Oh crap! The child and the toilet, and the bathtub. Sometimes these items just don’t go together.
You know it’s going to happen, but you can’t quite be prepared for the time when your child decides to take a dump in the bathtub. It seems innocent enough until the inevitable happens, and you have a tub full to overflowing with poop water.
Why is it always a poop, not a pee? And of all places, why do children poop in bathtub?
In this circumstance, your child has no idea what they did wrong. In fact, from their point of view, they have just contributed something beneficial to the household task list by getting rid of their business in its entirety during a warm bath time!
This leaves you as a parent with a very personal and daunting task… How to clean the tub?
But why do they poop in bathtubs?
Well, infants and toddlers having bowel movements in the tub is fairly common. The warm water of the bath causes the baby’s muscles to relax, and hence, makes it easier to have a bowel movement in the tub than in the diaper.
You wouldn’t think this could be such a complicated situation, but you would be surprised by all of the opinions on this subject floating around out there!
We have found that not only do parents debate about cleaning poop from the bathtub but even more so if it is your baby’s diaper contents that have been deposited into your otherwise pristine tub water!
How can you decide whether or not to use toilet paper to scrub away the mess or just let it sit?
Will, perhaps, a sponge work better?
Or maybe a brush?
What results would occur if bleach were a possible solution for one of these methods?
Stay calm! This article explains how to remove baby poop or pee from the bathtub.
What to do if your baby poops in the bathtub?
First, let’s discuss the less complicated case of a baby pooping in their diaper… not directly into the tub.
This is easy; you simply rinse it down the bathtub drain! It doesn’t matter what kind of material your child has decided to use for this special donation, whether solid or runny. It will go right down the drain with water.
Once your child is cleaned up and changed into fresh clothes, you can then attend to the mess left behind by bath time fun – if any.
Now onto something more complicated… What do you do when your baby decides to take care of business directly in the tub?
If a kid poops in the bathtub, it’s time to get them out of the water.
Some parents have said that they stay calm and simply wipe their infant’s behind with toilet paper and continue to bathe them in the filthy water.
Others said they let the child play and eventually drained the tub with a bucket when it became too dirty to sit in.
Letting your baby bath in poop water is not recommended! Bacteria from fecal matter can be absorbed into the body and can cause infections so don’t leave your babies in poop water!
Please do not let your child sit around in their filth for an extended period before you clean up after them.
How to clean baby poop or pee out of the bathtub?
Method 1: Use Toilet Paper
Step 1: Scrape the excess from the baby’s body and fling it into a toilet bowl. If you miss it, don’t worry about it. It will dissolve during the next step.
Step 2: Fill your bathtub with water, and wash your kid to remove any traces of poop.
Step 3: Stand up in the tub, ensuring that no soap suds enter your child’s mouth (or ruin their sense of hearing) when you talk to them while explaining how this whole thing came about in the first place.
Step 4: Get out of the tub, taking extra care to avoid stepping over any towels that may be on the floor. If you just leave the towel there, it will become skid-marked with poop or pee stains, so always keep it in your hand as you exit. Though this isn’t really about the towel…
Method 2: Mixture of vinegar and water
Step 1: Firstly, remove as much fecal matter as possible. Then pour a mixture of vinegar and water into the bathtub, making sure to completely cover the area where your child relieved themselves.
Step 2: Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes before proceeding to the next step.
Step 3: Take a sponge or brush, dip it into the vinegar mixture, and start scrubbing the area.
Step 4: Rinse the area with water until it’s completely clean.
Method 3: Use Bleach
Step 1: Remove any fecal matter and open a bottle containing chlorine bleach and pour it directly into the bathtub while still running (from either tap or baby bath).
Step 2: Allow toilet paper to soak up the tub’s contents, then discard it into an appropriate receptacle. You can typically use either a plastic bag or your child’s diaper.
Step 3: Leave the area for at least fifteen minutes so that bleach can do its job while you dispose of other evidence in whatever way you know. If this is too much hassle, you can always finish off with a sponge bath or wipes. Rinse the tub well with clean excess water and allow it to air dry.
How to prevent your baby from pooping or peeing in the bathtub?
One way to prevent your baby from pooping or peeing in the bathtub is to keep them entertained while they are in the bath.
You can do this by playing with them or giving them toys to play with. Another way to prevent this is to keep a close eye on them while they are in the bathtub.
If you see them start to pee or poop, you can quickly take them out of the bathtub.
Finally, make sure that you are constantly cleaning the bathtub after your baby has bathed in it.
Conclusion
So, what do you do when your baby decides to poop in the bathtub and you want to remove the fecal matter?
First, remain calm. Get them out of the water before cleaning the poop in the bathtub. There are several ways to do this, but using bleach is typically the most effective way.
You can also prevent “poop in bathtub” incidents by keeping your kids entertained while they are in the tub and by constantly cleaning the tub after they have bathed in it.
Maintaining a clean bathtub or any environment can help prevent any severe illnesses for you and your baby.
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