To think one bath a week for an 18 year old isn't really enough?

[Crumpetsandbutter]

I don't have teenagers but I was surprised when talking with a friend about her 18 year old daughter, who she was saying got tired as she was up so early and she wished she'd lie in a bit longer.

I said 'oh well I suppose she has to dry her hair and all that' and she said that she only baths once a week on Sundays.

AIBU to think this isn't much? She only 'washes' with a makeup wipe, not even a strip wash with a flannel.

[cheesecakemom]

My SIL gets up at 8.45 to start work at 9 am! She doesn't shower - despite living in a very hot place. Eeeew!

[cheesecakemom]

Hatespiders are you my mother in law? The one who also refuses to bath my DD or comb her hair?

[MeMyselfAnd1]

Am I the only one who has noticed the 18 year old is disabled? If so, she may be having a bath a week and washes the rest of the time, and the fact that she looks clean and doesn't smell seems to be proof that that's ok.

[Aeroflotgirl]

Unless she has SN, then its up to her how often she has a bath. Does she have showers in between. I haven't had a bath for 15 years, but I prefer showers.

[DrCoconut]

DS1 has ASD and does not like baths or showers. He is nearly 16 and needs to wash frequently as he gets really sweaty and smelly if not. He needs to be told as he lacks the kind of awareness and desire to fit in that has other teens in the bathroom for ages.

[Neverbuyheliumbalonz]

There is absolutely no way I would go into work or get on public transport without a bath or shower in the morning. It would be too shameful.

[Hatespiders]

It's not a chore at all. I'm up at 6am although I've been retired for decades and have plenty of time to bath should I wish to (I don't) It isn't laziness, just unnecessary, for me.

[MrsBigginsPieShop]

Notcontent. Glad your judgey knickers have a clean crack to be wedged up.

[cheesecakemom]

Growing up I had a bath every single morning before school and after school we would have sports or play etc. My parents made sure I had another bath before PJs and bed time. Why is bathing such a chore for some people?

[cheesecakemom]

That's not enough for anyone. I think I can usually tell when people look and smell fresh from a shower / bath. Some people at work - it's obvious they just rolled out of bed, put nice clothes on and jumped into the car.

[Lomega]

I'm afraid I'm in the 'shower every day' camp. I know that humans only smell because we're washing away natural bacterias etc etc yada yada but we live in the 21st century, in a country with decent sanitation at hand, and I DO want to wash every day because it makes me feel nice and not smell.

Sorry!

[Notcontent]

I don't understand the excuse about not having time to bathe or shower daily. My shower is broken but I run a bit of water into the bath while getting dd organised. I then have less than 10 min to get bathed and dressed and ready for work. I manage this every morning. There is absolutely no way I would go into work or get on public transport without a bath or shower in the morning. It would be too shameful.

[NoMontagues]

I think it's up to her how often she showers / bathes. As PPs have said, perhaps it's a lot of faff for her, with her disability.

I do feel that picking over the personal hygiene habits of an adult woman who neither volunteered this information to you or participated in the conversation that you've chosen to make public on the internet is a bit off and makes me feel a bit dirty.

Fwiw I shower daily and dcs have a bath every night. I do not feel that I am a victim of any sort of marketing ploy- how much is a bar of soap FFS. I just prefer the feeling of having showered. Personal choice.

[SauvignonBlanche]

Ewwwww, that's gross
How mature

[MiddletonPink]

If she really doesn't smell and doesn't look grubby I'm not sure what the problem is?

Ds is 15 now he has to shower daily because he does start to whiff if not.

[FrancesNiadova]

Ewwwww, that's gross. I do threaten my 16 y.o. that I will put him in the courtyard & hose him down!

[Wishtoremainunknown]

My eczema cleared up too.

[Wishtoremainunknown]

I once stayed somewhere for a few weeks with a friend where the shower and bath did not work. Strip washing only except once a week when we d go to the pool to shower there.

I don't think either of us did smell. He (my friend) certainly didn't and he used to go running every morning. I did ask that he would tell me if I did smell and he asked the same of me.

[bobbyjoe]

I do think with hair especially the more you wash it the more it needs washing. When working in an office I showered and washed hair every morning. If running late and hair couldn't be done then my hair was greasy that day. After I went on maternity leave I left my hair for longer and longer between washes - 2-3 days - and gradually my hair didn't look like it needed washing every day. It just wasn't greasy. I wash it every 3 days now and it doesn't smell either and never gets greasy. When I've been ill and had to leave it, it took a week before it was lank and on the turn for greasiness.

I think it's possible it could be the same with skin. I do believe people when they say they don't smell - they just might not smell of product only a neutral smell but not unpleasant. I now shower every day but haven't used deodorant since found out I was pregnant. I can sniff my armpits and they don't smell. If I were to smell my socks at the end of the day there's no smell unless I've gone jogging or it's summertime. But then I usually wear flipflops.

[BertieBrabinger]

If it really is just once a week then I think that is unhygienic and frankly a bit lazy.

I also don't buy the over washing and germ obsession of modern living excuse. The Greeks and Romans were rather big on the bathing bit if I recall and I should think that modern medicine and public health has been greatly aided by improved personal hygiene.

Each to their own and all that, but some of these excuses for lack of personal hygiene simply don't wash (pun intended) with me.

Moreover, the amount of people who think they don't smell because they have become accustomed to their whiffiness!!!

[Neverbuyheliumbalonz]

Fair enough if she only has a bath once a week. But does she not feel like crap? I'd stink if I didn't shower every morning and feel like shit. I couldn't leave the house without a shower
For me having a shower is part of my waking up process.

'For me' being the operative part of the sentence there.

[BlueberryWafer]

Is it just me that, after reading this thread, wants to go for a really nice hot shower?

[Thebodynowchillingsothere]

Mamm

Loving your pits and naughty bits.

[badfurday]

Fair enough if she only has a bath once a week. But does she not feel like crap? I'd stink if I didn't shower every morning and feel like shit. I couldn't leave the house without a shower
For me having a shower is part of my waking up process.

[Mammanat222]

I think once a week - regardless of how inactive you are or how many wipes you use - is probably a little too infrequent?

I shower every other day (hair-wash as well) and have a quick wash down of pits and naughty bits the other days.

In summer it's a lot more frequent - daily.

I bath DS 2-3 times a week at the moment unless he is proper filthy. In summer it's a lot more frequent due to him being lathered in sun-cream (and not the fact he smells!)