Bathing in a tub – memories of a house without a bathroom
Today, bathing is a simple, everyday activity. Simply turn on the tap, set the water temperature, and step into the shower or bathtub. Just a few decades ago, in many Polish homes, especially in rural areas and small towns, washing the entire body required significantly more work.
The lack of a bathroom, running hot water, and sometimes even a water mains connection made bathing a truly domestic endeavor. Water had to be fetched, lit in the stove, heated in pots or a cauldron, prepared in a tub, and then emptied and the used water carried away.
It’s no wonder that for many people, bathing in a metal or wooden tub remains one of the most vivid childhood memories.
A washtub instead of a home bathroom
Old family photos show scenes that were once common: an adult pouring hot water from a large metal bucket into a galvanized bathtub, while children wrapped in towels wait for their turn.
Similar tubs and bathtubs were common household appliances. Made of wood or galvanized sheet metal, they weren’t just for bathing. They were also used for washing, soaking, and rinsing clothes, and for other cleaning tasks.
The Polish Ethnographic Atlas contains photographs of wooden washtubs and tubs used for laundry. They document the presence of such vessels in rural households in the 20th century.
Not every home could accommodate a separate bathing area. Therefore, the tub was placed wherever it was warmest and where water could be brought relatively easily. This was most often the kitchen or a room heated by a stove.
During bathing, efforts were made to limit drafts by closing doors and additionally heating the room. This was especially important in winter, when the temperature difference between the warm room and the cool hall was very large.
Preparations began much earlier
Bathing didn’t begin with entering the water. It was preceded by many time-consuming activities. First, one had to light a stove, then fetch the appropriate amount of water from a well, pump, or other available source.
Larger families needed a lot of it. Each bucket had to be carried by hand, often from the yard or a remote location.
Water was heated in batches in large pots, kettles, or buckets. Boiling water was carefully poured into the tub, then cold water was added until it reached the desired temperature. There were no thermostats or mixing taps, so the water’s temperature was most often checked with the palm of the hand or elbow.
Just filling the tub required strength, attention, and caution. Heavy vessels of hot water had to be carried across the room without spilling the contents and without risking scalding.
After bathing, the entire process was performed in reverse order. Water was collected in a smaller container, poured into buckets, and then carried outside. The tub then had to be washed, dried, and returned to its original location.
Saturday bath as a family ritual
Many family memories recall bathing, which was held primarily on Saturdays. It was meant to prepare the household for Sunday, church, visits, or family gatherings.
This didn’t mean that hygiene was completely abandoned on other days. Bowls, basins, jugs, and small washbasins were used for daily washing. However, a full bath in a tub was much more demanding, so it was usually scheduled for a specific day.
In 19th-century urban homes, one of the most common devices used was a washstand, a table or cabinet equipped with a bowl and jug. Washing often took place in the bedroom, sometimes behind a screen. This shows that the lack of a permanent bathroom was not limited to rural residents for a long time.
In large families, children bathed in sequence. The youngest often entered the water first, when it was still warmest and cleanest. However, the exact order depended on the customs of the individual household, so it wasn’t the same everywhere.
In winter, bathing was especially difficult.
Winter bathing required the most effort. Water had to be brought despite the freezing temperatures, and the room had to be heated in advance. After exiting the tub, one had to quickly dry off, dress, and avoid entering cold rooms.
Memories of such evenings are often associated with steam rising from the water, the smell of a hot stove, wet towels and clothes drying near a heat source.
For children, bathing could be both a joy and a chore they didn’t enjoy. Much depended on how long they had to wait for their turn and whether the water had cooled down.
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