subject: Luxury Cast Iron Baths - Is It Style Over Content [print this page] If you have ever watched a period drama then you have probably notice the cast iron baths that seem to adorn the bathrooms of the wealthy lords and ladies. Mr Darcy in pride and prejudice had one; they were also featured in sense and sensibility and in the adaptation of Emma.
It appears as though the cast iron baths are starting to come back, more and more of us are searching for a piece of luxury in our bathrooms, and a piece of luxury is exactly what it is because the cost of these baths compared to normal baths is rather excessive.
It seems to be a case of style over content with these cast iron baths, but that could be said about a lot of products out on the market, for instance there is no real need for anyone to own a Ferrari that can do 0 -60mph in under 4 seconds, there are very few roads on the UK where you can manage to creep over 30 - 40 mph because of traffic jams and speed restrictions.
The ride comfort in a Ferrari is sporty and rough at best and essentially less comfy than a 1.6litre standard town car. So the only question that remains is why do we buy them? Simple, it is because they offer style.
Cast iron baths have the same issue, they are more expensive than their regular counterparts and essentially it only performs the same service as a regular bath would, it holds water and allows someone to bath in it.
Also like a Ferrari cast iron baths can take slightly more upkeep than a regular bath as there is essentially a special way to clean them. The answer is to use a non abrasive soap or wet the sides of the bath and use baking soda before scrubbing with a non abrasive brush. After this process is complete you need to rinse the bath thoroughly.
People will always look to purchase these baths though, yes they are hard to maintain and they are expensive, but if people want to own one and they have worked hard to earn the money to have one, then why should anyone care. I'm sure we all own something that is slightly exotic, flashy or outrageous, but we wouldn't like people to pass judgement on those items. So if people want to own a flashy bath tub then that is fine with me.
