How often do you shower/bathe?

[fandemic]

Out of curiosity: how often do you bathe/shower? And if less than every day, do you so any maintenance in between?

I've always been a germphobe and used to be quite phobic about it - like, if for some reason I couldn't shower one morning, I would feel gross and uncomfortable all day. I'm not so bad now but still, until this week, showering every day. At the same time I have always suffered with dry skin and use a body lotion every day. I cut out products with sulphates a couple of years ago and switched to bars of soap, which I prefer, but even so - lots of washing.

I read this interview and have started experimenting with showering less: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/28/soap-dodger-meet-the-doctor-who-says-we-have-been-showering-wrong I was really interested in what this guy says about how if you wean yourself off showering frequently, your skin builds up a layer of useful bacteria which metabolise the sweat for you, so that you no longer smell. This was a bizarre idea to me as I usually think of sweat = dirt. I've just reduced to a shower every 2 days, using soap only on the smelly bits, and rubbing down with a plain flannel and water over the rest. I might reduce further if things go well. One issue I'm having, though, is what to do about dry skin and especially ingrowing hairs from shaved areas - I'm definitely not ready to stop shaving my legs, underarms, and bikini line and I usually use exfoliating gloves to wash daily in the shower. I'm also accustomed to the softness of skin you get from using body lotion every day and am wondering what to do about that ... basically I'm wondering if my skin will eventually settle down and be soft without the need for lotions.

Interested to hear other people's thoughts about all this!

Much as I think not showering for days is grim, I'm equally astounded by the people showering up to three times a day. If you showered in the morning, then did exercise in the afternoon/evening and showered after that, why on earth do you need another shower before bed? How dirty do you think you are?

@LegoMaus oof, that sounds tough. I’m sorry. I guess I was reacting to the “I have a toddler” when really you have a very extreme version of a toddler! 7 hrs sleep is few in anyone’s reckoning. I guess no naps? Probs not the thread for it & I’m sure you’ve tried all sorts so won’t offer advice! Hope it improves

Alternate days most of the year, though weather like we have at the moment demands a daily shower.

I shower every morning. I don't think that I stink after just one day, but I just feel nicer starting the new day feeling fresh. It's a comfort thing for me.

At the most, every other day, sometimes every day. It can depend on how hot it is, what I've been doing etc. If I have a shower before bed and the next day is a mild day (weather wise) where all I've done is play Lego/read/watch TV, then I don't feel like I need one that day as I've not exerted myself. However, during weeks like this last one where it's so hot, I might have two a day as I wake up feeling sweaty and then spent the day slowly melting. I will always have one after a workout as well, regardless of whether I had one beforehand.

Interested to hear about remedies for ingrown hairs due to shaving though!

Only when the neighbours complain.

@Pepperwand

Are all you people also washing your hair every day? I couldn't do that for the life of me..... takes 30 mins just to blow dry there's so much of it.

Personally I shower or have a bath three times a week plus more often if I've exercised or it's been hot.

Yes - I wash mine daily. I don't style it afterwards though. Just let it dry naturally and then tie it up.

Shower or bath (depending on time available, mood etc) at least twice a day.

I wash my hair every second day.

If practical to do so, I also like to shower before having sex.

@Sakura7

Much as I think not showering for days is grim, I'm equally astounded by the people showering up to three times a day. If you showered in the morning, then did exercise in the afternoon/evening and showered after that, why on earth do you need another shower before bed? How dirty do you think you are?

I am one of these ☺️. The last one is for pure pleasure rather than dirt removal...nothing nicer than getting into bed feeling freshly washed. It’s definitely indulgence rather than necessity, if you see what I mean!

Are all you people also washing your hair every day? I couldn't do that for the life of me..... takes 30 mins just to blow dry there's so much of it.

I have long hair, it sits at the base of my back, I wash it every day. I have never blow dried my hair in my life though. I guess we are all different.

I wonder how all the soap dodgers felt this morning after a very warm nights sleep and not having showered for three days by this point.
Plus those saying it a waste of water, do you also not wash your wains or have a washing machine? Do they also not shower daily during their period?
Honestly MN is the weirdest place.

I’m also pleased I don’t sit next to anyone at work who goes 2-3 days without a shower 🤢

Worse still, having sex with someone who has gone 2 or 3 days without a shower.

I shower most days. It doesn’t bother me if I miss a day and I’ll have two a day if I need it.
On hot days, I’ll have a quick very cool shower before bed as that helps me to sleep.

I'll never be convinced that "weaning yourself off showering will result in ....you no longer smell".

I shower every night, and in summer, I often have another shower in the morning. My skin is never dry because I use nice shower gel which isn't drying.

@brastrapbroken

I think it’s a terrible waste of water to shower more than once a day.

I have to ask, because I always see comments like this on washing threads, are we running out of water? Is there something I don't know about?

Yes, we are, kind of. Remember that we're taking water out of rivers and from the ground and therefore taking it away from other animals and plants that also need it. Also, it takes a lot of energy to clean the water and to pump it to and from our houses. It's really wasteful to shower so often and I never realised people were so obsessive about it until I came on here.

www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/18/england-to-run-short-of-water-within-25-years-environment-agency

I shower every morning, and some days before bed, like yesterday, it was ridiculously hot and I spent the day playing with DS in the garden and paddling pool and cleaning so felt a bit grotty. Also fresh sheets yesterday and there's something nice about being freshly showered and getting into fresh line dried bed linen

A decent chunk of England is a bit short on water - that's why hosepipe bans are imposed, and we've had droughts so bad domestic supplies were cut off. And even in the areas where water is plentiful, it takes energy to purify and heat it.

We don’t have a shower - have a head but nothing to attach it to - so I tend to have a bath every other day but will wash my hair over the bath every day typically. I’ll do it in the morning on the day I don’t have a bath and then the evening the next day when I have a bath if that makes sense. Unless I’ve been particularly sweaty I just go every other day. I usually wear a clean top every day - can usually wear bottoms a couple of times.

I grew up doing this and I haven’t changed my habits!

Today nobody has showered. There is a horse sized spider in the shower and our resident spider remover is not at home

Every morning and every evening before bed or if I've been working, as soon as I get in from work.

Out of interest does everyone turn the shower down to a dribble when soaping up ?

I turn it off, plink. It makes a big difference for example if I am putting conditioner on my hair, and waiting a few mins before rinsing it off.

Plus those saying it a waste of water, do you also not wash your wains or have a washing machine?

Yes to both. But I didn't put ds in the bath every single night when he was little - why would I? And I don't put things in the washing machine in the evening if they've already been washed in the morning

There's nothing 'weird' about not cleaning something that's already clean. Showering twice a day, every day, 'just because' is bonkers and wasteful.

@LegoMaus

Wouldn't you just... wait til they're asleep? Sleep 😂 My 2yo gets up at 7am and can easily still be awake at midnight. I don’t remember the last time I had even five minutes to myself. I’ve tried sitting him in the bathroom with an iPad but he just tries to get in the shower with me.

But 7am Isn't that early. You could easily get up at 6:30 to shower if you really actually wanted to shower.

There are some bonkers comments on this thread - in both directions!

But also the sarcastic replies & the whinging about this having been done before. So what? The OP is obviously struggling, so why be so bitchy? You didn't have to click on the thread!!