Bathtub Party Day

Bathtub Party Day encourages us all to skip the ordinary shower and linger in the tub instead. On December 5th, add some suds to the tub and pamper yourself.

  • 3000 years ago is about the time that the first ‘ancestral’ pedestal tub was unearthed on the island of Crete, it measured five feet long, was made of hard pottery, and its shape resembled our modern 19th-century claw-foot tub.
  • 6000 years ago archeologists discovered a plumbing system near the Indus River Valley in India
  • 264 BC – The physics of displacement was discovered by Archimedes while he was soaking in a bathtub
  • 17th Century – The earliest variant of the modern bathtub appears in Crete.
  • 1825 – It wasn’t until the sixth president of the United States, John Quincy Adams, took office that the first bathtub appeared in the White House. Unfortunately, actual bathing was a bit tricky as there was no running water.
  • 1873 – The Kohler Company is founded, with Jacob Vollrath and John Michael Kohler among the founders.
  • 1853 – Franklin Pierce, the 14th man to serve as President, was the first to have a tub installed in the stunning Washington D.C. residence.
  • 1883 – John Michael Kohler invented the world’s first claw-foot tub in enamel.
  • 1921 – only 1% of the population’s homes had indoor plumbing, as outhouses were still the norm in rural America.
  • 1928 – It was the Crane Company that first invented various colored bathroom fixtures in the US market back in 1928.
  • Bathtub Gin received its name as the bottles were too tall to be topped up with water from a sink so they were filled in the tub and the gin was even sometimes distilled and fermented in a tub
  • It’s against the law for donkeys to sleep in bathtubs in Arizona
  • In Kentucky, a historic law required citizens to take a bath at least once every year.
  • About 365 people drown in their bathtubs each year (bath safety is critical!)
  • The average bathtub holds approximately over 52 gallons of water
  • Marilyn Monroe reportedly bathed in champagne and it took a whopping total of 350 bottles to fill the bathtub
  • It would take 17,000 McDonalds straws of water to fill a standard bathtub
  • Mike Tyson reportedly spent $2 million on a bathtub for his ex-wife
  • Dermatologists and skin experts have confirmed that ‘feel-good’ hormones – endorphins – are released when you bathe, similar to that feeling when you’re laying down on the beach enjoying all the warmth of the summer weather.
  • An hour long soak at 38 degrees can burn on average 130 calories, which is the equivalent of doing 40 sit-ups or walking for half an hour.
  • Did you know baths can make your heart actually pump faster? As the heart plays a vital role in cooling the body down, it has to work harder in a hot bath – not only exercising the heart but also great for the body’s general blood flow.
  • Italy-based manufacturer Devon & Devon created a gold-coated tub.
  • On the Titanic, only two bathtubs were available to over 700 passengers in third class.
  • A steamy bath during cold and flu season helps to clear our sinuses and improve our oxygen intake. It also increases our circulation.
  • The warm water reduces inflammation, easing achy joints and sore muscles. It also helps relieve stress.
  • Dropping temperatures outside mean cold hands and feet, or just a chilled body in general. A soak in a warm tub warms us right up.
  • Roman baths were originally built exclusively for the poor. The very first of Rome’s 900+ public baths were actually built for the poorest people to use, while the rich folks would have baths at home. Over time, however, the leisurely bathing pastime became a hallmark of Roman society in general – and bridged the gap between rich and poor just a little bit.