I used a bath chair for my kiddos. At the very end of the bath, I'd was their bums on the way outta the tub. WORKED WELL! I knew no slipping would happen!

I know you don't always want to take a bath with your kid, but for me that is the cheapest, safest, and easiest way to get him clean. And because I don't always get time take a shower or bath on my own, I kill two birds with one stone.

upstategirl- how do you accomplish that? do you have your significant other hand the baby to you and you hand back? Or do you put the baby in some sort of seat while you wash your hair, etc.?

I have an extra-large bath-mat that I just toss into the washing machine (with a bunch of towels) once a week with a cupful of bleach. I've never had a mold problem.

Kitchen sink with a dish towel lining it.

We just keep buying bath mats. I am curious to see what people suggest. I would imagine anything you put in water is going to get moldy (unless you bleach it after every use).

I scrub the bottom of our mat with bleach once a week. So far it's keeping the mildew and slime at bay.

I just ordered this and am hoping it solves the slipper bath problem for us
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047RX2DO/ref=oss_product
Otherwise I take a bath w/ my baby and I put a towel on the tub floor as well so she has something less slipper/more grippy (and that towel is washed after each bath).

We had the same problem with the underside of the mat & tub getting funky. The issue is that the mats never dry out when they're stuck to the tub with suction cups. I started hanging ours up after each bath, and the problem has disappeared, because the mat dries out (and so does the tub). We have one of those mats that's supposed to look like pebbles (see link below), so it already had holes in it. I went to Target and bought two really strong suction cups to stick on my shower wall. After the bath, the mat gets hung on the wall. My tub isn't that slippery, so I don't use the mat when I shower. Therefore, I only need to put it down and then back up on bath days.

http://www.organizeit.com/popebbletubmat.asp

Ahhhgh, bleach after every use! Seriously! What about just hanging it to dry after each use so water doesn't just sit on it and washing it once a week.

Bleach is so unnecessary and overly harsh.

People need to chill out on the obsessive over-sanitizing of everything. Hot water and regular laundry soap will take care of it.

We found that bathing with our little man until he got the hang of sitting on his own worked the best. At first we would have the other parent hand him over once the bather was in. Then we realized that we stick together pretty well, even when wet (and not soapy) so were comfortable on our own. I find it a lot easier to bath the baby when in with them. You can hold them in more positions and not feel like you need six hands.
Remember too that apart from visible dirt (or food) they only need a bath about once a week.

I have always bought the cheap, clear ones at Target and throw them in the washing machine with the towels once a week and then put them out in the sun to dry. They eventually need to be replaced but last a lot longer and it keeps the mold/mildew away a lot longer too!

We have the alligator (patrull?) mat from ikea. I bought a suction cup hook and hang it up after every bath.... no mildew. easy.

I bathed with my son for the first year. It's actually quite nice. You just stick your legs out and make a little nest for him. Set him in and your hands are free for play time and scrubbing.

I bathed with my son for the first year. It's actually quite nice. You just stick your legs out and make a little nest for him. Set him in and your hands are free for play time and scrubbing.

We have the Patrull (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10138163) bath mat from Ikea and a suction cup hook in the shower and just hang it up after a bath or shower - bottom side out and we've avoided icky mildew and mold. The trick is remembering to hang it up!

We used the kitchen sink with a dishtowel for a long time with both of our boys. They liked it much better than the tub because it was smaller and they felt safer. It was much easier on my back than bending over the tub AND I didn't have to go out and buy something to make it work.

When our babies were little we'd use a bath sponge laid in the tub, and fill the tub just up to the edge of the sponge. When they were big enough to sit, we actually bought a small rectangular laundry basket to set in the tub. The holes in the basket let the water in and out, the sides of the basket let our kid hold on while being washed, and it wasn't as slippery as the tub itself. You could even use the bath sponge inside the basket for a little cushion for your kid to sit on.

we also hang our bathmat on a suction cup hook. I would recommend purchasing a heavy duty one, as the bathmat is not light-weight. We usually use vinegar to clean ours when we feel it needs it.

You can get a paint treatment for your tub or shower to make it non-skid: http://www.noskidding.com/ns_111.htm. In Canada, it's available at Home Hardware.

lnp838: When my son was smaller, I would get in with him in my arms, then when I needed to wash up, my husband took the baby out and got him in his pjs while I finished up. My son is now 2 and for the past 6 months or so, he takes a shower with me by sitting down on the tub--no slipping or sliding and it allows me to get him clean first and then get myself clean while he plays with his toys. It works well!

We used one of those bath sponges because our house just didn't have the storage for one of those ginormous baby baths. I would ring it out to dry and then lean it against the tub - so that air could get around it. After about 6 months we needed another one and then after that they were good to go on their own. I've had three - it's worked all three times and my total investment was less than $30 over the course of 6 years.

