How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

Yes, l know l started a thread about being bathed in the sink a few weeks ago.

.... but Please tell me. How did we manage to last on one bath a week (usually on a Saturday or a Sunday) in the 1950’s/ 60’s?

These days, many people shower/bath daily. So does that mean, we are dirtier these days and smell more than we did then?

Re: How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

I don't know, Artangel. I have a memory formed of many in which my mother, grandmother or some other bossy person was dragging me - every single day- away from great fun to scrub my wild, tangled hair, and scabbed up arms and legs.

I just wrote started a threat about respect - perhaps this is the few ways in which we are respectful of one another - but it's probably tied more to the relatively low cost and convenience of a hot shower.

Re: How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

What do you mean once a week? I currently shower once a fortnight and change my underpants at the same time. We recently had a level access shower installed because my partner thought I had a mobility problem. How wrong she is !!
I will give in to her demands and go weekly.....

Re: How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

Re: How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

To answer your question Arty, because we had to??
As you said in your earlier thread, most of us had no facilities to
do otherwise without much disruption of the household such as
clearing the sink/ heating enough hot water for a bath, or more
likely a wash down with a flannel?lf we decided on a bath we had to
liase with the rest of the household to close the kitchen or scullery
at a certain time and for acertain time, and then probably drag
the tin bath in from the garden to take the bath in!!
Then when finished had to drag the full bath outside again to empty
it and put the kitchen or scullery back in commossion again !!
Can you imagine your average teenager nowadays ever taking a
bath if they had to cope with this??
This brings us to the answer to your other question , it means we
are not dirtier than we used to be, but we are certainly lazier than
we used to be !!

Donkeyman! 😇😇😇

Re: How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

Hi

We all used to sleep in the same bed as well.

Head to toe, sisters at one end, brothers at the other.

In winter all our coats where piled on top to keep warm.

Re: How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

When we were growing up we lived just around the corner from the local swimming baths, our mother worked there. I was a swimmer even as a small child and was there several times a week, so I got a hot shower and hair wash when I came out of the pool. I must have been a clean wee thing.

Re: How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

Yes, l remember the coats were so heavy we couldnt move once
we were in !!

Donkeyman! 😁😁

Re: How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

Hi

You must have been dead posh then Roxy.

I can remember moving to Huddersfield as a toddler.

Clambering up the stairs, no carpet, to find an inside loo and a bath with hot and cold water.

Re: How Ever Did We Get Away With One Bath A Week?

This sounds familiar!

My kids report that their favorite summer was the one spent entirely in their swimsuits. On the way in from the beach, I would wash them up (still in their suits, of course) in our outdoor shower with baby shampoo. Once dry, they'd go right into their pajamas and back into their swimsuits first thing in the morning.

And those showers were cold, too.