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How often should you bathe/shower?

1246

Replies

  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,271 Member
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    Deviette wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Though I have more modern habits (like daily when no pandemic), my parents (b. 1912, 1917) grew up in the era of mostly weekly baths, and "sponge baths" from a basin/sink in between as needed: Heating the water on the woodstove, in some cases even drawing it from a well or by hand-pump first, to fill the tin tub . . . that tends to make the baths happen less often. Less stink than you might imagine.

    Norms change. The modern habits of daily bath/shower are pretty new, I think, in the general population . . . maybe around the last century-ish? (Running water, electricity, is a big deal.) Yeah, people have fewer lice, bedbugs, etc., than in the distant past. Bathing isn't the only reason.

    I was raised on 'one bath a week' and I'm only 37 (but not from the US). I've seen the shift to (nearly) daily showers in society, though not as 'bad' as in the US. There seems to be a tendency in western society (led by North America) to consider any bodily smell as a bad smell.
    Anyway, I refrain from telling people how much (little) I bathe/shower/wash, knowing the judgment will be instantaneous, even though they don't think I stink.

    Reading this thread, I'm mostly shocked at the (IMO) excessive water consumption. Living in Belgium, you would think water isn't an issue, but climate change combined with too much urban land cover is wreaking havoc on our water table and water is getting more expensive too.

    I'm fully convinced that showering (more than) daily is just cultural and not necessary for our health (or even detrimental). But this is a difficult topic to discuss, since most people will just go 'oh yuck' at the mere idea of showering less than daily.
    But even if you feel the need to wash yourself once or several times a day, I'm a big fan of going old-school and just using a washcloth (I hate showering anyway, I much prefer taking a bath :lol:)

    I could not have agreed with this whole post more! I'm UK based, and I'd say that most people probably don't shower more than once a day, but it amazes me how many people do from reading this thread. How do you people find the time!?

    What's different? Time is the same everywhere.


    I think you are conflating 2 separate parts of the sentence.

    It reads to me: I am in UK and I'd say most people dont shower more than once a day.

    and, separately - how do people find the time?
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    Deviette wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Though I have more modern habits (like daily when no pandemic), my parents (b. 1912, 1917) grew up in the era of mostly weekly baths, and "sponge baths" from a basin/sink in between as needed: Heating the water on the woodstove, in some cases even drawing it from a well or by hand-pump first, to fill the tin tub . . . that tends to make the baths happen less often. Less stink than you might imagine.

    Norms change. The modern habits of daily bath/shower are pretty new, I think, in the general population . . . maybe around the last century-ish? (Running water, electricity, is a big deal.) Yeah, people have fewer lice, bedbugs, etc., than in the distant past. Bathing isn't the only reason.

    I was raised on 'one bath a week' and I'm only 37 (but not from the US). I've seen the shift to (nearly) daily showers in society, though not as 'bad' as in the US. There seems to be a tendency in western society (led by North America) to consider any bodily smell as a bad smell.
    Anyway, I refrain from telling people how much (little) I bathe/shower/wash, knowing the judgment will be instantaneous, even though they don't think I stink.

    Reading this thread, I'm mostly shocked at the (IMO) excessive water consumption. Living in Belgium, you would think water isn't an issue, but climate change combined with too much urban land cover is wreaking havoc on our water table and water is getting more expensive too.

    I'm fully convinced that showering (more than) daily is just cultural and not necessary for our health (or even detrimental). But this is a difficult topic to discuss, since most people will just go 'oh yuck' at the mere idea of showering less than daily.
    But even if you feel the need to wash yourself once or several times a day, I'm a big fan of going old-school and just using a washcloth (I hate showering anyway, I much prefer taking a bath :lol:)

    I could not have agreed with this whole post more! I'm UK based, and I'd say that most people probably don't shower more than once a day, but it amazes me how many people do from reading this thread. How do you people find the time!?

    What's different? Time is the same everywhere.


    I think you are conflating 2 separate parts of the sentence.

    It reads to me: I am in UK and I'd say most people dont shower more than once a day.

    and, separately - how do people find the time?

