Ideas for a bath footrest

April 6, 2021 1:53 AM

When I'm in the bath, I like to sometimes keep my feet out of the tub for a few reasons, but mainly so they dont get too wrinkly. I'd like a footrest that goes across my tub (similar to the caddy I already have) but I haven't been able to find anything on the internet to fit my needs. So it looks like I need to get creative! Help!

Here's some more information on what I'd like to create:

- sits across the tub, so if I want to put my feet in the water and stretch I can (I saw bath shorteners, which I could sit my feet on, however then I cant really put them in the water)

- some kind of waterproof padding (I'm willing to attach this myself if there is something I can find)

I'm willing to make it myself, if I have an idea of what to do. However I live in an apartment and so cannot do alot of work with power tools.

So I guess I'm looking for some kind of board and cushion that is or can be attached.

posted by LizBoBiz to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

I'd go with a length of hollow pool noodle with a bit of ABS pressure pipe stuck through the hole to give it some rigidity, and some notches carved out of the foam to fit the sides of the bath and keep it from rolling away. Pool noodle is easily cut with a serrated tomato knife, and ABS pipe is easily cut with a handsaw.
posted by flabdablet at 2:49 AM on April 6, 2021 [5 favorites]

I'd go for a narrow bamboo or plastic caddy with a wide bath pillow strapped to it. Something like this with this - narrow enough to straighten your legs while propped.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 4:05 AM on April 6, 2021

Those bath caddies are not really load-bearing: a leg weighs more than a rubber duck and a bar of soap. I wonder if a sling [pool-noodle with a rope running through it] would be rather more comfortable. I'm working on how this might be suspended above the bath . . . maybe start with a cross-trees made of 2x1 timber with a notch at the lower-end to sit on the bath-edge. Although this is beginning to sound like a most unfortunate domestic accident.
posted by BobTheScientist at 4:57 AM on April 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

This was the first thing I thought of.

You would obviously need to take the floaties off in order to put your feet in the water.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:27 AM on April 6, 2021

I'd try a tension rod that has rubber ends, so it doesn't damage your tub.
posted by jennstra at 6:00 AM on April 6, 2021

Best answer: Maybe a shower stool? The legs sit down in the water but span the width of the tub, so your feet would fit under it when you want them in the water. The seat height of the one I linked is adjustable so you could probably set it for the same height as your tub sides. It's not padded, but I'm wondering if you could slit a pool noodle and fit it over the edge of the seat to make a padded rim.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 6:07 AM on April 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

Ohh y'all. The thing needs to be stable with pressure pushing it toward the far end of the tub, otherwise it'll just make the knees overstressed/bending a little backward, which is bad, and kind of defeats the purpose of a footrest.

My first thought is some kind of big flat thing that will fit over the end of the tub all the way to the far wall, with a big-enough flat surface on the near edge for your feet.

Next thought is a big flat square 'U' shape so that the long sides go to the far wall. Not sure what that would be, but it could be made of 2x4 lumber -- although you'd have to finesse the mildew risk there. Don't use pressure-treated lumber (toxic).
posted by amtho at 9:21 AM on April 6, 2021

Best answer: needs to be stable with pressure pushing it toward the far end of the tub

OK. Three hollow pool noodle sections then, each one with its own reinforcing core of ABS pipe. Tie each of the outside two to the middle one with plastic twine (at my place we'd re-use hay-baling twine for this because we are in Rural and Regional Australia) to make an essentially flat three-bar calf rest.

Carve the ends to fit the rim of the bath and line the resulting notches with textured rubber sheet, cut from that old hot water bottle you were thinking of replacing soon because it's starting to look a little cracked near the bottom. Hot glue should be enough to hold the rubber sheet in place and is waterproof and somewhat flexible. Silicone sealant would probably work too. Actually, just smearing a nice thick coat of silicone sealant over the cutouts would probably be enough to make them grippy on its own once it cured.

I think I actually have all these parts and might make one of these. Thanks for the inspiration!
posted by flabdablet at 11:21 AM on April 6, 2021

flabdablet, if you do this, please please post it to Projects. I want to see it! I too would enjoy a bath footrest.
posted by amtho at 6:10 PM on April 6, 2021

Response by poster: I think I'll try the shower stool. I might actual use it as a stool in the shower as well!

And thanks flabdablet for the great idea that seems like alot more work than the shower stool but good luck with your project!
posted by LizBoBiz at 1:29 AM on April 7, 2021