Help me bring my bath game to the next level

December 25, 2024 4:39 AM

I love having a long soak in the tub. What can I add to the experience to make it even more delicious?

What I have: fancy bath bombs, salts, bubbles, face masks, mood lighting, candles, music, a slow trickle of water for the soundscape, an air humidifier for that dreamy mist, a fluffy robe. What haven't I thought of?

posted by luminary to Home & Garden (23 answers total)

A good book! (Or a tablet wrapped in a watertight bag, like ziploc.)
posted by demi-octopus at 4:44 AM on December 25, 2024 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I don't know what kind of tub you have, but if it's just a normal little non-soaker tub, a thingy like this can help extend you to a few more inches of depth.

If you have a kindle, stick inside or a ziplock so you can read in the tub.

Neither of these scream luxury but for me they are essential to a nice bath.
posted by phunniemee at 4:45 AM on December 25, 2024 [4 favorites]

Also, a bath pillow - though I have yet to find a really good one that stays put and doesn't get moldy.
posted by demi-octopus at 4:47 AM on December 25, 2024 [3 favorites]

I rigged up an ipad at eye level, outside the water zone. Entire movies in the dark under twinkle lights. Heaven.

Also a hand towel. Dry hands = no pruney fingers.

Seconding the plug to raise the water level. Made a huge difference in the quality of the bath.
posted by mochapickle at 4:48 AM on December 25, 2024 [4 favorites]

I have a tea kettle that I plug in in the bathroom so I can top up with more hot water easily
posted by raccoon409 at 5:00 AM on December 25, 2024 [6 favorites]

Bring a bath sheet into the tub with you and use it as a blanket. It’s wonderful!
posted by jgirl at 5:41 AM on December 25, 2024 [2 favorites]

Maybe a towel or lotion warmer for after? Probably only helpful during the winter months.
posted by tacopasta at 6:21 AM on December 25, 2024 [4 favorites]

Depending on the structure of your bath (and specifically how deep the inner ledge is), a wood bath caddy like this can be a transformative way to keep your snacks, books, and drinks at hand.
posted by moosetracks at 7:08 AM on December 25, 2024 [5 favorites]

Oh, and if you smoke anything, that’s always better in the bath.
posted by wheatlets at 7:57 AM on December 25, 2024 [2 favorites]

Depending on the tub shape, a cervical bath pillow can be handy. They come in many varieties, I prefer terrycloth with an easily dried filling over the fully plastic ones.

Don't mess around with plastic bags, upgrade your e-reader or phone to a waterproof model. So much less worry.

I also recommend getting a bath glove from natural materials like jute, ramie or sisal, depending on how strong you like your exfoliation. Drop it in your bath five minutes before you get to work and exfoliate underwater for a much gentler experience.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 8:07 AM on December 25, 2024 [2 favorites]

Mod note: One comment removed. Please just stick to helping the OP byanswering the question, thank you.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 8:25 AM on December 25, 2024

Best answer: I sprinkle rose petals on the tub water....and often leaves a trail to the boudoir.
posted by Czjewel at 9:07 AM on December 25, 2024 [1 favorite]

I was answering the question - I was suggesting OP have someone to help them bathe and light cigars for them like Clint Eastwood and Mordecai in High Plains Drifter. (Also a great movie to watch in the bath!)
posted by wheatlets at 10:48 AM on December 25, 2024 [1 favorite]

An electric immersion heater, to keep the water hot.

Very available, apparently safe. I would not use it in a non-GFCI outlet, however, or I would arrange a bucket-and-pump isolator.
posted by the Real Dan at 10:48 AM on December 25, 2024 [1 favorite]

I love these Japanese bath salts. They are delicately scented. Just as I'm done with my soak, I use a silk kese (rayon/viscose is ok, too) to exfoliate and then stand up into a shower stream to really wash dead skin away as the tub drains.
posted by droomoord at 12:18 PM on December 25, 2024 [2 favorites]

More recent Kindle models are usually water resistant enough for a brief spill in a tub and don't need to be put in bags! The same is true of iphones; not sure of various Android models. Just read the specs; my Kindle Paperwhite manufactured in like 2019 was water-resistant. You might still want to do it if you use a lot of Epsom salt and oil in the bath, though.

Most tablets are *not* waterproof, though, because it's very difficult to make an item of that size water resistant and keep the price low. Keep those on a low table next to the tub.

Mesh bath pillows have quickly become common and standard and they're fantastic because they're washable, drain and dry quickly, generally don't get moldy, etc etc. They're made of the same material as a bath pouf, covered in the kind of material used for an athletic jersey, sort of a smooth silky nylon mesh. They cost about $25, less on sale. Most have a hook to hang them with. For a little more, you can get a full length model that's basically a bathtub body cushion. They're completely machine washable, easy to keep clean, long-lasting, fantastic. The only downside I've found is that bath bomb colors will stain the outer material.

Absolutely seconding Droomord's Japanese bath salt recommendation. They come in regular and milky varieties, aren't very expensive, and are all lovely. I usually use two packets and/or use them with plain Epsom salts.

Also seconding the small hand towel rec!

I have a PLAYBULB Sphere lamp that is controlled by an app that I used to love to use when I was in the tub, in my old apartment. The overhead light was too harsh, and the bathroom was pretty small, so candles weren't always ideal because of fumes. The lamp was similar to a fortune teller's crystal ball, pretty high quality frosted glass, could be changed to almost any color or brightness/dimness, and could do a light show at slow speeds. I could also control it from the tub with my phone even though it was a few feet away. The place I live in now has a sliding dimmer on the bathroom light, so I don't use the sphere lamp in there, and any kind of similar less expensive lamp like one of those moon LED lamps that were popular a few years ago could work the same way. But this kind of thing is nice on days when you don't feel like dealing with candles or for people who are sensitive to scents.

Finally:
- a paddle style foot scrubber or pumice stone (if you are not too sensitive to this in sensory terms)
- a really luxurious bar soap or body wash!
posted by verbminx at 2:05 PM on December 25, 2024 [3 favorites]

CBD bath salts
posted by tofu_crouton at 3:36 PM on December 25, 2024 [2 favorites]

You need a towel warmer
posted by AlexiaSky at 3:38 PM on December 25, 2024 [3 favorites]

or if you have an uncovered radiator, put your towel and robe on that
posted by brujita at 3:57 PM on December 25, 2024 [1 favorite]

You need a bath shelf to span the tub so you have somewhere to put your candle and glass of wine, whiskey, tea, cocoa.
posted by brookeb at 8:20 PM on December 25, 2024 [1 favorite]

Best answer: A nice unbreakable water bottle with an iced electrolyte drink, now that I think of it. Maybe something like this for the aesthetic.

(I can't personally drink anything but water or an electrolyte drink in the bath; my blood pressure goes haywire, and those drinks are key to controlling it. A really pretty bottle would be nice!)
posted by verbminx at 11:18 PM on December 25, 2024 [1 favorite]

Fruit! Eating a juicy orange or strawberry in the bath is heaven.
posted by EarnestDeer at 3:45 AM on December 26, 2024 [3 favorites]

I once ate half a watermelon in a bubble bath with an ice cream scoop on acid. Peak experience.
posted by wheatlets at 8:10 AM on December 26, 2024 [2 favorites]