We just hauled a huge cast iron one out of our MB. It was a total pain to clean under and behind it. It was about 6 inches away from the wall and I couldn't get to the floor between the tub and the wall without climbing into the tub. The few baths I took used a ton of hot water and it cooled down really quickly because the tub was such thick cast iron. Despite all this kvetching I loved the way it looked, but it is being replaced with a (more practical)walk in shower. I will admit I'm not much of a bath person so the benefits didn't outweigh the hassles.

I would love to have a claw foot tub (again) and it wasn't that difficult to clean around. If it's away from the wall a few inches, it would be easy to clean behind and under it, with a swiffer/mop.

We had one in a house we rented and it was wonderful, as long as you had a separate shower. Ours was both...wonderful tub, awkward place to shower. I have one in our remodeling plan!

Love this picture, from Sarah Richardson's farmhouse remodel...and my 'fancy' tub picture. {{gwi:1432682}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures
{{gwi:1432683}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Lovely pictures, thank you for sharing. At lunch today, my hubby mentioned againg how much he would love to have that claw foot tub or a free standing. He has indulged me with lots of choices in our home remodel, I think I can give in this area. We're empty nesters, so it's not like the days when I had three children to bathe.

We have 2 claw foot tubs in our 100+ year old colonial. They are no more hard to clean then any other fixture in a bathroom. I just use a swifter mop as does the previous poster. They don't loose heat quickly. Put in the hot water first then add cold to the temp you like. I like to soak in the tub. Have spent a good 30 minutes comfortably in the tub without the water getting cold. Cast iron retains heat well. Indulge your husband in his soaking pleasure.