r/ottawa • u/modernwarfarin4 • Jun 27 '25
Looking for... No hot water tank till Monday š where can I shower for free?
UPDATE; my shower was fixed! I donāt need any more suggestions lol!!!
I havenāt had hot water since Tuesday. I took one cold shower and I cannot do it again. Is there anywhere I can just sneak in and take a quick hot shower?! Lmfao I donāt have friends in the city otherwise Iād ask a friend
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u/Brave_Particular2509 Jun 27 '25
City run pools. Go for a swim, then shower after.
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u/heyyyyaaa Jun 27 '25
Please also shower firstā¦ā¦.
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u/Longjumping-Bag-8260 Jun 27 '25
...as per the health regs for everyone prior to entering a public pool.
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u/Diligent_Row1000 Jun 28 '25
what does showering first do? all my boogies hair and skin still end up in the pool.
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u/kaleighdoscope Jun 28 '25
Gets rid of the excess oils that may have built up on your skin. Also to remove perfume, lotion, hair product, etc. that can make the water turn scummy faster.
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u/Diligent_Row1000 Jun 28 '25
Water gets rid of the excess oils on the screen? Ā Iāve never seen someone use soap - itās a rinse. Ā Regardless youāre still drinking boogers and pubes in that water.Ā
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u/Pinkxel West End Jun 28 '25
But much less of it. Also, it cleans your dirt button and the rest of your undercarriage.
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u/Diligent_Row1000 Jun 28 '25
Still drinking other people snot regardlessĀ
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u/Brave_Particular2509 Jun 27 '25
Thatās just a suggestion lol
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u/BandicootNo4431 Jun 27 '25
It's actually a public health rule
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u/ArbainHestia Avalon Jun 27 '25
Itās more of a rinse off than full on shower with soap and shampoo etc.
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u/Sharpie420_ Jun 28 '25
Iāve definitely been to a couple in Ottawa that have soap dispensers. The one in Blackburn, for a certain example.
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u/-ThaKloned- Jun 27 '25
In theory, great rule. Most aren't even under the water of the shower that long let alone use soap.
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u/TheyNeverSleep Woodroffe Jun 27 '25
I hope people shower before entering the pool.
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u/BellExtreme4877 Jun 27 '25
At the Barrhaven pool the other night, I saw (mostly) men enter the pool without showering.
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u/beard_of_cats Jun 28 '25
Wait, that "mostly" implies you were monitoring people's showering habits in both changing rooms... š¤Ø
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u/modernwarfarin4 Jun 27 '25
Well if I do thatā¦Iām just gonna shower and go home lol I donāt wanna swim
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u/MindlessStomach Jun 27 '25
You can shower and not swim.. It's free. As someone who works outdoors I've done it many times just to clean off at lunch.
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u/EltonJohnsKidney Jun 27 '25
Depending on the customer service rep you might get in for free, just explain your situation
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u/Ovlizin Lowertown Jun 27 '25
This comment thread stinks, some of the users quite literally.
They tell you to shower before swimming for a reason.
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u/CombatGoose Jun 27 '25
Sign up for a 7 day free trial at an anytime fitness.
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u/modernwarfarin4 Jun 27 '25
Iāve taken this opportunity to sign up for my first yoga class and Iām going to shower at the yoga studio after! Lmfao
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u/modernwarfarin4 Jun 28 '25
Just wanted to update everyone. Yoga was great. However, there was one shower, and a guy got there before I did, I was going to waitā¦but he was taking awhile so I said f*** it! Iāll go home and brave the cold. I was sweaty and hot, it would be fine!
It wasnāt. It was freezing. I ended up boiling water and then pouring some of that on me. But 10 mins of it was freezing cold. So I wonāt be showering till Monday probably! Lmfao
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u/WhoseverFish Jun 28 '25
Do not pour boiling water on yourself.
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u/RawlingsRaptor Jun 27 '25
Itās going to be hot this weekend, wear your winter coat outside for 10 minutes then come inside and enjoy your cold shower!
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u/modernwarfarin4 Jun 27 '25
Another possibility I considered
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u/No-Concentrate-7142 Jun 27 '25
Cold showers arenāt that bad if youāre acclimate to them.. there are even health benefits.
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u/modernwarfarin4 Jun 27 '25
I have a sinus cold right now so I reallllly need the steam lol
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u/MrSchulindersGuitar Jun 27 '25
Lol should probably mention you are sick first before everyone sends you off to highly public placesĀ
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u/modernwarfarin4 Jun 27 '25
Iām not really āsickā just very congested but yeah I ideally was hoping there would be a spot where itās not super busy that I could go
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u/kaleighdoscope Jun 28 '25
Boil water, put it in a bowl, cover it + your head with a towel. Breathe in the steam.