    The post appeared to be questioning how would people find enough time to shower twice a day. For me it's just part of the daily routine. Out of bed, into the shower, eat breakfast, dress for work. Then it's home from work, undress, shower, eat, sleep. Approximately that.


    yes it was questioning that.

    But separately to the statement about living in UK

    or so it read to me.

  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    I wash up at the sink when I wake up, the "main utilities" as my mom calls it. I use a bidet, and usually shower fully every other day. I can assure you I don't smell in the slightest. My husband wouldn't be as enthusiastic to be all over me constantly if I did.

    Glad you mentioned this. Every time I hear or read discussions like these, I wonder how people could indulge in husband and wife activities without being clean.


    and yet most people in most of time in most of the world have managed to do so without showering twice a day - or without having running water or anything like our modern first world experience

    Natural instinct I suppose, but the trained modern mind rejects uncleanness.


    well I have a trained modern mind - and it can understand how my normal is not superior to other people's normal and everyone doesn't have to do it like I do.


    Yes I accept they're differences. I live in a warm country, but have traveled to cold places where I don't even wish to remove my clothes to go anywhere near water!!
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited October 2020
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    The $600 water bill dictates how many showers I and family get a day or for how many minutes they are. It sucks.

    What currency is that? My bill converts to about US$55.00

    My water bill is $12 for two months (I usually shower once a day).
  • LushFix
    LushFix Posts: 303 Member
    I shower daily, I enjoy showering. But I only wash my hair about 3 times a week.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,927 Member
    I only sweat on my head and neck when I work out. That's an advantage. I also have very dry skin and could not shower daily to start with. I do have washing mitts though that I use every morning where needed.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Go get in the shower and blow the stink off for crying outloud or people will run when they see you comin'.
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    I have a quick wipe over with a washcloth when I get up. Then I exercise, get sweaty, and have a shower. On the rare days that I don't exercise I will still generally shower, though I might have a less cursory wash instead.
  • LunaTheFatCat
    LunaTheFatCat Posts: 237 Member
    I shower daily, but they would be very quick 3 minute showers in the morning with a showercap on, as I only wash my hair every5-6 days or so. I find those quick showers quicker and easier than washing at the sink.
  • sakurablossoms82
    sakurablossoms82 Posts: 62 Member
    Every other day unless I have been sweaty or done something that made me dirty again like a Jeep Safari in Crete. I have dry and quite sensitive skin so every day is a no go for me unless it's really needed.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    Thought this discussion was over, but I see it's restarted a month later. I keep it bookmarked so I know when there are new posts.

    So, I've been trying to shower less since reading all this. Last Sunday night was very late, so I thought I'd still be clean enough on Monday morning. Didn't work. I felt horrible that day.

    That leaves me still in the twice a day camp.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,271 Member
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    Thought this discussion was over, but I see it's restarted a month later. I keep it bookmarked so I know when there are new posts.

    So, I've been trying to shower less since reading all this. Last Sunday night was very late, so I thought I'd still be clean enough on Monday morning. Didn't work. I felt horrible that day.

    That leaves me still in the twice a day camp.

    Why did you try to shower less Tony?
    If what you were doing was working for you, why would you change it?
    Water conservation maybe?

    I still shower same as when thread started - almost always once daily, occasionally again if going out in evening and been hot day or playing sport or something, occasionally not at all if lazy weekend pyjama day

    That works for me and am not planning to change it.

    Other routines might work for other people - no problems there.


  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    tmantwo wrote: »

    And as far as why I don’t swing by there much... some of you come off as pretentious, condescending, pompous dickheads to anyone who you don’t agree with. You turn what should be a civil debate into personal attacks.

    Yup, I’m looking at you people in the previous post.

    +_ae87debb9564f489d9873564384a8b43.jpg
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    Thought this discussion was over, but I see it's restarted a month later. I keep it bookmarked so I know when there are new posts.

    So, I've been trying to shower less since reading all this. Last Sunday night was very late, so I thought I'd still be clean enough on Monday morning. Didn't work. I felt horrible that day.

    That leaves me still in the twice a day camp.

    Why did you try to shower less Tony?
    If what you were doing was working for you, why would you change it?
    Water conservation maybe?

