The Bathtub Boom

[Paper Boy]

Source: Child Life
Publication date: May 1, 2007
By Javernick, Ellen

Can you imagine your doctor warning anyone that taking a bath could be unhealthy? In the early 1800s, many doctors thought that bathtubs were carriers of germs, so they advised against their use. The doctors' advice could not have been based on personal experience, because few of them owned tubs. The White House did not even have a bathtub until 1851, when Millard Fillmore was president.

In the nineteenth century, only one home out of six had a bathroom, so children could not just jump into a tub or shower as they do today. A boy or girl got to take only one bath a week. On Saturday nights they all lined up for their turns to wash in a wooden tub in the kitchen. Mothers had to boil the water on the stove and carry it over to fill the tub. No wonder they did hot beg their children to bathe every day!

When the first bathtubs were intoduced, even their namufacturers weren't sure that the new fad would last. They adverstised their products as water troughs and devices for scalding hogs that "when funished with legs could be used as bathing tubs."

The bathtub boom begna in america shortly after World War I. By then most middle-class families had indoor plumb ing. At first most tubs were made of wood, but as the popularity of the product increased, so did the creativity of tub manufacturers. Before porcelain tubs there were rubber ones resembling the plastic swimming pools kids use today. And despite the bruises metal tubs gave bathers, these devices were popular for a while. Manufacturers even produced portable canvas tubs so that travelers could carry them. These looked like hammocks when stretched between two chairs.

It was a status symbol to have a bathtub, and no one considered it improper to invite guests in to see the bathroom. Tubs with brass fixtures and claw feet were the ultimate in luxury.

In the past few years, bathtubs have again become causes for bragging. Large, elegant tubs, whirlpool baths and hot tubs have become increasingly popular, and owners often invite guests to see them. They tell their friends how soothing baths in these tubs can be.

Doctors no longer warn that bathtubs breed germs. Instead they tell their patients about the benefits of frequent bathing. They even prescribe baths to relieve muscle aches and arthritis pain, as well as to reduce stress. Maybe one of the best reasons doctors encourage frequent trips to the tub is that bathed patients smell better!

Copyright Benjamin Franklin Literary and Medical Society May/Jun 2007

(c) 2007 Child Life. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.