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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not shower every day

254 replies

AngryGinger · 07/01/2017 11:18

To make it clear, I do have a wash every day but I don't see the need to actually shower or bathe every single morning. was talking to people at work about it, most of the women seemed to agree with me whilst the men thought it was weird that we didn't have a whose presence every single morning. Aibu to be washed but not showered every day?

OP posts:
MumOfTwoMasterOfNone · 08/01/2017 21:09

My shower (not inc. hair wash) takes 2 minutes and I feel clean. A wash I still feel grotty and would probably take longer.
It's not unreasonable but I think it's grim. I can tell other people don't wash every day by their body odour and tbh it's not nice to work alongside.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 08/01/2017 21:12

I genuinely don't give a shit about the green issues - of course I was being sarcastic.

Like I said upthread, I don't drive, fly, have children etc etc - I also don't recycle.

I would rather not risk smelling badly - that's non negotiable

happynewyearchum · 08/01/2017 21:18

I shower & wash my hair every day and often have a bath too (don't wash hair twice).

BakingBunty · 08/01/2017 21:19

I have a bath every eve (more for relaxation than cleanliness) and then a really quick shower in the morning... probably unnecessary but don't feel fully awake without one. Totally possible to be in and out in two minutes!

cauliflowercheese14 · 08/01/2017 21:25

Cannot believe anyone has a bath every night. No sense of wasting resources?

augustbody · 08/01/2017 21:29

The thrice daily showerers/ change towels after every use/ change bedsheets daily and anything else is MINGING brigade never seem have a car, or go on holiday, or drink bottled water, or anything else that impacts on the environment. Their obsession with cleanliness is always their only environment destroying vice.

Yeah right.

Saying that showering every other day is 'disgusting' is the absolute epitome of first world privilege.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 08/01/2017 21:30

I wouldn't bath every night but I have also worked with people who think it's odd not to bath or shower every day - i would be happy for them to use lots of resources for the sake of everyone else Grin

moonchild77 · 08/01/2017 21:32

I shower twice a day. Once in the morning and once before bed. I can't stand feeling dirty.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 08/01/2017 21:32

I run my washing machine once a week.

I shower for two mins every day.

I'm happy about my environmental impact

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 08/01/2017 21:35

And the phrase 'first world privilege' is rearing its head a lot - is it bollocks

It's first world privilege that people drive their kids half a mile down the road to school, or fly abroad on holiday several times a year. But washing every day is nicer for other people who have to come into contact with you.

reallyanotherone · 08/01/2017 21:36

I can tell other people don't wash every day by their body odour

Do you ask them? You can't possibly know how often someone washes by their body odour.

I have a friend i know showers twice a day. I know, and he also knows, by 4pm he has slight body odour. If you didn't know his personal habits, you'd probably assume he was one of those who didn't shower every day.

I lived with a variety of people as a student. Some showered 5 times a day, some every 3 days. There was no way to tell by smell alone- one girl never smelled, despite washing relatively infrequently- their flat didn't have a shower.

I live in a very mixed race area, and apparently it isn't the done thing to wash afro hair too often, once a week seems to be standard amongst those i have spoken to about it. I don't notice the kids or parents at dc school smelling any worse than the caucasians.

happynewyearchum · 08/01/2017 21:39

Lots of men I know have a bath every night, they do long days outside in dusty, dirty environments. They are the same people that recycle every drop, collect rainwater, use renewable heating so don't assume baths = no consciousness on environmental issues.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 08/01/2017 21:39

The colleague I referred to upthread admitted it but it was blatantly obvious. She stank to high heaven, she also wore the same clothes every day.

treaclesoda · 08/01/2017 21:46

I once had a colleague who smelt awful by about 11am, but was as fresh as a daisy at 9am when he arrived at work. Anyone who only ever encountered him in the afternoon would have assumed he was a non washer, whereas in reality he washed regularly.

