Lara Prendergast Lara Prendergast

In defence of hot baths

Getty Images 
issue 17 December 2022

I admire stout oldies who, even in good times, refuse to put the heating on unless it’s absolutely necessary. They can’t under-stand why we younger, healthier people are fussing over our energy consumption right now. Do we not know there’s a war on?

Even the boomers appear to be making a token effort: stoking their wood-burners with sustainably sourced, locally grown logs; installing plush electric blankets in the spare bedrooms; stocking up on cashmere jumpers in tasteful shades of oatmeal. Let it not be said they aren’t pulling their weight.

I’m trying too, but as a pampered millennial, reared on a diet of cheap energy, frugality is hard. In particular, I’m failing to kick my bath habit. Most days I have one, although on some it’s two. I prefer a shallow bath in the morning, to gather my thoughts, and a deeper one in the evening, to drown them out. Occasionally I bundle my two-year-old daughter into the tub with me, but that is an altogether less tranquil, more aquatic experience.

I take inspiration from fellow bathers throughout history, from the Romans to the late Queen, whose morning bath was seven inches deep. She even had a bath installed on the Royal Train, and the driver knew to slow down around the time she was using it. The designer Tom Ford used to take four baths a day but has since limited it to one, at 4.30 a.m., which he enjoys with an iced coffee.

A bath used to be an inexpensive luxury, until Vladimir Putin put paid to that. Now when I take a bath I worry about how much it costs, although I am reluctant to find out the precise figure. The Germans are subjecting themselves to cold showers to avoid using Russian gas.

GIF Image

Disagree with half of it, enjoy reading all of it

TRY 3 MONTHS FOR $5
Our magazine articles are for subscribers only. Start your 3-month trial today for just $5 and subscribe to more than one view
Lara Prendergast
Written by
Lara Prendergast
Lara Prendergast is executive editor of The Spectator. She hosts two Spectator podcasts, The Edition and Table Talk, and edits The Spectator’s food and drink coverage.

Topics in this article

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in