Coping without a bathroom for a week or two.

[KitKat1985]

In a couple of weeks, our bath and shower are being ripped out and replaced. We need to get it done as there's a leak under the bath that is causing the ceiling downstairs to cave in, and we can't fix it without pulling the old bath out. However sadly we only have one bathroom (although thankfully a downstairs loo) but we will need to cope without a bath or shower for a few days / week (hopefully not more than 2 weeks). There are 4 of us, me, DH, and 2 DDs who are 6 and 4. Original plan was to pop over to my Mums on my days off work to use her bath every now and then, and then strip wash in-between, but due to lockdown we can't do that now. I'm not certain, but I don't even think because of lockdown we can book into a local B&B for the night (to use their bath in the room)! We've got a large plastic tub which I reckon I can make into a temporary 'bath' for the kids as I tend to do something similar when we've had caravan holidays, but not sure how us adults will cope. In particular I've got long, thick hair which I normally wash each day but struggling to work out how to manage this. I can use the odd hit of dry shampoo but find it makes my hair quite greasy so do need to do 'proper' washes of it I think somehow. Has anyone found a creative way to cope without a bath / shower during refurbishment works?

Should add - as in, not because you should shower, but to wind down/relax, didn’t mean to sound rude but think on MN it could come across wrong!!!! X

If you work at a hospital you’ll have access to a shower. It’s an infection control necessity that staff can access washing facilities. Problem solved

This was us in November. It won’t be 1 week. It took 2 weeks or just over for us to have a usable bath, the shower after that (it is over the bath). However our first bathroom fitter ripped it out then vanished, so in total we had no usable bathroom for 4 weeks. Took another week to be finished completely.

We coped! Kids washed in a tub in the kitchen, same for us tbh but sort of standing up, hair in kitchen sink with a jug. It was fine and TOTALLY worth it once we had a lovely new non leaky bathroom..

You can hire a shower pod eg
tardishire.co.uk/toilet-hire/portable-shower-hire/

We had showers in our staff changing rooms in my hospital.

I actually think your bathroom work would be a justifiable reason for a hotel stay under lockdown rules. There's a bit about house related reasons like moving house, changing rental property and so on. Maybe book a stay in the middle for a longer shower or bath and try to manage with work showers at other times? I agree that hospitals will have them.

Am surprised you wash your hair everyday!

Yes - wash hair everyday! Honestly it gets really greasy if I don't.

Will look into showering at work. I should say I work on a mental health ward rather than in a general hospital so staff facilities not quite the same as on a general hospital site.

I did wonder if I may be allowed hotel stays if it's for somewhere to stay during essential home repairs. Maybe I need to read the lockdown guidance a bit more....

Not really sure where we could put an outside shower pod to be honest. We haven't got a huge amount of garden space.

@wtftodo ekk! A month without a bathroom sounds hard! Am hoping ours won't take as long as that as the toilet / sink in the bathroom are staying, and we're not moving any of the pipework, just replacing some of the pipework and then replacing the bath / over bath shower.

Thank you for all of the suggestions! Knew I could ask you wise Mumsnetters!

I wash my hair every day! 💁‍♀️

We're currently having our bathroom done, although we luckily have a second one downstairs that we can still use.

It has taken exactly 1 week for the builders to remove all of the old bathroom suite and tiles, reset the pipe work and plaster the walls. It all moved quicker than originally thought as the plasterers were available earlier.

I think setting the new bathroom suite in place won't take long, but tiling will be the slow bit. I'm guessing it will take one more week at least and possibly a bit more.

I'm finding it a bit stressful having people in the house, especially with all worrying news about the mutant strain and hospital numbers.... I'm keeping the front door and windows open as much as possible and wiping down the surfaces and bannisters regularly!

Also, your builders can hopefully only remove things once they have the new one to fit - so you shouldn't be without a toilet for too long for example if it is a straight swap. The same with putting the shower and sink in - that shouldn't take too long - it's the tiling that may hold it back a bit.

Hotel stays are still available for essential workers and in-area guests, so as long as you book something locally you'll be fine. When we got our bathroom done though we were only two days without the bath, the guys understand and work round you as much as poss.

You'd be permitted to stay in a hotel/B&B etc but when trying to book I'd stress the leak issue so they know you're not just pissing about 'doing it up'.

But it's an expense/inconvenience.

I'd just 'make do' at home (and I have long hair washed daily) I'd probably plait my hair & wash it less frequently while it's such an arse to wash it in a sink.

I’d also prepare for it to take longer, as pp have said.

We had ours done in september. Was supposed to take a week. But the initial workman tested positive, so had to isolate. So then they ended up doing it around the next job, when someone in that house tested positive, etc etc.

It was a right mess and took over 3 months in the end. Fortunately we have an en suite so were able to use that.

These are pretty expensive but compared to a few B and B trips might be worth the investment? I only know about them as I’ve been looking on Pinterest for bathroom inspiration and they keep appearing...foldable baths, what a time to be alive! www.amazon.co.uk/Soaking-Baths-Folding-Bathtub-Bathtubs/s?c=ts&ts_id=1938735031&keywords=Soaking+Baths&rh=n%3A1938735031%2Cp_4%3AFolding+Bathtub&tag=mumsnetforu03-21.

I hesitate to tell you that it will be more, and maybe weeks more than two weeks- and take any re-assurances to the contrary with a handful of salt...

Oh my goodness fold out baths! Amazing!

Okay will still myself for this to take a few weeks (sobs inside).

I did this although we only had one toilet and it was hell. I went to my friends house for a shower each day. I did have to move out for the night whilst the floor was drying

I always used to wash my hair in the sink in the days before I had a shower. I actually found the kitchen sink easier to use than the bathroom one.

A lot of us older people on MN will have grown up in houses without bathrooms. It’s easy to strip wash in a bowl or in the kitchen sink, and to wash your hair in the kitchen sink, you just need a jug to pour rinsing water or some rubber tubing on the tap(s).
It’s not as pleasant or convenient as having a functional bathroom, but it’s not that difficult.