8 Ways To Maximize Your Bath After 55

The importance of our bath time varies and changes throughout our entire lives. We go from babies being bathed in the kitchen sink to children who refuse to take baths at all. As young adults, we require daily grooming to remain healthy, but this becomes even more crucial as we become more advanced in years. After retirement, hygiene and cleanliness are significant factors in living our best lives.

8 Ways to Make the Most of your Bath time

1. Make Sure The Bath Is Clean and Safe
   

   The most important aspect of a sound bath is health and safety. As reported by the CDC, accidents near the bathtub, shower, toilet, and sink caused an estimated 234,094 nonfatal injuries in the U.S. in 2008 among people 15+ years old. Approximately two out of every three accidental injuries happen in the bathtub or shower. To maximize safety, place non-slip mats or stickers on the bottom of the tub, which will keep your feet from slipping while entering and exiting the tub. It's equally important to ensure that your tub is clean and sanitized to have the best experience.
   
   Check out our blog, How Dangerous Is Your Bathroom? 5 Safety Tips, for more helpful information about how to stay safe in the bathroom.

   

2. Understand How Long To Bathe

   Baths can be fun, soothing, and an excellent way to unwind. However, they can be uncomfortable and even unhealthy when someone stays in the water for too long. You may remember being in a public pool with a hot tub, and there were signs posted that gave guidance on how long it was safe to stay in the hot tub. The same applies to your bath at home, and the risks are even greater for older adults. Limit bath times to ten to twenty minutes. Never let yourself sit in the tub longer than an hour. To make sure that you don't lose track of time, set a timer, alarm clock, or cellphone nearby so you can know when to get out.

3. Know The Perfect Water Temperature

   The older we get, the more sensitive our skin becomes, which means that hotter temperatures can cause burns, inflammation, dizziness, nausea, and dry skin. The ideal temperature for a warm yet comfortable bath is 98 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, it should be only 1-2 degrees higher than your body temperature, which should be around 98.6 degrees. Scorching showers can be dangerous for seniors, especially when they have heart or cardiovascular problems. Dangerous bathing temperature includes 102 degrees Fahrenheit and up.

4. Use The Right Tools

   To ensure that you have the best bath possible, make sure that you have the right tools. Overhanging bath caddies, pillows, soft towels, sweet-smelling toiletries, loofas, and other bath accessories can take a bathing experience to the next level. No job can be adequately completed without the right tools, and different bodies require different utensils. It's best to know yourself, know your age, know your body, and understand what you need to feel fully clean.

5. Know What To Add To Improve The Experience

   If you want to enhance your bath experience, there are so many things that can be done. There are bath salts, essential oils, bath bombs, bath bars, and so much more. Adding a little Epsom salt to your bathwater will not only relax your muscles, but will also reduce inflammation, ease symptoms of arthritis, lupus, and fibromyalgia, but will also apply a calming, soothing effect to your skin.

6. Add Music, Scents, or Candles

   Sometimes our bathrooms can seem so dull and mundane. The best way to upgrade your bath experience is to add a little ambiance to the room. Bring a radio and play some relaxing tunes. Maybe burn a few candles (safely), spray some essential oils in the air, or add them to your bathwater. You'll shortly find that just a few additions to bathtime will take you to a new level of paradise.

7. Bring A Magazine or Book

   Sometimes sitting in a bathtub can feel boring for a busybody. Spice it up by bringing a book, magazine, or waterproof e-reader into the tub. Cozy up with your favorite read and allow the warm soapy water to take you to a world of relaxation and peace. Whether you like to relax with a book, or stay up to date with current events, reading is one of the best activities to participate in while enjoying a bath.

8. Know-How To Moisturize Afterward

   Baths can drain all the moisture from our skin. To make sure your skin is still adequately moisturized, use a soft towel to dry off completely, then apply lotion to your skin. Always make sure to drink water to replenish any moisture that was removed by the bath.

Instead of viewing bathtime as tedious or laborious, we should be able to look forward to it. So the best way to do that is to surround ourselves with things that make us feel excellent. Scented candles, essential oils, atmospheric music, and the perfect water temperature can take those 10 minutes in the tub to another level.

Let us know in the comments below - How do you make your bath as enjoyable as possible? 

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• How Dangerous Is Your Bathroom? 5 Safety Tips