    I still shower same as when thread started - almost always once daily, occasionally again if going out in evening and been hot day or playing sport or something, occasionally not at all if lazy weekend pyjama day

    That works for me and am not planning to change it.

    Other routines might work for other people - no problems there.


    Yes you're right. Somebody was implying that twice a day was OCD. I guess we all need to realize that when we're on the internet, we're playing to an international audience, and there can't be a "one size fits all" prescription.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    I shower or have a bath every other day, unless I have a reason to do it more frequently. My skin would literally fall apart if I showered multiple times a day.

    Never once has anyone told me I stink.

    Well, there was that one time when I mucked out an entire horse barn in the heat because the owner was ill. Then even I couldn't stand to be downwind of myself. :D
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    Of all the threads to result in drama... lol.

    One thing I've noticed is that taking a shower seems to put me in "serious" mode, so I'll sometimes take a shower even if not planning to go out that day when I have work to do and have been goofing off (more than usual).

    Two showers, though... only if I have a date, pretty much.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Deviette wrote: »
    I shower maybe twice a week. Less if I can get away with it. And normally mostly because my hair needs washing (although I have noticed since going sulphate/silicone free my hair needs washing less often). Even then I'll only use shower gel maybe once a month or so, with the run off shampoo I just don't need it.

    But I'm just not a smelly person. Never really have been. In summer or when doing sports I do wear deodorant, but not really because I need it per say, just because I want to be sure I don't smell.

    On the side note of skincare, I've never understood body moisturisers. I never needed them. I've always half put that down to the fact that I don't wash too much with soaps/wash that often.

    I'm active year round, but only sweaty when it's hot out. I've showered several times a day in the summer (more rinsing off than complete showers) but this time of year more just when my hair needs to be washed or I've been in the woods and am hoping to get rid of any ticks.

    Like yours, my shampoo is silicone free. Also "Paraben free, Sulfate free, Mineral oil free, Petrolatum free, Formaldehyde free, Cruelty free." It seems the less I wash my hair, the less I need to wash it. I use my shampoo as body wash and conditioner as shaving cream.

    Now that I'm in control of the thermostat I don't need moisturizer.

    When I worked in an office I washed my hair every morning. I've been working from home since 2011 and keep decreasing the frequency.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    JessBbody wrote: »
    I'm a little bit shocked, and somewhat dismayed, at seeing that so many people shower daily or even 2-3 times daily. Maybe it's because in California we are bombarded with messages about water waste.
    I just can't help thinking, the water! The water!

    I don't leave the sink running when I'm brushing my teeth or washing my face.

    I shower every 2-3 days. I learned a while back just from researching beauty-related things that washing your skin with soap too frequently tends to dry it out. This was before people started talking about microbiomes. Same thing with shampooing your hair too frequently - it can make your scalp and ends dry and can cause fallout.

    As far as sweat goes, I only tend to sweat on my face and neck and only when I work out. I usually wash those afterward.

    I don't start to feel icky until it's been 4 days since I've had a shower, sooner if I've had a particularly sweaty workout.
    Maybe some people feel icky if they don't shower every day.

    I've never had a problem with body odor that deodorant couldn't solve.

    Thanks for posting the article, OP.

    When my OH wastes water I remind him that almond trees are parched in California ;)

    This was a major plot point in Goliath Season 3.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    TonyB0588 wrote: »
    I wash up at the sink when I wake up, the "main utilities" as my mom calls it. I use a bidet, and usually shower fully every other day. I can assure you I don't smell in the slightest. My husband wouldn't be as enthusiastic to be all over me constantly if I did.

    Glad you mentioned this. Every time I hear or read discussions like these, I wonder how people could indulge in husband and wife activities without being clean.


    and yet most people in most of time in most of the world have managed to do so without showering twice a day - or without having running water or anything like our modern first world experience

    Natural instinct I suppose, but the trained modern mind rejects uncleanness.


    well I have a trained modern mind - and it can understand how my normal is not superior to other people's normal and everyone doesn't have to do it like I do.


    Yes I accept they're differences. I live in a warm country, but have traveled to cold places where I don't even wish to remove my clothes to go anywhere near water!!

    Yes, I definitely showered more when I lived in Okinawa and Costa Rico and had no air conditioning.