Conversely, I shared a house when I was younger with someone who was always clean, fresh and beautifully dressed but thought it very odd that I showered daily as she only showered a couple of times a week. She was pristine though.

spankhurst · 08/01/2017 22:02

I have a quick, shallow bath every evening (no shower). If I don't I feel a bit clammy and yuk. But I think many people don't need to shower everyday.

Littlepleasures · 08/01/2017 22:11

In my 50s and have started showering every other day instead of every day. I think showering everyday dries the skin out and as we age we need to keep as much moisture in there as possible. I very rarely put moisturisers on my skin, maybe occasionally on my legs after shaving, and want to keep it that way as long as possible. A flannel wash of the smelly bits on non shower days is perfectly adequate. I'd probably push it to every 3rd day if my hair wasn't so greasy.

CakesRUs · 08/01/2017 22:15

I mostly shower every other day, sometimes I do need one before so I will, but it takes so long to dry my hair. I do have my daily ablutions mind. My husband showers every day, but he's not got any hair so it's in and out for him.

cowshindtail · 08/01/2017 23:38

I don't have a bath every day ,but do on most days.My OH rarely has a bath and doesn't smell.As others have said it is a modern thing to bathe so frequently.A lady that I know ,now in her 70s,was the youngest in a family of 6 and they had a bath once a week in front of the fire-first father,then mother and then the children in age order from oldest to youngest.She survived !

Booboo66 · 08/01/2017 23:40

Men are a bit smellier, I'm aware this is a generalisation but mostly true, possibly because they are hairier? I have a circulation disorder which means I'm always freezing cold therefore rarely sweat. I can go weeks without shaving anything and you'd never know, so don't think showering every other day is an issue! Also my hair is a pita too... Keeping it dry makes my life easier and if I wash it too often it becomes both dry and greasy at the same time. Yanbu to not shower every day!

zukiecat · 08/01/2017 23:49

I hate showers and would prefer never to have them at all, however I usually don't have any hot water so I have to have them

On the rare occasions that I do have hot water I love baths

I often just boil the kettle and have a wash at the sink

I wash my hair every second day I just lean over the bath and wash it using the shower head

funkky · 09/01/2017 03:40

lol @ Bitter. I am from a third world country and in shock that people don't shower everyday. I used to shower twice a day, in the UK I can't do anything until I shower in the morning.

goldopals · 09/01/2017 04:24

I shower every day... It takes only a couple of minutes if I'm not washing my hair. It is plenty of time to scrub myself with a loufa!

MumOfTwoMasterOfNone · 09/01/2017 04:58

really yes, I could smell her body odour when she walked into the office. I'm very conscious that by the end of the day I don't smell particularly fresh in the summer but I've never smelt by 10 am (the time she started work) and I think someone would have a very bad problem if they did if they showered at least once a day.
I have 2 children under 3 and am working full time. I still manage a shower every morning and sometimes at night. I don't have any help in the mornings either. Don't get me wrong, I don't have time to wash my hair as often as I'd like, but a shower really does only take 2 minutes.

MardAsSnails · 09/01/2017 05:15

I don't shower daily. Our shower takes 15 mins to warm up and it's a pain. I have big hair which takes an age to dry too, and since I started washing that 2-3 times a week at most, it's started getting less greasy (the transition when it appeared really bad after 1 day of not being washed was at a time I was in horrific depression and therefore didn't give a fuck. Around 2 months later it sorted itself out).

Where I live,it's desalinated sea water and makes your skin awful, so I minimise showers for that reason too.

Bedding is changed twice weekly though, clean clothes daily, and we have one of those little shower nozzles next to the toilet for a freshen up downstairs if I feel it necessary.

PollytheDolly · 09/01/2017 05:40

Bath every night. Big soak! Both of us. I don't use soap as it irritates my skin but a nice body wash.

I wash my hair once a week. It's very thick and takes forever to dry and it's got much better condition wise the less I wash it. Not dry or greasy.

DH2b never washes his hair with products but does rinse it every night with warm water. His hair is absolutely lush! I darent try to get to that stage but after our wedding I might see if I can do it!

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