My hot water heater went two years ago in April, which, if you know NY, you know that April is still a cold month. I washed my hair with my head over the bath tub, and the water was freeeezing! It gave me a headache.
I didn’t last long in the cold shower. Just washing “what was important” and it was like @JLeslie described, pretty heart stopping.
When I tried to use the hot water on the stove-sponge bath technique, I found that I didn’t feel clean (I felt a little clean, but not like a shower or bath) and frankly, it was disgusting and a lot of work, just to get one pot of hot water, carry it over, and then deal with getting the hot water where it belonged to rinse the soap off.
Some people are referencing Florida, Belize, Laos. Maybe there, in a hot tropical climate, the cold water is not frigid, and it’s do-able. To me in the cold winter of NY, not do-able. Maybe two days and I was at my wit’s end. Am I spoiled? Maybe. If I had no choice and had to live that way, could I? Of course. If I had a choice (like I do), would I want to live that way? Hell no. Not in a cold climate.