bath v shower

'sitting in a bath of dirty water' - how dirty are people getting?

I have some lung damage, bronchiectasis, and therefore am more vulnerable to getting the bacteria that can live in shower heads, hot tubs etc. I have been on 7 anti biotic pills every morning for over 16 months now and although my lungs have improved, the side effects are pretty nasty.

This problem seems to be on the increase or it is just being diagnosed more efficiently. It is a sort of non contagious TB and pretty nasty. I soak the shower head in white vinegar which is supposed to reduce the bacteria.

We do have a bath but getting in and out is a bit difficult for me.

I much prefer a shower, my morning shower sets me up for the day and is less of a palava than a bath, I can't remember when I last had a long soak, it may start off inviting but you have to climb out of it sometime. Whilst baths are necessary for babies and very young children, I would choose a shower over a bath any day. I don't really like baths that have showers in them either. I'm disappointed when I stay in a hotel with that set up. I like a purpose built shower that you walk into rather than climb up into.

My shower head can be lifted off to hose down the "undercarriage" I don't think I ever washed my face or ears in the bath , that is facecloth at the wash hand basin , just as well I live on my own with the groans and creaks as I try to reach everywhere to get dry , bath sheets are so much better than bath towels

Yes Isabella water bills just under £200 pa - only two of us and we have a water butt for the garden which probably saves a bit.

I find regular showering leaves so many bits that need to be washed separately afterwards; ears, undercarriage, even feet if you really want to get between your toes.

A bath is also my quiet soak and think time. You cannot do that in a shower.

I think things like this are entirely a question of personal preference and physical capacity. We are fortunate we have both a bath and walk-in shower.

When we moved to our bungalow we had a very up to date wet-room with a power shower we left behind a bath with overhead shower and as much as the shower does the job I miss having a bath so much.
There is nothing better than filling up a bath with nice scented oils and bubbles and relaxing with scented candles it does you the world of good.

Sorry if this has already been said, but how about a normal bath with a power-assisted seat to lower/raise you in the bath - then you don't have to sit in the bath while filling/emptying, as people have said with the disabled-type bath?

Another person here who cannot get out if the bath once in. I find a shower over the bath a bit dodgy too.
I stayed in an hotel last year where the room had a walk in shower. I managed to turn on the shower but once in and without my glasses could not regulate the temperature. After some fiddling the handle came off in my hand and I was unable to turn off the water. I had to call housekeeping for assistance which was embarrassing.

Do you have a water meter Carolina ?

It was explained to me that a shower refreshes/revives and should be taken each morning ready for work etc and a warm bathe last thing before bed as it relaxes you ready for sleep....

A quick rub down with a scented baby wipe deletes the need for either a bath or shower.
The extra space is used for storing waste foodstuffs when the bins are overflowing.
You get used to the various odours and maggots and flies.

The suggestion of a bath with a shower over it, is a guarantee of fractured hips in people of our age group.

When we refitted my mother's flat, we put in a bath with a shower over it. It was difficult and we had to find a shorter bath to fit the small space. Furthermore, we also needed a way to help Mum get in and out of the bath. We were provided with a motorised lifting seat with a back which mum could sit in, then swivel over the bath (she needed to lift her legs over the bath side but didn't have a problem with that). The seat then lowered her into the water and lifted her out when she'd bathed. The seat supported itself and was removed from the bath without any trace of being there when Mum moved to a care home. We planned the whole set up so the shower and screen was at the opposite end of the bath to the seat and the taps were in the middle of the bath, easily accessible.

The bathroom was tiny but, a bit of careful planning meant that there was choice, not only for Mum but for the next occupant of the flat as well.

We still have a bath but I have to use a separate shower at the moment as I have [hopefully temporary] mobility issues. I really miss a good soak and it's a good incentive to get fit again!

It would take two teams of firemen to extricate me from the bath ! Last bath I had caused a mini flood as I slipped and slid .....

We have a shower and a bath. The bath is used for hanging the washing over to dry. I am another who would never entertain sitting in dirty bathwater. You would still need a shower afterwards to rinse off the dirty water. A recent foray north of the border found us in a beautiful cottage but shower was above the bath. It made me realise just how dangerous this was to get in and out of, and I cannot see it getting any easier as I get older. However, if you fancy getting help to vacate a bath by a bevy of lovely firemen (happened to a friend) then ........

You are right about baths aggie. A visiting friend of my DS was horrified to think we sat in our own dirty water to wash. Likewise he always washed the dirty dishes under running water in the sink, never soaked them. I like a bath when I feel stressed, and GC use it when they visit, but usually we shower. We probably shower/bath far too much these days, not like in the "olden days" when a strip wash was enough. Why not treat yourself to a hotel stay now and then Mic and have a bath there? Premier Inns always have flipping baths (with nasty plastic curtains for shower over).

All the posters who enjoy a bath must be much more agile than me. I was in my 50s when I found that getting out of a bath was very difficult. I tried once again a few years ago and eventually got out by turning over onto my knees and have never had a bath since. I never did enjoy a long soak in the bath like some people do.

Some countries think it is unhygienic so sit in your own dirt in a bath , and in some places it is the practice to shower first before going in the clean water of a bath . My lot used to refer to bath water as bum water , as in......... "Mummy he is drinking bum water !".... when I left them for seconds to fetch another towel . As you might guess we just have showers now, one wet room , one shower room

We use the shower all the time and the GS use the bath when they come to stay. I think it is a good idea to have both if you have room, if only to make the house easier to sell when the time comes.

Showering uses so much less water so is far better for the environment and at the moment there is a movement suggesting we should go back to the days when we didn't shower every day. Apparently it is better for the skin as well as the environment

I would miss a bath if we didnt have one. Sometimes (after golf) I am so cold only a bath will warm me up and its great for my aching back. Mic74 are you in a position to go to the local health club/spa for a sauna or a jacuzzi occasionally - might be a comforting thing to do? Just a suggestion.

I would always advise if possible to leave bath in place and try and fit in a shower somehow. When we downsized the first thing I noticed when viewing the house was, although it was a tight fit, the previous owner had installed a separate shower. For about 5 yrs the only one using the bath was DGS but as my husband's health began to fail he was unable to use the shower due to his skin thinning because of the high dosage of steriods he was on. We were so glad we kept the bath and using a bathboard and grips on the wall he so enjoyed his "bath".

I never thought I'd miss a bath as much as I have. I have a shower only but don't feel as though it cleanses the same as a good soak.

A shower over the bath is the way to go.

We had our bath taken out and a large walk in shower put in because we hardly ever used the bath. I think I only ever used it once; DH not at all, and once GS started to prefer the shower no-one used it. However, over the past year, for various reasons, I have missed the means to have a good soak! I have no experience of the type of bath you are talking of, but hope you find something that meets your needs.