I meant to say I have three kids and it worked all three times. ;o)

We've always just taken the bath mat out between uses and either rolled it loosely and stood it in the tub or hung it up. Of course we do clean it every now and then, but I've never had mold or mildew grow on it.

Ours is 2+ years old and only gets bleached when the baby poops in the tub.

What about a folded towel? A bath chair seems cumberson-- I'd just get in with them.

I watch the little one like a hawk-- she almost silently drowned when she slipped after her brother pushed her. Even though I was RIGHT THERE she still swallowed a ton of water.

Bleach? Around your kids? Personally, we haven't had any in the house for years and wouldn't dream of bringing it back now that we're parents...but to each their own.

We also have the IKEA patrull aligator (which is also PVC free). We hang it up to dry on a hook every time which helps prevent it from getting gross.

Also, once a week, when cleaning everything else, I mix in a small bowl some borax, baking soda (1/4 cup-ish each), a squirt of dish soap and enough water to make it frosting-like. Smear it on all over with it in the tub. Let it sit 10 minutes, then give it a scrub with a brush or scrubby sponge (and do the rest of the tub at the same time) Then rinse and hang back up. It will get it and your tub sparkling clean and prevent mildew as Borax kills and prevents it.

With hanging it up you'd probably only have to do this every two weeks, but we have a damp bathroom despite efforts to fix it.

our baby has her own little tub and we line it with a towel that we wet and wrap around her, and then uncover the parts we're washing, and cover her back up when we're finished. it keeps her from slipping, and also keeps her warm. she also loves to chew on the towel. when we're done we wring out the towel and wash it. rinse and repeat!

I hang mine up over the curtain rod after use to dry out. And whenever I feel the need, I throw it in the washing machine with a towel load. You can also put it on the top shelf of the dishwasher. No need to scrub- let the machines do the work for you.

We also have a washable bathmat that I wash once a week with vinegar. Also before the water is even drained I pull it out and stick it to the wall so it will dry promptly

We have the same problem, but if I remember to hang up the mat, it's not bad. Alternatively, my mom and grandma say they just put a towel in the tub and then washed it.

I just laid a regular terry hand towel in the tub and laid him on it, and then only filled the tub with a small amount of water.

when our daughter was a little baby, we lined her baby bathtub with a towel. later, we just put her in her baby tub (which was designed to help her sit up), but at 13 months, she's been in the real tub for a while now.

we have some little fish/starfish-shaped grippy things that suction to the bottom of the tub that work pretty well. when not in use, they go in the same mesh bag hanging up in the tub as her toys. haven't had any problems with mildew & we've been using them for a few months now.

we got ours at target, i think they're circo brand. we'll probably pick up a second set the next time we're there because we could use a few more for better coverage.

We used this baby tub until our children were old enough to safely use the big bathtub:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060423081624/www.bonnybabies.com/eurobath.htm

It's a great tub because you have two different positions, both of which are comfortable and the tub is very stable. We didn't feel like ruining our backs leaning over a tiny (slippery) baby in a big tub, and did not like the idea of bathing with them. We would just set up the tub on the kitchen counter and dump the water down the sink (and the baby tub is a very eco-friendly option, as it uses far less water than the bathtub).

Since someone asked about showering with a baby: Usually one of us would get in while the other got the baby undressed and handed them into the shower. When baby was clean, we’d hand them back and finish our shower while the other got baby dressed. If for some reason, we were alone, we’d undress ourselves, get the shower going, then undress baby and step in. It would be a quick shower, just to wash baby. At the end, we’d wrap baby in a towel, quickly towel ourselves and get a robe on, then dress baby.

We preferred to shower with our baby. We’d alternate nights so that we both got to shower at least every other day. What a luxury! ;) BUT we also used the tub or sink. For bathing a newborn, we’d just lay a towel on the floor of the tub or sink. As she got older and more active, we had to get a bath mat and hang it on the side of the tub between baths.

A baby bath tub, then a bath ring in the kitchen sink. Save your knees.

i second vdp: pull your mat up and hang it up to dry after every bath. problem solved. like vdp, i learned this after having bath mats mold, so this method is tried and true.

hp_chicago I do not bleach. I don't even own it. I was just stating you're going to get mold unless you use it. I would rather buy new mats than use bleach.

We used a baby bath until our daughter could keep her balance good and not slide around in the tub. We used these strips stuck to the bottom of the baby tub.
http://www.dynamic-living.com/product/non-slip-bathtub-tread-strips/#clear
They work great!

We have used this one for both our babies (one girl one boy) and have loved it! http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Comfort-Newborn-Toddler/dp/B000GBGO26/ref=sr_1_17?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1295055254&sr=1-17
The sling is great for newborns and at about 4-5 months depending on the size of your child (mine were both over 9lbs) easily converts to the bath tub by 6 months. We have a textured bottom bathtub so all the adhesive things I tired (including bathmats and decals) never stuck. This tub was a life saver until our daughter could sit up --and our son is still using it as he's a newborn. :)

To all those using the kitchen sink - a two or three year old is not going to fit comfortably so you too will be using the bath before long and need a bath mat too!

