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?

Onsen shower area.

@mrshonda I don't suppose you have a picture of this do you? I am shit at DIY but I would give it a go for something like this. Sounds like just what we need.

My suggestion is getting a shower attachment with a long hose and in the morning he kneels in the bath toward the other end to clean himself. He'll probably moan that it hurts his knees but tough shit, he will learn to get clean quickly.

@mrshonda
Yes, that setup sounds like what I have. A circular ring shower rail.

I am sorry if this has been asked already, but can you afford to add on a bathroom yourself?

Sadly no. Which is a shame as we have a large understairs cupboard and easily enough room for an ensuite in our room. It's a weird house. Our bedroom is gigantic and the one bathroom is a cramped hole.

@Intrepidintrovert

Sorry *@Scrowy* thanks for the diagram but I'm not following:

Or ignore the slopey bit

How can I ignore it?

Sloping ceilings are a pain. Just read that you have a Landlord... Sorry, should have read the full thread. I'm guessing you live in a Victorian Terrace by the looks of the great drawing ... Our bath was configured just like yours...the low bit of the ceiling above the taps- ours was impossible to fit a shower to, and the taps had one of those cow udder sucker things that rammed onto the taps- but that could pull off at the wrong moment.

Having just googled I don't think a ring shower rail is going to work, as the bath is flush to the walls on 3 sides and surely with a ring you'd need the curtain to surround the bath, no?

I sympathise, OP. DH and I are fine with using the bathroom together, but oh what a happy day when we got a downstairs loo installed.

I think you should use the bathroom first in the morning. And your DH should do what mine always did when we only had one loo: tell you he's about to go, and give you the chance of nipping in first.

@Intrepidintrovert

I am sorry if this has been asked already, but can you afford to add on a bathroom yourself?

Sadly no. Which is a shame as we have a large understairs cupboard and easily enough room for an ensuite in our room. It's a weird house. Our bedroom is gigantic and the one bathroom is a cramped hole.

Lol...Do we have the same house? 😂 Huge 18 foot bedroom and minuscule bathroom/loo..

@Drat123

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.

We had to have bucket baths for a while when we had major bathroom problems. It was fine (granted, it was summer). I am 1/2 Indian and have spent time in India where you'd be provided with a bucket of steaming hot water a second empty bucket and a jug.

@Intrepidintrovert

Having just googled I don't think a ring shower rail is going to work, as the bath is flush to the walls on 3 sides and surely with a ring you'd need the curtain to surround the bath, no?

My bath is flush to the walls in three sides. The shower curtain hangs inside the bath, not outside. As it’s circular, the curtain goes right round. It’s completely enclosed.

There are 4 of us and only one bathroom, it’s all
I’ve ever known tbh even when growing up. We manage fine but I certainly couldn’t cope without a shower.

Ace diagram
and perfectly describes the geometry

@thinkingaboutLangCleg

I sympathise, OP. DH and I are fine with using the bathroom together, but oh what a happy day when we got a downstairs loo installed.

I think you should use the bathroom first in the morning. And your DH should do what mine always did when we only had one loo: tell you he's about to go, and give you the chance of nipping in first.

Indeed. Bathroom Manners.

DH :I need a blowout....I may be some time... Does anyone want too go in before me?''

DC ''I'm needing a bath...Does anyone need the loo before I go in?

Usual scene in one bathroom, two or more people
''For goodness sakes!! I'm BURSTING here! How long are you going to be!!!?''

Jeez! Have you DIED in there?..It's been ten minutes!

Oh hurry uppp!!

Oh my goodness. He's taken his phone in there.
Frantic texts to say ''Hurry up you selfish so and so!''

Either buy a chamber pot
or you go to the loo while he is running the bath

and he should NOT be communing with his soul and thinking deep thoughts in the only bathroom,
just a 3 minute scrub all over and out

Camping shower!!!! You don't need a composting toilet or a portaloo you need a camping shower in the garden for your DH (and everyone else who needs to use it)

You can even get pop up tents.

Camping showers can be fed with hot water. A shower is probably better for a large, sweaty man and with a shower at least the waste is water and soap. Not pee or poo.

@Drat123 and @TheOrigBrave I actually like the sound of a bucket bath. I just think you'd need to be in our bathroom to do it, otherwise isn't the water going to go everywhere?

I like the look of the Japanese washing stations too. Very nice to be clean before going into a public bath.

@TheOrigBrave
Bucket baths...Yes, I have had these...Surprisingly efficient.
{In UK} ..It is amazing what we can do
If you HAVE to cope -eg, having bathroom re-modelled- you do.

We grew up with 5 of us in a large old house with one loo and one bathroom- and never batted an eye.

@tactum

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.

Spot on @tactum

[quote Intrepidintrovert]**@Drat123* and @TheOrigBrave* I actually like the sound of a bucket bath. I just think you'd need to be in our bathroom to do it, otherwise isn't the water going to go everywhere?

I like the look of the Japanese washing stations too. Very nice to be clean before going into a public bath.[/quote]
Yes, water can get splashy.... it funnels off your elbows, BUT, if you stand sideways in the bath so elbows are along the length of the bath, it's fine. A 2 litre jug worked well as the 'souser'...very controllable.

@oakleaffy “DH: I need a blowout”
Eurgh . What a grim expression.

What about one of these for round the toilet if you can't fit a curtain round the bath?
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000KKCAZ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_czcuFbNR9KMN6?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Second the buy-a-potty idea. It's easy to wee in a potty then tip it down the sink. Done it loads of times while camping.

In a family house, having a morning bath with every day is just ludicrous.
Everyone has a strip wash if no shower. Bath once a week or on a day off midweek if you're lucky.

First of all, it sounds as though your husband needs a massive lifestyle change to lose weight before he has a heart attack. Second of all, he needs to be more considerate. If he needs to wash up in the morning, fine, but he should only need a couple of inches of water and 5 minutes. Clearly, your situation does not entertain him having a bloody "spa time" in the morning. He needs to wake up to the needs of other people.