Consumer Homes.

Question:

We’re planning to put a whirlpool in the master bathroom of a new house.  If we like to take baths sometimes to wash and get clean, do we need a regular tub besides? In other words — Is a whirlpool tub for getting clean, for relaxation, or for both? When you use a whirlpool bath, are you supposed to take a shower first, get clean, and then go into the whirlpool just for relaxation and pleasure?  Or can you actually take a bath with soap and water? Will the soap scum and whatnot mess up the pipes, etc.? Thanks for the benefit of your knowledge and experience. Al B.

Response:

>… can you actually take a bath with soap and water? >Will the soap scum and whatnot mess up the pipes, etc.?

You can, it won’t.  Showers seem to be a much more popular way to get clean nowadays (in the U.S.).  Not many people taking a bath to get clean but that is the traditional way, eh?  Sure you can use the tub as a regular bathtub, without turning on the whirlpool feature.  Sure you could turn it on, also, but you might not want to sit in jets of dirty soapy water; its more what bothers you, than what bothers the pipes, IMHO. -v.

Response:

>You can, it won’t.  Showers seem to be a much more popular way to get >clean nowadays (in the U.S.).  Not many people taking a bath to get >clean but that is the traditional way, eh?  Sure you can use the tub >as a regular bathtub, without turning on the whirlpool feature.  Sure >you could turn it on, also, but you might not want to sit in jets of >dirty soapy water; its more what bothers you, than what bothers the >pipes, IMHO.

Adding soap to a jacuzzi tub can be interesting. It *really* foams. A sort of scale *will* build up on the jets and get nasty. I am not 100% sure (even though I’ve owned one of these tubs) but I think the manufacturers recommend against using soap in them. As a user who has used soap in one, I wouldn’t recommend it. Dimitri

Response:

> We’re planning to put a whirlpool in the master bathroom of a new > house.  If we like to take baths sometimes to wash and get clean, do > we need a regular tub besides?

You should contact the sales-staff for the jetted tubs you are considering, and ask about the manufacturer’s recommendations about using soaps, shampoos, etc. in the tubs. My MIL had one, and the one time I used it and wanted to wash my hair, she asked me to turn off the jets, drain the water to below the level of the outlets, and then wash my hair. I got cold. She said that’s what the book said to do. Basically, I think the short answer is, you can go ahead and use soaps and shampoos in a jetted tub (it won’t hurt the workings), but you’d be adding a maintenance chore for yourself because you’d have to clean them out periodically. Your decision depends on your priorities. I faced the same decision a year and a half ago. I love baths, and wanted at least a large soaker tub. DH wanted a jetted tub. Since both of us are lazy (heh) we opted for the low maintenance option of just a soaker tub. Since I’m pregnant this year, I love it to pieces! Anyway, my only regret is not telling the plumber earlier that I wanted a separate spout for a spray head, for rinsing myself off after the bath. It needs to be plumbed differently than just two controls and one faucet.  As a result, we have a faucet with a diverter built in and a hose sticking out the side – it’s not elegant but it works. Another option I saw on TV later is a tub that has little holes to shoot out bubbles, instead of circulating the water. I have no idea what the price is on something like that, or how it feels, but I would have looked into it if I’d known earlier. Jeanne P

Response:

Thanks to all who took the time to reply.  You have helped me get the picture very nicely.  For those who care, here’s a recap of the 8 replies: 1 — OK to wash in the whirlpool bath, no problem. 2 — OK to wash in the whirlpool, but there will be extra work, problems or risks. 1 — Do not wash in the whirpool bath. 4 — Bubble bath is a more interesting topic.   :- ) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->We’re planning to put a whirlpool in the master bathroom of a new >house.  If we like to take baths sometimes to wash and get clean, do >we need a regular tub besides? >In other words — >Is a whirlpool tub for getting clean, for relaxation, or for both? >When you use a whirlpool bath, are you supposed to take a shower >first, get clean, and then go into the whirlpool just for relaxation >and pleasure?  Or can you actually take a bath with soap and water? >Will the soap scum and whatnot mess up the pipes, etc.? >Thanks for the benefit of your knowledge and experience. >Al B.

Response:

> >More so than plain water?  And if so, enough to replace soap? > Try it yourself and let us know what you think.

I have — including my own formula — http://users.bestweb.net/~robgood/lather.html .  Negligible additional (i.e. compared to water) detergency that way.  Cleans only if you put it directly on a wet washcloth. Robert

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>More so than plain water?  And if so, enough to replace soap?

Try it yourself and let us know what you think. -v.

Response:

> Do people use bath foams (bubble baths) to clean skin, or only >for amusement, etc.?

They’re for amusement.  However I think most people would expect it to also have a cleaning function. -v.

Response:

> > Do people use bath foams (bubble baths) to clean skin, or only >for amusement, etc.? > They’re for amusement.  However I think most people would expect it to > also have a cleaning function.

More so than plain water?  And if so, enough to replace soap?

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->You can, it won’t.  Showers seem to be a much more popular way to get >clean nowadays (in the U.S.).  Not many people taking a bath to get >clean but that is the traditional way, eh?  Sure you can use the tub >as a regular bathtub, without turning on the whirlpool feature.  Sure >you could turn it on, also, but you might not want to sit in jets of >dirty soapy water; its more what bothers you, than what bothers the >pipes, IMHO. > Adding soap to a jacuzzi tub can be interesting. It *really* foams. A sort > of scale *will* build up on the jets and get nasty. I am not 100% sure > (even though I’ve owned one of these tubs) but I think the manufacturers > recommend against using soap in them. As a user who has used soap in one, > I wouldn’t recommend it.

Actually unless the water is fully "softened", soap (by which I mean real soap, no other detergent) can be used to DEfoam or PREVENT foaming in a jetted tub.  If you have sudsed the tub with bubble bath or other non-soap foaming material, you can de-foam it prior to drainage by closing the air intake, directing the jets upward, and putting a bar of soap briefly by the water intake.  That’s assuming you didn’t already wash with soap and that the water isn’t fully softened.  (If you dissolve enough soap in the water, depending on how "hard" the water is to start with, that will eventually itself be enough to "soften" it and then you have a soap foam, which obviously more soap won’t get rid of.  You can turn it to scum by adding Epsom salt, but of course soap scum has its own problems.) The original post reminds me of a related question I’ve had for a while: Do people use bath foams (bubble baths) to clean skin, or only for amusement, etc.?  My impression is that once mixed with all that water, they’re far too dilute to clean a difficult surface like skin, for which you’ll need soap.  However, some bath foams have been promoted (optimistically IMO) for cleaning adults or children soaplessly by that means (i.e. not directly applied via a washcloth). —  Robert

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