as not to disturb the rest of the family would go downstairs and wash in the kitchen. There are family stories of people occasionally nipping downstairs for an early cup of tea and finding him in a state of undress. The bath sounds agonising and awkward if he's as big as you say. How can he get himself clean if he can't move in it? Surely he'd do better with a rubber shower attachment on the kitchen taps while he stands in a big tray like this:

www.leedersanimalsupplies.co.uk/buckets,-tub-trugs-mangers?product_id=660

We've done similar when camping with a solar shower. He can lather himself up with a sponge and then rinsing off with the shower head. Get the back door fixed (can't you fix it yourselves?) and store the tub in the garden.

You've got a dh problem.
Also : just wee front of him.
Also: install a toilet elsewhere as this is now your life and it sounds like a shitty problem to have.

We only have 1 bathroom. It's a nightmare. DH and DS can spend ages in there. I have problems relating to pregnancy and childbirth so sometimes need urgently and may take a while.

I refuse to poo in front of others but will pee!

We have very dark shower curtains round the bath. I bought two so that the bath is completely enclosed. This gives the person in the bath and the person on the toilet some privacy. You don't need a shower to put up shower curtains!

Music in the bathroom via a Bluetooth shower proof speaker helps too.

We also check with others before monopolising the bathroom "I need to go, I may be a while...does anyone need in before me?" Type stuff.

@Scrowy

portashower for outside?

I'm guessing you are 'tied' to the house somehow through one of your jobs and either related to the landlords or have a very long term tenancy relationship with them...

I have the same problem. I have an outside toilet which helps.

Any outbuildings that could have an electric shower put in?

Oh! Don't know how I quoted myself rather than your response.

We have a double figure size family and only one bathroom. We use a shower curtain when our teens are using the bath. It's a nuisance having only one toilet especially with so many young DC/toilet training etc, but we just have to make do with what we have. So while it is a pain, it is possible! Definitely get a shower curtain put up!

We’ve only got one bathroom in a two-bed house, and there’s five of us - three older teen girls. We’ve managed. We don’t have a shower either, but we do have a shower / bath mixer tap with a very long hose piece. We can’t stand up at the tap end but we can the other end of the bath. Is that possible for you? Can you stand at that end?

What about a commode chair, One that looks like a chair, wicker effect.
You could put it inthe corner of your bedroom, and empty it asap.

Only ever had one loo. Growing up 5 of us with no problems and my own family when young, 4 again no problem. I think you just need to have consideration for timings and needs of others so your husband shouldn't have a bath until others have at least had a chance to use the toilet. A bath in the morning is crackers though. Can't you get one of those plastic hose things so he can sort of shower?

Use a Shewee if it's urgent. I had a hip replacement 2 years ago and had to get one as I've I woke up in the night desperate for a wee I knew I wouldn't get to the bathroom in time.
The Shewee was a godsend