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.

Many people don't have time to bath/shower every day -they just don't tell anyone.
Why do you think they sell loads of lovely smelling perfumes etc.

@allppp

Many people don't have time to bath/shower every day -they just don't tell anyone. Why do you think they sell loads of lovely smelling perfumes etc.

It takes me about three minutes to have a shower if I’m not washing my hair. I’d ether eat toast as I’m walking to work than go to work without a shower. I can’t understand not having time.

I am a bit sweaty though so maybe other people don’t bother.

I didn't have a shower until I was 12, and even then it often seemed to be cold so showers weren't that frequent, every 3 days then, weekly baths when I was young. I'm a 70's child, pretty sure most my friends were similar l. Nowadays I shower most days but not always

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

‘This was perfectly normal when I was a kid in the 70s&80s’

Not in my house. We all had a bath every day.

Me either. 70's bath every day, 80's shower every day & ever since (well bar the odd day I guess)

So I'm 51 & shower daily
My Mum is 78 showers daily
God daughter 30 showers 2-3 times a week
Teenager every second day
Smalls Daily bath or shower depending on preference.
You might want to stop generalising age wise.

Oh & my mum had a bath in front of the fire once a week as a child, but didn't feel the need to carry on with that routine once she had a house with a plumbed in bath.

My inlaws are like this, in their 70's and shower/bath once a week. I am afraid they stink too, it's not nice and i can't bear it when they've been to my house as they leave their stench too, it's awful!

We only have a shower over the bath, until we finally get a new bathroom, I shower every other day with a strip was in between. Dh due to chemo has very painful feet so showers once a week but washes at the sink including his hair every day.

My parents despite having a walk in shower still have a bath every day.

I am 65 and I shower twice a day. I think with some older people it is a habit they get into and don't realise it's not nice. Perhaps it's one of those things some people only do if they are going out somewhere and if they aren't they don't.
Some people don't change their bed linen much and some change often.

You might want to stop generalising age wise.

I was only generalising with the people I knew as a child. In the houses of friends, family and neighbours, none had a shower that I can remember. My grandad likely did bathe every day but he worked as a miner.

I think everyone should worry less about what others do. I shower a couple of times a week and do not smell. Other people may need to shower more frequently but I suspect many shower daily just because they think they should rather than because it's necessary. In the same way I used antiperspirant for years before I realized my armpits don't get sweaty or smelly and I don't need to.

After a visit to MIL's house I have to wash every article of our clothing taken there, even if it remained unworn and folded in our weekend bag. It's because the slightly stale smell of her house pervades everything.

I hardly sweat at all. I still shower or bath every day.

"It takes me about three minutes to have a shower if I’m not washing my hair."

It takes me 3 minutes just to get the shower warm. I think a lot of MNers live in houses with everything perfect. Immediately hot, power showers I suppose.
Also, if you're not washing your hair, aren't you having a wash next to the shower rather than actually showering anyway

@Gwenhwyfar

"It takes me about three minutes to have a shower if I’m not washing my hair."

It takes me 3 minutes just to get the shower warm. I think a lot of MNers live in houses with everything perfect. Immediately hot, power showers I suppose.
Also, if you're not washing your hair, aren't you having a wash next to the shower rather than actually showering anyway

Put the shower on when you’re brushing your teeth or doing something else?

The angle of the shower and my ability to turn around in the shower means that I can stand under it but not get my hair wet. That’s not that unusual? I don’t think everyone washed their hair every day?

"Put the shower on when you’re brushing your teeth or doing something else?"

I brush my hair and take my clothes off when it's warming up. I'm not complaining about the time, just saying it's vastly different to how it is for me.

"I don’t think everyone washed their hair every day?"

No, they don't, but then I find it quite hypocritical of people who shower without washing their head and hair saying that people who have sink washes are dirty.

I still don’t see how time is a reason to not have a shower every day. That’s all.

@GreyishDays

I still don’t see how time is a reason to not have a shower every day. That’s all.

Because for me a wash is much quicker. I explained why in detail above. Obviously, some people can shower faster than me, but they may be more organised people and be faster ar a sink wash as well.

shower definitely longer and includes a hair wash invariably and for me, it's the time drying down the shower etc that probably doubles the shower time. I can have a wash and be dressed in a few minutes.

No, they don't, but then I find it quite hypocritical of people who shower without washing their head and hair saying that people who have sink washes are dirty

Different bits of us are dirtier than others, though. I'm sure that forearms could get to the stage where they had actually had dirt on them before they needed washing. Pits and bits sometimes need another wash in only a few hours, due to their annoying self-dirtying function. Head/hair is somewhere in between.

Gosh, @Gwenhwyfar I thought we’d agreed you can do stuff while the shower is heating up!

The point I was answering was, in summary “people don’t have time to shower/bath every day, why do you think they sell lovely perfumes”
That implies no washing either. I just can’t get my head around any of it. I’m not a clean freak by any stretch of the imagination, but a quick wash or a shower really doesn’t take long. Run a very shallow bath while you’re cleaning your teeth and having a poo and then just wash in that if you don’t have a shower for example.

I’m answering the time aspect and I still think you can have a quick shower even if it takes you three minutes to warm the shower, as you did indeed describe in detail.

Gwenhwyfar

"It takes me about three minutes to have a shower if I’m not washing my hair."

It takes me 3 minutes just to get the shower warm. I think a lot of MNers live in houses with everything perfect. Immediately hot, power showers I suppose.
.........
Why don't you have an instant electric shower installed? They aren't that expensive.

I was extremely glad of mine recently when the central heating, which heated the water, packed up; the shower still worked fine!

if we're talking about parents who may be older people, I knew someone who stopped using the bath because she could no longer climb out unaided and was scared of getting stuck. A shower over the bath can have the same problem if you have hip or knee defects.

A bidet is very handy, and when I had a leg in plaster, found it good for washing feet, as well as the usual purpose of bathing babies, dolls and small dogs.

Completely normal for their generation when younger.

Pits and bits daily is fine with a bath or shower once or twice a week. Maybe better for your skin.

@PigletJohn

if we're talking about parents who may be older people, I knew someone who stopped using the bath because she could no longer climb out unaided and was scared of getting stuck. A shower over the bath can have the same problem if you have hip or knee defects.

A bidet is very handy, and when I had a leg in plaster, found it good for washing feet, as well as the usual purpose of bathing babies, dolls and small dogs.

I have talked to a couple of plumbers and they both said they are doing quite a few removals of baths and fitting bath-sized showers for older people who do not want to climb in and out of the bath to use the shower.

(Bidets for storage of the rubber duck collection, but they may need it for swimming if you have take out the bath.)

My parents are in their early 70's and neither shower everyday. My Mum is probably twice a week and my Dad I don't really know.
But all my Grandparents (their parents) showered or had a bath daily... everytime I stayed with them when I was younger I remember them bathing or showering daily.
When i was growing up we had a coal fire and you had to put the immersion on to get enough hot water for a bath or shower and we didn't have much money so that certainly played a part but they still didn't shower daily even after they got the new central heating system installed.