Parents don't shower often.

[pateandcheese]

Is this a generational thing?
My parents in their late 60's only shower once a week.
I wouldn't say they ever smell or look scruffy, but I find it odd.
I've obviously not lived at home in 15+ years so never really noticed before, but before lockdown we went away as a family for a week and they both showered once in that time.
Me, my DH and small kids shower or bath every day without fail.
They're both retired so it's not as if they're massively busy.
They're very house proud and everything is fresh and ironed and tidy.
I just don't get the showering thing.
But thinking about it when I lived at home I'd only shower a few times a week in my teens too. It's only since moving out I shower every day.

I didn't have a home with a bathroom until I was 9, until then it was a tin bath job in front of an open fire, as and when. I was washed in a large butler sink in the kitchen using an Ascot as we has no running hot water. My dad went to the public baths once a week as he did a manual job. Showers only came along when I bought my own house. Showering daily for everyone is a relatively new idea. I'm in my early 60s so not that ancient.
It sounds like they are clean and fresh so don't worry about it.

It was fairly normal to bath once a week, I’m a bit younger than your parents but same generation. It was then strip washing at the sink and spot cleaning of clothes. All in all we were much more environmentally friendly by accident in that aspect. I also don’t remember any kids having eczema apart from my friend who had really serious eczema, enough to have her hospitalised a few times.

I am very clean but to me there has always been dirt and dirt, dirt as I call it.

I was born in the 80s and grew up with a weekly bath. Before we had central heating, I can remember having my bath in a baby bath in front of an open fire. The bathroom had a 2 bar heater and didn't have a radiator. We didn't have a shower and I'm not an oily/ greasy person so I didn't shower more than once a week until I moved into halls and had an en-suite pod.

Pits and bits with a flannel and washing any other body part needed goes a long way.

These days my shower routine is based around running, but if I haven't become sweaty, my hair is fine for up to 5 days. Regardless of when I last showered, I'll wash pits and bits as needed.

It's only in the last 20-30 years that showers have become more dominant and easy to use.

presumably your parents are quite able to decide when and how to wash without your input?
Maybe you should be question why you shower so often, and what influences you to do so.

My grandmother is in her 80s and showers every day so I don’t think it’s generational. She has an adapted shower with grab rails and a seat to assist her but she would never shower just once a week.

OP - of course you'll smell if you don't shower and have a sink wash instead so stop having an attack of the vapours

I grew up in the 60s & 70s without a shower. I love a daily shower but, when we moved into this house that had no bathroom (prior to renovation) - I was perfectly capable of keeping myself clean, fresh and odourless with soap, a flannel and a sink full of water.

Millions of people the world over manage too and so could you!

If they appear to be looking after themselves and are fully incontrol of their minds then leave them be.

My mum is 81 and doesn't shower at all or bathe as she worries about slipping and falling, and can't get herself out of the bath.

My mums the same, she’s about once every 3 months.

I can't imagine not showering daily (realising now how very lucky I've been) and it never occurred to me that people showered once per week or in months. I'm sitting here mouth gaping reading these comments but I guess if people look clean and tidy and don't smell and they're happy with their routine then there's no reason to change.

I shower everyday and wash my hair twice a week. Same with my parents, although my dad showers twice a day in summer. My grandparents are the same, my Nan showers every day as soon as she’s up and gets dressed and ready even if she isn’t going anywhere!

@Tsubasa1

I shower between 1-3 times a week. Hair wash 1-2 a week. New underwear and socks daily.

Does that fit with the generation theory? Were you brought up with weekly bathing?

I grew up in the 80s bathing/showing every day! So did DH. Our parents were brought up in the 40s/50s and also bathed every day once they were at school. Do we just live in a very decadent place (we definitely don’t!)?!

Yep my fussy overtly houseproud inlaws only shower every few days

And my dad

In fact my mum is the only oldie I know who showers every day and she also has two baths a week.

I must say I am quite amazed by what I am reading...

I shower twice a day. Morning and evening.

I can't see how I would not smell/feel gross after a day that includes the gym, going to public and transport and so on.

Plus as a woman do you really not shower daily when you have your period? do you want to have sex with a partner who has not washed for days?

I can see why Brits have a reputation for not being that hygienic...

I don't really remember my mum showering when I grew up, just having a wash with a flannel at the sink. I shower daily now, but don't think I started that until I left home. I think as a teen it was shower a few times a week and sink wash daily

Requinblanc. You can wash with out showering.

I don't know for sure, but perhaps something changes as you get older. I went to the hairdressers on Thursday and I hadn't washed my hair for a week. Hairdresser actually asked when did I last wash it as it was so clean. Bearing in mind I'm outside in all weathers doing dirty jobs like gardening and mucking out stables, I was surprised he said it was really clean. It certainly didn't smell. Likewise with body washing, I don't smell/sweat like I used to. Perhaps this is a post menopausal benefit? During peri menopause I would get a very strange smell and be extra sweaty, I NEEDED to change bra every day, so I much prefer the no sweat.

I don’t think it is generational, but an upbringing thing. I am 62 and shower or bath every day, and always bathed every day as a child, as did my parents. DH is nearly 69 and showers every other day because he has a skin condition that results in extremely dry skin. My late MIL used to shower every day until her alzheimers got the better of her. She died last year aged 90.

So, less of the ageism please.

Similar to others on here I grew up with no shower and we bathed once a week. No one smelt. If people wash their bits there should not be an issue.

It may be generational but for people in their 80s/90s. I wouldn’t class being in 60s the generation for weekly bathing. Many are still in full time work for most of that. My parents are in 70s and shower every day. I think 60s, if they don’t have disabilities or chronic illness, should wash/shower/bath every day.

My mum used to bath every day (her morning ritual on weekdays was get up at 6, coffee and a cigarette while bath was running, have a bath and then wake the rest of us up). We didn't have a proper shower just one of those handheld ones.

My dad I think only had a bath a couple of times a week, but a stand up wash daily. Also he never wore any kind of deodorant despite doing a proper physical job for 10+ hours a day but never smelled at all.

I wash every day... I don,t bath every day. (I don,t have a shower).

My parents and grand-parents shower (or bath) every single day. I can't go to bed without a shower first.

I don't agree it's a generational thing, probably more cultural.

It was said by some, that having a bath or shower whist on your periods was unhealthy, dangerous and possibly lethal , I think there was something about washing your feet even!
Whilst others would have been absolutely revolted about NOT washing themselves especially during this time of the month.

I read how some people struggle hard to find enough soap and shampoo during the war for their daily wash, so it really is not a universal thing.

People get a bit defensive about this I find.

Personally, it’s a feeling as much as anything else for me. I’m sure I would not be dirty if I had a daily wash and a shower or bath say twice a week.

But showers and baths are the solution to life’s ills for me. They warm you up in cold weather and cool you down in hot. They are relaxing and make you drowsy, or wake you up and energise you. There are lovely products in a variety of scents that make you feel lovely. I can’t understand people standing over the sink when they could have all that. It isn’t a judgement, to me it is just like someone choosing to sleep on the floor when there’s a luxurious king sized bed on offer.