Experts reveal the exact length of time you should spend in the bath

There really is no better way to unwind on a cold winter's evening than having a bath. Mix that with one of the best bath towels you can buy and some essential oils, you're looking at perfection. However, with rising energy and water costs, it's not always the cheapest way to relax. This means it's more important than ever to make sure you’re making the most of your time in the tub.

That’s why we spoke to the experts at Victorian Plumbing who have recently conducted a study to find the ultimate bath time criteria for relaxation, hydration and a great night’s sleep. The experiment involved 20 participants who took baths of varying lengths and rated how they felt afterwards. 

Keep reading to find out how long you should spend in the bath - it's actually a lot shorter than you'd think! However, before you do, check out these 5 low-cost ways to heat your home for longer this autumn and winter. 

After the results came in, the study concluded that 22 minutes is the optimum amount of time to spend in the tub, especially to feel relaxed, hydrated and more sleepy before bed.

Soaking should stop at 27 minutes if you don’t want to stay feeling hydrated post-bath, according to the study. This supports the advice of some professionals, who suggest that baths should be no longer than 30 minutes.

It was also discovered that baths impact men and women slightly differently. Women have a better night’s sleep after a longer bath, ideally if it's 30 minutes long. On the other hand, men will sleep better after only 19 minutes.

Those who felt more relaxed after the baths had scrolled on their phone during their time in the tub, whereas those who watched TV were found to be the least. The study also suggests that people who take more baths are generally more stressed, although find them more relaxing than showers on the whole.

Commenting on the findings, Brenna Ryan from Victorian Plumbing said: “When the nights start getting colder in the UK, we tend to see an increase in Brits looking to buy a bath. And who can blame them? There are a number of benefits to having a bath; they’re soothing, and cleansing and studies have even suggested that there are similar benefits to exercise.”

“To help you get the most out of your bath, we conducted a study which found that the optimum time to spend in the tub is 22 minutes - to leave you feeling relaxed, hydrated and sleep like a baby."

Did you know that it was recently discovered that people only wash their towels once a year…read what happens when you don’t!