Hopping in the shower or bathtub today is not a big deal, at all.  Simply turn on the facets to get the desired temperature, pull the knob up for the shower or push the plug down for the tub and you are good to go.  This is a luxury that is often taken for granted as it is something that most homes in America have been accustomed to for a good number of decades.  It is such a given that when building a “regular” home, it is subject to building codes in most areas, not that you will have a bathroom with running hot and cold water with a shower and tub but rather “how many will you have?”

Taking baths up unto the last century was not quite as easy as the above.  Nope, it required planning, it required want to and it required some muscle.

As our home is an off grid, off the beaten path and out of the norm, our bathing routine would resemble one from the a different century, shall we say the 1800’s? Of course we shall, after all isn’t that what our focus is right now, for the next two years at least?  But truthfully bathing has not changed much on how it was done up until running water was a “normal” thing in the 20th century home. Yes, we’ve all heard of the periods of people believing bathing was unhealthy but this waxed and waned throughout time as most things without a clear foundation do in cultures, nor was that belief culture wide, just in certain social groups. But our focus isn’t the history of why or when they didn’t take a bath, at least not today, but rather, how did they bath. They had no running water, they had no bathtub as we know them today, water closets where just becoming a “thing” in the late 1800’s as the invent did not happen until the 1870’s, (however other toilet systems existed prior to that date), so it stands to reason that most homes would not have a bathroom to house a bathtub even if they did possess such an appliance.

When we think of the 1800’s and the pioneers we often imagine the round wooden tub, by day used for laundry by Saturday night, use to wash the dirt off the family. This is a fair vision but it is not the only vision.  Tubs came in a variety of designs and materials.  We have two in our home that would be period for the 1800’s right up into the 1900’s and each serves a great purpose in keeping our family clean. 

The first requires less time, water and forethought.  Consider it a comparison to a “quick” shower in today’s standards.  This is of course is an old round tin wash tub, though ours is not old but new. This one is great for children and or a quick rinse.  It is large enough for a child to enjoy their bath but makes an adult be creative in washing as it is just not quite big enough.

However one of the enticing benefits of such a tub is it requires less then 10 gallons of water and can accommodate a wash on the spur of the moment.

Not much planning is required for this tub……

A 5 gallon pan of hot water…….

To equal amounts of cold…………

And it is just right for a child to have their proverbial bath time fun with their bath toys……. 

 

and big enough to get washed up without a problem.

Even older children can fit nicely in one of these relics of the past.

The question stands, “What do we adults do when we want a soaking bath?” After all we are civilize and doesn’t every civilized person want to occasionally be covered in water? Well of course, just as the many generations before us who did not have all the modern immensities wanted to be submerged.

So this is our tub…well technically this is our tub…but in reality this is what our tub would have looked like in its day.

This, below, is our tub. As you can tell it is missing part of its shell compared to the above picture.  This particular style of tub was very popular in the late 1800’s. As shown in the photo above, the tub, when not in use, would fold up and be in a standing up position as ours is below.  When we purchased ours it did not have its “headboard” nor its metal feet.  Someone prior to us had attached rollers to it to make it easy to move.  As you can see from our tub, it appears to be missing some of its wood panel. However, more then likely it is missing the original mirror that many of these tubs would have had in that location.  One might consider this to be poor placement of a fragile piece of glass however it was quite ingenious, as when closed the unit resembled an attractive wardrobe/closet and when open, the legs aid in keeping the mirror safely off the floor. Utility with class.

One reason this unit was so popular, because as stated, most homes did not have a bathroom as we know it today and even if they did have a “water closet” the source of the hot water was found in the kitchen, the wood cook stove of course.  Carrying hot water is something that should be done with great caution.  I would like to point out here, that safety needs to be used in any situation. Many of people have been burned in a modern home from the faucet.  Safety is something that should always be at the forefront of someones thoughts. For our home, when filling the tub everyone not involved in the process is to stay clear of the filling area, this even includes the dogs.

With having to heat the water up on the stove, not having an indoor bathroom, this would explain why we hear the stories of long ago where the Saturday night bath was in the kitchen.  The kitchen was the common room that either housed the tub or the tub was moved to on bath night.

This is our hot water faucet for our tub……

And this is our cold water faucet for our tub………….

Many of the folding tubs that are often times today refered to as “Murhpy” tubs, after the Murphy bed, were made by a company named Mosely.  The Mosely tub was manufactured between 1880-1900.  The Mosely tub was unique as it had a water heater that was hid in the cabinet, thus eliminated the need to carry hot water from the stove. How that worked I couldn’t personally say unless it was set us as a boiler system through the cookstove or home heating source. The other possibility was that it ran off of city natural gas supply. Whatever the case those units were very popular but as the first picture I showed, some manufactures offered other options in the cabinet outside of the heater, a simple wash station sufficed for many.

We have a drain and we use a garden hose to drain the tub. Our water that comes from the bath is true grey water.  We use only a lye soap or a castile soap for washing.  We do use Epson salt and vinegar for a detox in the water and that is it. The castile soap and vinegar are the same things I use on my hair.

So we have a bathtub in our kitchen, uh what about privacy?  It is simple, we respect each others privacy. If someone is getting a bath, clear out, not a big deal. I will say the larger baths have to be timed. This means if someone is wanting a soaking bath they need to announce a bit earlier in the day or even the day before so that we can be sure to have plenty of water on hand, as this tub is very large and if we want the full benefits of soaking, it does take a good deal of water compared to the smaller round tub. Also the desires for a soaking bath is announce so I don’t have a cooking marathon going that night. My, that could be awkward indeed. Simple things like that to make this life style work. 

It seems like a lot of work I know. Most people simply turn the faucet on, wash and then pull the plug.  For us, we must first get our water from the well, haul it back to the cabin, pour it in the pans while tending the fire to heat up the water.  I probably should throw in here at this point that much intimacy has gone into harvesting the wood to heat the water, but this is a different post altogether. Once the tub has been put into position and the water is heated, it must be taken to the tub. After the bath we have to hook up the hose to drain it, making sure the hose has been position to put the grey water where needed.  Compared to today’s modern baths it is a lot of work.

But seldom is any work done that a reward is not earned, if allowed to be manifested.  We glean much from this process.  First off we are blessed with having a very deep connection with everything we do.  The whole process gives us an insight into something that most take for granted on a daily bases. For us taking a bath in the big tub is an event.  It is something that is looked forward to and we savor.  Seldom do we use water for such an extravagant without first giving great thought about where the water comes from and understanding what a privilege it is to have an abundance of water to take care of our needs despite having to haul it and then heat it.  We are more thoughtful about those that are deprived of such a basic necessity and we try not to waste water.  However when we do indulge in a large luxurious bath we we do realized how blessed we are.

Lea