How often should I shower?

[grosstonotshower]

Ok so I'm having a few drinks with friends last night. We are all female a mix of parents and non parents. One friend mentions she is struggling to find time for o shower every day since she had her baby. I said "well I don't shower every day without a young baby," All of my friends looked at me in horror. Apparently even the ones with kids shower daily. Full disclosure I have two dd one under five and I work part time. I shower on work days plus one extra day so usually three times a week my days off usually consist of playing at home, walking dog, school run and maybe park. I would shower extra if exercising/having sex/on period etc. I bath my dc three times a week. My oh works out every week day so he does shower more than me. AIBD? (Disgusting 😂)

I find drying myself takes a lot longer after a shower than after a sink wash.

The fact they looked surprised means you clearly don't smell. I tend to skip a couple of days a week. Will likely shower 5/7 but I'm at work 5 days so do so most days as it's a good way to wake up and start the day. Might skip a Friday as it's a half day then skip Sunday for instance

I only wash my hair once a week. It’s thick and slightly dry and doesn’t look it’s best straight after washing.

I dont shower every day, I could probably squeeze one in in the morning if I woke up early enough but I’d rather have the extra time in bed. I couldn’t have a shower without washing my hair I wouldn’t tfeel properly clean! I use deodorant every day and don’t wear anything twice, I’m not a very sweaty or smelly person tbh.

I think I probably have one every other day but sometimes in the i between days I have a bath. DH showers twice a day and I bath the younger kids every night.

Showering every day is a modern thing, i certainly didn't until relatively recently, last 15 years or so. Baths on a Sunday night were more the custom plus once during the week if there was time and enough hot water

Personally I think once a day is the bare minimum in a country with readily available running hot water. As I child (I grew up in Moscow) I visited a place where only cold water was available and people went to a sauna weekly for a hood wash but they still heated water at home and washed daily using jugs and other utensils)
I think shower frequency depends on how one was brought up, I was taught to shower every evening to go to bed clean and during the day after school/pe etc. if I had pe and showered after school I'd still shower in the evening. I have 5 living children and the eldest (18) showers daily and sometimes 2-3 times a day if he goes to the gym or bike rides, younger ones (boys and girls) have a shower after they get home from school/classes and change into clean clothes.
I bath my 16 month old son every day (usually a shower with a bit of a play with toys. I'd feel dirty going to bed without a shower but know people who are fine with it and whose children (girls) can not take a shower for days (including after dance and other classes) and mask the smell with a deodorant and think crusty underwater is ok.
My principle is live and let live and as long as those people are living with someone who finds it acceptable and it causes no tension then no harm done.

@PinchOfVom

It takes two mins, why would you not shower daily? There is literally no reason why not / and yes I’ve had kids 2 under 2 at one point and never missed a shower

3 times a week is gross.

I can think of one very good reason why not.

Because the person might not need it?

I certainly don't need a shower if I've done nothing other than sitting around the house and walking the dog.

Not sure how to edit but should say "hot" not hood wash.

Further to my previous post, in my view posters who state it's grim not to shower 1 or more daily are speaking from a privileged position of having no health or wealth obstacles.
Many households struggle to pay fuel and water bills, live in less than ideal housing and/ or are disabled, physically or mentally and some may need carers/ support to wash/ change clothing
Life isn't black or white

The one a day is not a rule. My mum showers 3 times a week and be er ever smells. She doesn't sweat much at all, never has. My OH smells after a day at work no matter what. He showers as soon as he gets home and often in the morning.

I can easy go 2 days without showing and don't smell at all. My OH would tell me without a doubt. I can probably go 3 days but don't like to take the risk.

If I showered every day I think my skin would fall off! Very hard water here, makes my skin really dry. Every other day, a stand up wash at the sink every other night, and a quick wash at the sink every morning. Followed by moisturising. It's not grim, I'm clean, I smell nice, and I don't waste water.

I grew up in the 60s and 70s in a house with an over bath shower, the type that diverted water flow from the taps. TBH it was mostly used for washing hair in the bath, the idea of an actual stand up shower was strange and most daily washing was done at the sink.

Dead skin accumulates. It needs to be removed. Moisturising keeps skin hydrated and supple.
I don’t have a blemish on my body and the skin glows. Definitely not doing anything wrong.
Also, I’m black so moisturising daily is very necessary.

Love a good shower/bath thread

I shower daily as I walk dogs for a living and come home covered in mud, drool, hair and sweat.

I shower 3 times a week on average. I just don't get smelly really and my hygiene is good. I only shower that often because my partner would comment about me being water shy! I hate the feeling of being wet so try to put it off. I would happily go 3/4 days without a shower if I could!

I shower every day because I need it to get going or something like that. Part of the wake up process. But I only wash my hair once a week which I'm sure some people would say is skanky.

A shower takes 30 seconds - 2 min max...wtf?

I shower once a week.

I AM DISABLED.

Had to put that in capitals so you might not call me gross. Though you've all probably got a disabled friend with no arms or legs who manages to shower twice a day so I have no excuse.

I used to shower every day but I'm at a point now where I just can’t managed. My hair and skin has never been better! My hair was so greasy before. It’d get itchy and gross so fast - sometimes stopping me sleep! But now it’s in amazing condition.

I’m not smelly. Keep telling yourself I'm deluded if you want. I have people in my life who would DEFINITELY tell me if I did.

That’s your normal. So be it. Personally I shower every day, it’s akin to getting dresses, cleaning my teeth. It makes me fresh etc. Funnily enough, I also managed to shower daily with a newborn and every days since. I work with folk (WFH) who literally roll out of bed, plonk themselves on the sofa in their pyjamas all day and think that’s normal too.

My hair looks a bit like Boris first thing in the morning so I shower every morning. I would feel really grubby and messy without it. If I have been working on a dirty job at home (painting,clearing shed that sort of thing) I would do the job and shower afterwards or have a bath that evening. There would never be a day when I didn't wash my hair and whole body.

@user1471523870

I think it's absolutely fine and only you can judge on your needs!

For me, I like to shower every day first thing in the morning (when possible) as it's way quicker than wash my armpits, face, lady parts etc and also because my fine hair looks awful if not washed every day. I can do it in under 5 minutes, plus 10 max to dry my hair.

I'm the same. Fine hair and just can't do anything with it if I don't wash it on a morning.

In general, I shower everyday when I first get up. Sometimes if I've got cleaning to do I'll shower once I have done that but I feel grotty until I have showered.

If I didn't feel grotty then I wouldn't shower everyday.

I don’t have a shower, just a bath, I bath most days or at least 5 times a week (might skip a day here and there). If I had a showers I would shower once a day as it’s much quicker than running a bath.

@PattyPan

@PinchOfVom

It takes two mins, why would you not shower daily? There is literally no reason why not / and yes I’ve had kids 2 under 2 at one point and never missed a shower

3 times a week is gross.

There's literally loads of reasons why not.

People saying it takes two minutes are exaggerating. It takes about two minutes just for my hot water to come through.

I shower probably alternate days, and if I'm going walking there's no point showering first so I shower after. I went swimming at lunch time today so I didn't shower this morning but did it after. I didn't shower yesterday, but I did Monday after swimming which was after work.

Reasons include, but are not limited to: time; cost (water and heating fuel); skin issues; cba; number of people in house vs number of showers; hating doing it; etc.

I shower every other day. Unlike some I do actually wash in the shower though.