[01.12] - The Good Idea-Bad Idea Guide to taking baths

Time was, a tub full of water was a welcome pleasure for weary body and tense mind. Now, this solitary delight must be weighed against worries of world water crises and cancer risks.

Good Idea?

1. Sanity savers. The tub is one of the few spots where you can escape a spouse’s cooking fumes or sibling’s loud music. Even when you live alone, the tub is a spot for solace; I live in a shoebox-sized studio apartment; when I grow weary of sitting on my futon, the only room I may retreat to is the bathroom. And sitting in the tub is the sweetest smelling cause for a long stay.
   
2. Olfactory pleasures. Skin-softening salts and essential oil elixirs are a fantastic way to indulge the olfactory sense. Often, you can team up on the benefits, combining sweet aromas with body-enhancing brews; lavender can soothe vexed skin, while petigrain boots out a bad mood.
   
3. Water therapy. We all began life this way: curled in a perfectly temperatured enclosed bath replete with instant nourishment supplied 24/7. Retiring to the tub with rum and dark chocolate (and a stack of books) lets us regain this estranged state of bliss.
   
4. Muscle relaxation. Warm water soothes tense muscles and achy parts. Every woman knows how hot water mellows cramps; reclining in a bath duplicates this calming sensation to the power of ten.
   
5. Pore pleasure. As, the average home is not equipped with a sauna, hot baths are a simple way to open pores, releasing toxins.
   

Bad idea?

1. The water bill. Outrageously High Water Bills are not an urban legend. When your parents complained about lights left on or water running, their reasons were just. As I discovered when my first water bill rolled in and washed away the better part of my paltry bank account.
   
2. The global bill. Increasing global water demands make kicking back in your own personal 25-gallon pool tough to justify. And nothing’s less fun than guilty thoughts of Al Gore looking grim in An Inconvenient Truth to ruin your nude relaxation.
   
3. The cancer risk. Chlorinated water supplies make hot soaks (and showers) a cancer risk. That same nice hot water that opens pores makes those open pores ready to absorb chlorine’s carcinogenic treats. A bonus; chlorine also ups incidences of dandruff and eczema. .
   
4. The drowning risk. My mother fears one day, I’ll fall into such a deep sleep in the tub that I won’t not notice my head dipping towards the water, ultimately leading to my sudsy demise. Worse yet, when the coroner shows up, not only will I not be wearing decent underwear, I’ll be wearing nothing at all.
   
5. The interruption risk. In shared homes, the chances of getting away with a long-term soak are directly proportional to the number of toilets available. In a one-toilet home, you’re unlikely to enjoy the tub for more than half an hour without rude (and increasingly urgent) interruptions. Solitary dwellers need not feel so smug; sooner or later you’ll be soaking when your landlord shows up to check that broken window handle. And wouldn’t it suck for someone to use that master key ’cause you took so long to answer it seemed clear you weren’t at home.

Verdict: Interruptions, inconveniences, and ethics aside, I still cherish my tub time—on occasion. Whether the benefits of absorbing that relaxing bathtime lavender and antidepressant rose oil outweigh chlorine’s drawbacks remains to be seen. As far as aligning my preference for tub-based bliss with the need not to waste water, the only answer may be to double up on water usage by sharing the decadence with a friend. But the wisdom of that idea should be saved for another good idea bad idea guide.

—ja**ly