Bucket Wash

This post was inspired by an article I read this morning that Stella of GHLonghair shared on her Facebook page from blackgirllonghair. I grew up in houses with bathtubs that had detachable shower heads and we had a laundry area with very huge utility sinks so there was never a need to have my hair washed in the kitchen sink. As a teen I mostly had my hair washed and blow dried at the salon in readiness for braiding as an adult I have lived in houses that had bathtubs with detachable shower heads and also those that had showers with detachable shower heads and fixed shower heads.

When I used bathtubs to wash my hair I would always kneel outside the bathtub and hang my head inside the tub and use the shower head to wash. However in houses that have no bathtubs it can be very tasking hopping in and out of the shower to shampoo especially if you are doing a long wash day. For example hop in to shampoo, hop out and apply henna or dye hop back in to rinse, hop out to apply deep conditioner then hop in for a final rinse. Don’t know about you guys but this hop in hop out thing gets to me sometimes. So these are some of the alternative methods for those who dislike hopping in and out of the shower and find it gross or unsanitary to wash their hair in the kitchen sink, I don’t by the way. I have washed dirtier stuff in the kitchen sink before (think potatoes that still have a bit of dirt on them from the market) so washing hair in the kitchen sink does not gross me out one bit besides you can clean and disinfect the sink afterwards. Other than foodstuff like potatoes et al I wash veggies and meat/chicken/fish in a huge plastic bowl or colander in the kitchen sink. I rarely wash these categories of food stuff directly in the sink that’s just the way I have always done it. Anyway here are alternative ways to wash your hair if all you have in your house is a shower and washing in the kitchen sink grosses you out or you find it unsanitary.

One bucket stool wash: This works with detachable shower heads. Place a large bucket inside the shower and a stool outside. Sit on the stool outside and lean over with your hair hanging inside the empty bucket in the shower, wash your hair using the shower head and let the bucket catch the water coming out of your hair empty bucket when full. This can be done without the bucket but I have found that the bucket placed inside the shower eliminates splatter so you don’t end up with a mini pool outside your shower. Once you have applied your deep conditioner you can then hop into the shower to rinse. So you only get your body wet once.

Two bucket stool wash: This is for those who have a fixed shower head meaning you can’t take it off. Follow the same procedures as for the one bucket stool wash but this time, add a second bucket that you fill with water from your shower. You will also need a plastic jug/large measuring cup. Have the two buckets side by side assuming your shower area is wide enough to hold them side by side if not have the bucket filled with water outside the shower area right next to you for easy access. The idea is to have the bucket filled with water and plastic jug or measuring cup act as a detachable shower head. So you scoop water from the full bucket and wash while your head is leaning over the empty bucket inside the shower which catches the water. Again this limits the number of times you have to hop in and out of the shower. Please sit on the stool as opposed to bending over while standing, your back will thank you for that. For both methods you will be sitting on the stool with your legs apart so that it seems as if the empty bucket inside the shower is in between your feet. You can also sit on the stool in such a way that your legs are also inside the shower but the rest of your body outside. Make sure you are wearing shorts, a short dress/skirt or rolled up trousers (rolled to the knee) to avoid getting your clothes wet. And by stool I mean a low stool not the long bar type stools:)

I wish I had photos to demonstrate this but I am home alone as I type this so there is no one to help with the demonstration but I hope I have explained both processes well enough. If not just ask in the comment section. Till later ladies Adios!