I found out the hard way but yes if you use a bath mat you must unstick and hang up to dry everyday or it will get mildew, do that and you will have no problems.

No Slip Gator Grip. It's amazing and used on boats, so no mildew!!

I've tried the bath towel on the tub bottom many times after reading about other people doing it on this site, and it always floats around and never stays on the bottom. Major fail.

I faced the same problem this week.
I´m thinking about a sheet of E.V.A. (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate). I´m not going to stick it to the ground.
I don´t know if it works.

The permanent stick-on strips worked great for us, for more than a year. Then they were looking discolored and peeling a little. We got the small suction-cup fish/starfish from Target, which can be tossed in a bucket to clean and 2 packages cover our giant bathtub better than a regular bath mat.

We showered with our first. We didn't have a bath or room for a baby bath, so it was shower only. Usually I'd do it myself, and when bub was little, I'd wrap her in a towel and put her in bouncer while I finished shower and when she started crawling, I'd just let her sit on shower floor, then put a robe on while I dried and dressed her. I do the same for #5 as well.
When #2 came along I used a bath bouncer thing for newborns, then a mat when #2 was old enough for kids to bath together. I still use the bath mat, and I hang it to dry each day. On sunny days, I hang it outside in the sun. Each week I wash it in baking powder and vinegar, and let it dry in the sun.

We've had the same bath mat for 4 years. It gets a quick rinse to remove the soap, hung to dry after every use. Now and then, I'll give it a half hearted scrub with baking soda and vinegar, but it's generally pretty clean since it's dried between each use.

There's really no reason that these things should ever need to be disposed of/replaced, if the minimum is done to keep them clean, and regularly dried.

The safety 1st sponge is the greatest thing I never knew I needed but love having. http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?SKU=15128003&RN=7051& Sponge is non slip- when baby is little, he lies on it, when older he can sit on it like a mat. We just rinse and leave to dry every time and while it does get funky eventually, it takes a long long time and then we replace it.

I know this has already been suggested, but I want to testify that we have had the same bath matt for almost 3 years now with no mold/mildew issues ever and we just put it in the tub for bath time and then suction it to the wall after the bath. I should also mention that our bath matt looks like a basket weave and is only one layer (may help it dry out).

Do only female-identified parents wash children? AT, can you please edit sexist language when it comes through in questions?

I would just buy a couple of silicone sink liners which suction cup to the bottom of the tub. You can easily throw them into the dishwasher once a week to disinfect.

If both of us are home, one of us takes a nice hot bath (without bubbles). The other plays with our baby until the water cools down enough for her to get in. She's eight weeks old, and she loves it when I support her neck and head so she can kick her legs and swim with her arms.

When we're done playing and washing, the person in the tub hands her off to the person outside the tub.

If I"m the only one home we just shower together. I take her in with me with cooler water, and when I'm done washing her I set her on a towel outside the shower and wrap her up quickly. I leave her there while I finish my shower. She entertains herself by kicking out of the towel.

Works for us.

We use a drawer liner, the slightly rubbery kind with the open weave pattern. Had it sitting around so I cut it down to size and it works great, just hang it up after and no mess. Only problem is that it floats, so after a while I cut it down even further so that it is bum-sized and he sits on it.

EEKA,
Did it ever occur to you how sexist it is to not acknowledge that childcare is OVERWHELMINGLY done by women? Just sayin'...

I was bathed in the kitchen sink as a wee babe, is that not a thing anymore?

I noticed that with my bath mat, it was usually the "top" of the suction sections that got moldy (the half of that was not facing the drain- as the water drained, that's where it would get caught). Now I just flip mine once a week so that the back of the mat is now in the front. I'm sure you could do this after every shower or bath, but I'm slightly lazy. :)

I used to fold up a bath towel and bathe my baby in the kitchen or bathroom sink. Worked great! Also, there used to be a very large and thick sponge shaped like a bear that you could put on the bottom of the tub, but I haven't seen those lately.

SarahB, my kids are 9 and 4--both bathed in the sink until they were 2 or so. After that there's no need for the bath mat. They're perfectly able to keep themselves upright in the bath by that age. If they can't follow the stay-on-your-tush rule, then they get removed from the tub, pronto.

I used to put my twins in a plastic laundry basket in the bath tub. The basket would keep them contained, and the slats would allow water to flow in and out of the basket. When bathtime was over, I would turn the basket upside down in the tub so the entire thing dried off.

I know a lot of people have already said this but I have to add my vote for the "rinse and hang up" method. I never have trouble with mold the mat just dries. Mine just hangs upside down (suction cups up) over the side of the tub and dries completely that way. No mold, no fuss, and no extra devices or work required.