the work of luxury
One of my favorite things in my life is my jetted bathtub.
I wake up (nearly) every day and get to enjoy the pleasure of a hot tub — minus all the noxious chemicals.
However, this treat doesn’t come free.
Surrounding each use I follow a strict routine so I can truly enjoy it.
- Rinse the tub thoroughly. The faucet is nearly flat so this is best achieved with a bowl or a small bucket filled at the sink.
- While filling the tub, I wipe down my body with a microfiber cloth and a bowl of warm water, so as to not avoid any extra grime in the water.
- Ensure my long hair is secured in a bun & a shower cap, lest any strands get sucked into the jet system.
- After each bath, rinse the tub again & wipe it down with a rag.
- After every 3-4 baths, fill the tub with cold water and vinegar to rinse the jet system out.
- After every ~15 baths, do a full cleaning cycle with a jetted bath cleaner.
The full cleaning cycles in particular are brutal, taking hours and requiring a lot of wiping things down every 20 minutes, leaving me aching for a couple days following.
But even the small stuff is just… so much more than I had been used to my baths being.
My whole life before this, a bath was a purely relaxing space. Sure you’d have to deep clean every now and then, but it was far less frequent and less work when the time came. This difference shifted my whole routine from a pre-bed soak to being how I start my day.
At first I found it frustrating, even questioned how much I really wanted it, but I’ve slowly grown to appreciate it.
Working for a luxury makes it more rewarding — and I knew that. I guess I just didn’t think it applied to relaxation too.