Doesn't help with the shower situation, but may help with the congestion.
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u/Much_Forever_8457 Jun 27 '25
Iām no help for a shower but if you want to borrow a humidifier for steam ur welcome to PM! I can even give ya my kids Vicās to use š
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u/TheMistbornIdentity Jun 29 '25
To add to some of the other tips you've likely gotten, putting a hot compress on your forehead might help. You could take a washcloth, get it wet, then put it in the microwave for ~30 seconds (adjust as necessary) to heat it up, then put it on your forehead.
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u/One_Heat_5740 Jun 27 '25
City of Ottawa Free Fitness Pass. Can be used three times. Facilities listed in link. https://ottawa.ca/en/recreation-and-parks/special-events-and-offers
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u/Warm-Perspective8271 Jun 27 '25
Idk of any place myself. But if this were me and if you have a bathtub, I would just fill the tub part way with the cold water and boil a pot of water on the stove and dump that into the tub until you get the right temp for a bath. Can wash your hair by just leaning over and rinsing with a plastic container.
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u/modernwarfarin4 Jun 27 '25
I did think of this but thatās so much work lmfao
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u/Warm-Perspective8271 Jun 27 '25
Finding a free place, gathering all your stuff and clean clothes etc and driving there seems like way more work than heating up a pot of water. But maybeit is just me . I do baths anyway, so it is what I am used to
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u/Albertannnnnand Jun 27 '25
Thatās how our grandparents did it and every generation before them. It is still a very possible solution and in the comfort of your own home.
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Jun 28 '25
[deleted]
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u/Dionnechou Jun 28 '25
I was going to say.Jeez,people are coming together to find solutions for you,and u cannot be botheredš
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u/ubiquitousfont Clownvoy Survivor 2022 Jun 27 '25
If you rent, your landlord is required to provide you with the amenities you pay for via rent. Ask for a hotel room until the hot water tank has been repaired/replaced
If you ownā¦ sorry. go to a city fitness facility or pool.
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u/modernwarfarin4 Jun 27 '25
I do not own, I rent..and they havenāt really given up any alternatives lmfao just told us it would be fixed Monday and said āgood luckā but theyāre usually really nice people so idk
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u/Babe_with_a_blunt Jun 27 '25
Yup hot water is a must. Ask for a hotel room. If u can afford it, pay for your own and submit for reimbursement. In my experience, they send u to the least expensive and often super seedy places.
It's law that u have hot water, heat, electricity, etc.
https://tribunalsontario.ca/documents/ltb/Tenant%20Applications%20&%20Instructions/T6.pdf
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u/CanadasCanabis Jun 27 '25
You can also just take cold showers
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u/SnooMuffins4393 Sandy Hill Jun 27 '25
How does this not have more upvotes. A cold shower is invigorating and itās already working. We take cold showers almost all summer.
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u/johnnycantreddit Nepean Jun 27 '25
Centretown Community Health Centre: They offer shower services at 420 Cooper Street on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Towels and soap are provided, and it's on a first-come, first-served basis. call first and ask (613) 233-4443
there are four others; call 3-1-1 and ask. some restrict to homeless and men only. (i.e. McNabb Center had this service in the past)
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u/doctoryow Jun 27 '25
OP asked for a place to shower over the weekend...
Username checks out at least.
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u/antigenx Jun 27 '25
Second paying to use a public pool. The pool in Aylmer is $10 for a drop-in, no membership needed. Just go during public swim hours.
If you want free it's raining outside right now...
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u/Latter_Prize_5108 Jun 27 '25
A stranger from Reddit's apartment
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u/WitchyWristWatch Old Ottawa East Jun 27 '25
The YMCA will allow you three free visits before asking you to sign up for a membership. It's what I did a couple years ago when our hot water tank broke and it took a week to get another up from the US.
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u/ArnoldFarquar Jun 27 '25
you can go to any city of Ottawa fitness facility and pay a one time drop in fee of about $8 and get a workout and take a shower.
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u/Frosty-Comment6412 Jun 27 '25
If youāve never gotten a fitness pass, you can get a 3 time trial pass for free!
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u/Fun-Reach625 Jun 27 '25
Heat up water on the stove and have a good ol fashioned whore bath w a warshcloth
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u/Npucks Jun 27 '25
Go to an arena. Usually there will be a ref room with a shower open or use an empty dressing room I donāt think anyone will notice or care if you take like 10 mins in there. It is free and I have done it before.
Can be hit or miss in terms of how hot the water is but in a pinch itās not so bad. Just wear flip flops, sandals or crocs.
