The Guilt-Free Bath
When we were shopping for houses my one MUST HAVE was a garden tub. I knew in theory that any tub could be replaced with a garden tub, but since we had lived in our last house for 5 years with a basic tub – that we would never replace one. The house we found? Had way more tub than I was looking for. It’s evidently an old model, before garden tubs became smaller and stream-lined. It’s giant. We call it our indoor pool. And the thing is? I rarely use it.
I guess I’ve been moving my life towards GREEN so much in the last decade that a lot of it has become inherent. I can’t bring myself to throw away a can. If there’s not a recycling bin nearby? I bring it home. I hate when I (very rarely) have to do a load of hot laundry, and I never use the “dry” cycle on my dishwasher. None of this is unusual on the Green spectrum. As a matter of fact, a truly Green person would do a lot better. My point is that those things are just built into my system. They aren’t decisions anymore. It’s just the way I do things.
This bathtub? Makes me feel very guilty. I used to take baths all the time, and I felt guilty enough then. Sometimes 4+ times a week I’d soak in the tub before bed. And I would assuage that guilt by recognizing that this was a necessary part of my unwinding. I needed those baths to help myself relax and ease anxiety or stress. But now? Sometimes I’ll go a whole week without soak in the tub. In order to fill it up enough to actually ease any stress in my body, I have to use SO MUCH WATER. And the guilt associated with that? Makes the bath less relaxing. And if I wanted to use the jets? (Which I don’t, I’m more about soaking.) I’d have to use even MORE water. I’ve never done that.
My kids, on the other hand. HAVE NO GUILT ISSUES. They love the giant tub because it really is like a pool for them. Wes, especially, can actually swim in it. And when we turn the jets on with the bubble bath? It makes the most AMAZING BUBBLES EVER. And watching my kids enjoy that? Even with all of the wasted water? Somehow causes me no guilt.
We only let them do it once in awhile, but when we do? It’s their FAVORITE night ever. They get really excited and will talk about it the next day. “We took a HUGE bubble bath in the BIG tub.” And they ask for it ALL THE TIME. No guilt about not being green, just pure and total enjoyment of a fantastic tub.
And really…could YOU say No to those faces?
Sometimes I feel like we’re living parallel lives! When we moved into our house in June, one of the first things the kids asked to do was take a bath in our giant tub. Not play on the swingset or anything, but take a bath. When I want a bath but am feeling guilty, I’ll fill it up and soak before they’re in bed, then I’ll let them in after I’m done. Since I shower during the day at the gym, I’m never really dirty, it’s just for realxation purposes. I can only do this on days when my husband is home early enough, but it helps relieve some of the guilt since we’re all using the massive amount of water, not just me.
Hey, if you have two people sharing a bath, it isn’t THAT un-green! I have fond memories of taking baths with my siblings. For us, it wasn’t about getting clean, but about playing and trying to “make” lots of bubbles. We got a bit out of hand; once there was water dripping from the dining room ceiling below!
I feel kinda lucky that we have a small tub, so I can soak in it regularly without feeling like I’m wasting water.
Aw. Green is good, for sure, but you should allow yourself a pampering bath like, once a month or something? And then put the kids in it afterwards so it’s really efficient
Long, hot showers use 5-10 gallons every minute (I just looked that up b/c I’m totally not THAT on top of things). Taking a 15 minute shower uses up to 150 gallons of water. You wouldn’t use that many gallons in a tub, taking an even longer soak. Enjoy your tub time! You deserve it!
You’re washing two humans, so that helps, right?
We just moved in with one of those lovely tubs, and I think I’ve used it twice for the same reason. My kiddo is little enough that we put his (large Ikea) plastic tub in the big one and then he can splash a lot without making a mess. I’m going to have trouble when he gets too big..
Glad to know I’m not the only hampered by ecoguilt!
I’ve always wanted to find a way to use my bath water for my clothes washer. That would help a lot of my guilt. The bathwater isn’t that dirty, so would work fine on the washing cycle. And then it would pull DOUBLE duty.
U deserve the tub~~ xx Love the tub!!! ^^ It’s fabulous ^^ xoxo
If this bath holds twice as much as your old tub, just take baths half as often. That’s still twice a week! Bonus–if you enjoy each bath TWICE as much, then you are actually saving water (when measured in gallons per unit of enjoyment)
I hope I don’t completely gross you out here….
We have a giant tub like that and I LOVE the occasional really hot soak…. to make it more “worth it”, I take a nice long soak and hubby watches the kids. Then, as the water cools, I call for the kids to join me! There are still a few bubbles left, the water is just right for them, and I love being in the bath with them as part of the fun. (Much easier on my back too!)
For the record… we only do this tops 1x per week, I wear a bathing suit, and then I shower anyway the next day.