HELP!! How will I cope with no bathroom for 3 weeks?!

Savvy_Sue

I can't remember how long I went without a shower when I first did my arm in: covering it with a bin bag wasn't an option, before anyone asks, because it was in a fabric sling tied to my body, no plaster cast to keep dry. DH did my hair with the showerhead once, after that I went to the hairdressers!

I know some people can't contemplate facing the day without a shower, but it's all in the mind, you can be clean without one!

suki1964

Blimey, a few days without a shower and the sky falls in:eek:

Dont get me wrong, I have fine hair and hot flushes, I never leave the house without a shower and hair wash if I can help it BUT showers and hot running water are really a luxury we have now come to accept as a must.

Earlier this year NI had no water for weeks - we kept clean on a bowl full each ( and I washed my hair in that as well)

Last year we had water - and no way of heating it for two weeks - same scenario - one bowl of hot water a day to wash and wash my hair.

Yes I would have felt a lot better having had a daily shower but I never smelled ( and Im a cook and come in from work stinking of cooking) and my hair although was never its best - didnt hang in greasy lank locks about me.

Its a few days of inconvenience - there are friends, neighbors and local council facilities when you feel you really cant cope. Imagine those who survive with no clean drinking water let alone water enough to bath in

floss2

Just to clarify for those who haven't quite grasped what info I have given, we currently do not have a shower, our only bathroom will be out of action for up to 3 weeks because of the scale of works to be done in an old house with disintegrating plaster, lead piping and knackered floor boards. I appreciate that to some this would be a minor inconvenience, but the request for suggestions was genuine. We have no family within 60miles, our friends are not local to us and we do not have any relationship with our neighbours. I only wish it was taking only 3 or 4 days as that would be an awful lot cheaper!

suki1964

floss2 wrote: »

Just to clarify for those who haven't quite grasped what info I have given, we currently do not have a shower, our only bathroom will be out of action for up to 3 weeks because of the scale of works to be done in an old house with disintegrating plaster, lead piping and knackered floor boards. I appreciate that to some this would be a minor inconvenience, but the request for suggestions was genuine. We have no family within 60miles, our friends are not local to us and we do not have any relationship with our neighbours. I only wish it was taking only 3 or 4 days as that would be an awful lot cheaper!

I think people have grasped it - and replied - 3 weeks is hardly the end of the world and have offered good advice - a bowl of hot water is sufficient to keep yourself clean and sweet smelling

boots_babe

3 weeks does sound like an awfully long time. Have you questioned the workmen about their plans during this time?

Last year, we completed a large extensions, and as part of that work ended up ripping down all the upstairs interior walls, resited and replaced the boiler, and put in 2 new bathrooms.

Throughout all of this, we were not without a toilet for a single day (which I see you won't be either so that's good) and were not without a shower. The day they gutted the existing bathroom they made sure to put in the new shower too. So although we were walking on bare floorboards into a shower with no lighting or sink etc, we could still have a shower.

It was pretty major works we had done, but despite this, the 2 bathrooms were redone (including ripping down walls and putting up new ones before they could do the bathroom fittings themselves) in around one week.

So I really think 3 weeks seems strangely long. We had electric cabling rerouted etc under the floorboards, soil pipe relocated, aforementioned walls moved and lots of other things done as part of the work, so not just a straight bathroom refit.

floss2

boots_babe wrote: »

3 weeks does sound like an awfully long time. Have you questioned the workmen about their plans during this time?

Last year, we completed a large extensions, and as part of that work ended up ripping down all the upstairs interior walls, resited and replaced the boiler, and put in 2 new bathrooms.

Throughout all of this, we were not without a toilet for a single day (which I see you won't be either so that's good) and were not without a shower. The day they gutted the existing bathroom they made sure to put in the new shower too. So although we were walking on bare floorboards into a shower with no lighting or sink etc, we could still have a shower.

It was pretty major works we had done, but despite this, the 2 bathrooms were redone (including ripping down walls and putting up new ones before they could do the bathroom fittings themselves) in around one week.

So I really think 3 weeks seems strangely long. We had electric cabling rerouted etc under the floorboards, soil pipe relocated, aforementioned walls moved and lots of other things done as part of the work, so not just a straight bathroom refit.

Can we have your workmen please? And you always had a useable bathroom, didn't you?

Seriously, the house is over 80 years old and we have found disintegrating plaster underneath cement under the old wallpaper.... so all 4 walls need to be taken back to bare brick before anything else. We also have a brick-built cupboard to be removed, several floorboards & joists which are in need of replacing, as well re-routing the plumbing and fitting new pipework for the new shower and lowering the ceiling, and that's before we even start to fit the new suite or do any tiling - which is floor, 4 walls, side of bath & wet-room floor, with marble & slate tiles & mosaics which all need to be sealed before grouting.

I appreciate that lots of people have had similar work done in less time, and that it is a modern fancy to want to immerse oneself in water to cleanse, but this is the first time either of us have had major works done in our homes (we did the kitchen ourselves in parts so less disruptive!), and the first time we have been sans bathing facilities, so the original request for ideas was not flippant and I don't think warranted the "you don't know you are born" type responses... Maybe I am a bit thick not to come up with those ideas myself, but you lot don't know where my talents lie

boots_babe

I'm not trying to make you feel worse about it honestly, but yes we did always have a useable bathroom. Only useable as in, there was a working toilet and shower. Didn't mean it was pleasant - bare floorboards in the morning with bits of plaster and nails etc everywhere soon woke you up first thing!

I'm totally with you with how awful a thought it would be, to be without a bathroom for so long. I couldn't manage for a day or so as I'm a complete wimp like that, so I can totally understand where you're coming from there.

All I was saying was I think you should maybe question your workmen, as yours sounds vaguely similar in scale to the work we had done, and 3 weeks still sounds like a long time. We only had one plumber, and one electrician, but 2 builders so maybe that is part of the difference if you only have one builder maybe? Have you made it clear to them how important it is that you minimise the time when the toilet/shower aren't working? I know it sounds silly but they may not think you're that bothered unless you specifically ask, and they might be able to work things better so as to cause you less disruption.

Whatever happens, hopefully it'll end up taking much less time - and just remember that finished product, which will make it all worth the wait!

Gloomendoom

OP have you considered hiring a portable shower for the period?

Portable Shower

Nicki

We are having our bathroom replaced at the moment (fortunately we have more than one so not in OP's position). We are at the beginning of the third week and have no sanitary ware plumbed in yet, though should have by the end of the week.

3 weeks doesn't seem out of the ordinary to me, and if your works were such that your builders could do it more quickly, that is probably due to you having a fortunately shaped room, and simply replacing existing fittings rather than doing extensive replumbing, building and wiring work.

We used different builders when we did it in our last home and they also quoted 3 weeks, though in that case they went bust and it ended up taking a lot longer :eek:

I think it is a normal time scale tbh

floss2

Gloomendoom wrote: »

OP have you considered hiring a portable shower for the period?

Portable Shower

That looks a fab idea - only problem is it would have to go in the front garden between the front wall & the bay window as we don't have a back garden! Think I'd rather go without than have to nip in there right next to one of the busiest roads into a Lancashire coastal resort!!