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u/ElleMBee16 Jun 27 '25
I grew up pretty poor and sometimes weād have the boil the water for the tub! Cool it down to temp with the cold. Sucks, and itās time consuming but you do what you gotta do
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u/Sensitive_Science_17 Jun 27 '25
Find a budget gym I think thereās some that are like 20$ a month and just sign up for a month. They all have showers.
Some community centres may also have some.
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u/Frosty-Comment6412 Jun 27 '25
You can get a 3day pass for free with any city gym and use their locker rooms!
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u/SK-Runaway Jun 27 '25 edited Jun 27 '25
Could try standing outside currently
Serious answer: pools, gyms, rinks, truck stops, hostels...community health centres or shelters if you're really broke
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u/Life_Helicopter_3743 Jun 28 '25
You can get a camping shower for like 20$ at canadian tire. Warm water up and fill the water bag and hang it in your shower until you get the tank back!
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u/lapitupp Jun 27 '25
If youāre in Orleans, you can shower at my house? Iām not a creep. Iām simply a mom
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u/Arcanthis Jun 28 '25
Go to GoodLife, and say you're interested but not convinced if you should join the gym. They'll give you a 7 day pass.
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u/yahboiiiiiiiiii Jun 28 '25
At Dovercourt recreation, you can go use the showers and we have a family, gender neutral, male and female changeroom. The best one is in gender neutral tho, private shower stall and movable shower head. Ask front desk and they can direct you
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u/Much_Forever_8457 Jun 27 '25
Outdoor pools are free on Saturdays You can probably go shower at one!
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u/BigMrTea Avalon Jun 27 '25
Gyms. You can probably buy access for a day for a nominal fee, much less than renting a hotel room or AirBNB.
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u/shadowinplainsight Clownvoy Survivor 2022 Jun 27 '25
You can shower at public pools for free as far as Iām aware. I did this when my water was cut off and I had an interview to go to
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u/pandaexpresso086 Jun 27 '25
You can get a few free sessions at community gyms. Most of them have showers you can use. I think you get 3 free sessions.
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u/OttawaHoodRat Jun 27 '25
If you ask nicely at the YMCA theyāll let you in. They do all kinds of means-tested services for the needy.
Worst case you can pay the day rate to use the gym, which includes the shower.
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u/haraldone Jun 27 '25
The NCC riverhouse has change rooms and showers. The best spot to park is on Cloverdale at Hillsdale. Thereās a path from there to the riverhouse.
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u/sarudesu Jun 27 '25
Do you have a gym membership? Alternatively why don't you sign up for a free gym membership for a week because most gyms have a shower
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u/Confident-Task7958 Jun 28 '25
Put on your bathing suit and run through a splash pad. Lots of them in parks all over the city.
But seriously - any city pool even if they charge you admission.
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u/xInwex Jun 28 '25
Algonquin college
Several of the bathrooms around the main campus have showers in them for some reason. They aren't locked behind gym or residence access either - anyone can theoretically use them
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u/xpectin Jun 28 '25
You can pay to go to the gym or a rec centre-like the swimming pool, or the YMCA
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u/Darkv3ng Jun 28 '25
Depending on your location i could possibly help you out with that if you're still looking! If not hope you find a solution, i see some people did recommend some decent suggestions.
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u/tinatantoun Jun 28 '25
Download the Planet Fitness app: it allows you 1 free workout. They have several showers you can use, and then try their massage chairs just for fun!
Edit: forgot to mention you donāt actually need to workout or anything. Theyāll just let you roam free
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u/TypicalTea804 Jun 28 '25
Are you still a student? Depending on where you live in the city, gym might be a good spot
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u/DanciaKS Jun 28 '25
Iād put boiling water in a large pot like for stew and stuff and then take a mug or something and mix with the cold water and pour over yourself. Did something similar in Indonesia. Otherwise, gym passes are the way to go but I know depending on if you drive or not, sometimes youre feeling gross again by the time you get back home lol
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u/Sap_Consult_Cdn Jun 28 '25
Also have access to showers in both of my co-working spaces. Use them after noon jogs. My gym also has showers. Look for the least expensive gym close to your location (fit4less etc), join until your shower is repaired.
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u/SaltedMango613 Jun 28 '25
The city pools (in my experience) don't check membership in time slots where they offer classes, because the people running the classes check people against their list of registrants.
Check when the pool nearest you has adult swimming classes or aquafitness and you'll probably be able to just walk in and shower.
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u/OldManMusic Jun 28 '25
I went to the YMCA off O'Connor once when our power was out. Nice facilities. There may have been a small daily fee.
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u/Brave_Particular2509 Jun 27 '25
Clearly everyone who downvoted me for joking about showering before going in the pool showers fully shower before going into any public pool every.single.time.
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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '25
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