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 😂)

@ravenmum

Daily shower users, how often do you scrub and dehair your shower? 🤣

Weekly. More if it seems to need it (I have long, thick hair. On my head, I hasten to add.).

Why is that funny?

As often as you want. I bath daily, but it's more about relaxing in the bath with a book in peace.
If you don't shower daily that's OK, totally your choice!!

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

If you can shower in 30 seconds you’re not doing it right.

Three times a week is fine

Showering is faster than washing your bits. Twice daily for me too- wakes me up in the morning and I like going to bed clean too🤷‍♀️

I have 3 children I shower in the mornings and have a bath at night. if I didn't do this I'd be paranoid that I smelt.lol

Every day. To me it's like brushing my teeth, and it helps wake me up. Bit excessive but even if I have a morning workout planned I will still have a very quick shower first thing, mainly to wake myself up rather than get clean.

I have a 6 month old and I have never ever understood when people say they don't get time to shower with a baby. Just plonk them outside the bathroom in a bouncer and leave the door open? Or shower while they nap and take the monitor in with you? Or (unless you're a single parent) get your partner to watch the baby? Even in the days after my csection where I was barely moving I still made sure I showered daily. It's non-negotiable to me.

@WindInTheWillows7

"The average 10-minute shower uses 60 litres of water. A power shower uses three times that and a bath about 80 litres. So a family of four each having a daily 10-minute power shower (I know that is a very conservative estimate for some teenagers) will consume a staggering 0.25m litres of water every year. The annual average cost for electricity for four 10-minute showers per day would be up to about £400, or £1,200 if a power shower is involved. Even worse, the power-shower family would be emitting a staggering 3.5 tonnes of CO2. As we can afford only one tonne of carbon emissions per person – for everything from food to transport – if we are to keep global temperatures below the critical 2C threshold, this would consume nearly all of the family’s carbon budget."https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/08/shower-once-a-week-polluting-environment

Remind me to never again listen to MNers preach about how environmentally friendly they are, or guilt trip people who want a big family.

Dd was in the shower for 50 minutes this morning. Will be explaining this to her later

You say all that but I'll bet you still buy plastic tat and bin clothes, food etc. Coming from someone who works in the sector and cares strongly - just have a shower, it's not that deep. Time it, turn the heat down.

There's other more meaningful ways to be environmentally friendly.

Wow the nastiness! It’s like “mean girls” at school!
“Gross” “wtf” “disgusting” I’m still relatively new to mumsnet and it still shocks me how people respond to threads. Anyway 3 x week is fine only you know your daily activities / cleanliness some people do need them daily but others are just as clean if they leave a couple days (eg my sister has night sweats so absolutely has to shower every morning)
I’m sure you are more than capable of judging when you need a shower.

You are fine, I shower every other day, showering daily ruins my hair and my skin to the point it becomes cracked and sore.

I’m sure you are more than capable of judging when you need a shower.

If this is the case you have to wonder what op was hoping for from this thread.

I used to shower daily . It’s been less now probably around 3-4 times a week now that I have a 1 year old because by the time he goes to bed which is late I’m exhausted to get into the shower . But I’m trying to work on it I do think it’s disgusting . I would want to shower everyday again

I shower every night before bed. I'm single. Wouldn't dream of not showering every day.

A man I work with says he only showers every other day and this is because he is trying to save water for eco reasons. I was a bit surprised as I thought practically everyone (with a few exceptions) showered every day. When MIL stays at ours I don’t think she showers that often although FIL does and I find it odd that she doesn’t.

Morning shower and lovely lazy bath at night.

Can't imagine going days between having a proper shower or bath.

Showering 3 times a week is NOT GROSS, unless you are very exercising, working physically or shagging a lot.

@EmpressSuiko

You are fine, I shower every other day, showering daily ruins my hair and my skin to the point it becomes cracked and sore.

You can shower without getting your hair or face wet. Use a shower cap or don't stand under the showerhead. And if it's your body that is sore you might find shower products for dry skin actually put moisture back in - like Aveeno or products for people with dry skin conditions.

@Kanaloa

I’m sure you are more than capable of judging when you need a shower.

If this is the case you have to wonder what op was hoping for from this thread.

Maybe validation as her friends made her feel bad? Who knows. I think I’ll forever be too chicken to ask mumsnet opinion on anything…

Sod every day. Every other day is fine.

Some of you are having a bath every day on top of a shower?! Your water bills must be immense!

Yes maybe. Just funny that so many are wondering why people are telling op how much she should shower when her thread is literally titled ‘how often should I shower?’

My rules are:every morning, and also before bed on workdays, or if I've sat on a public toilet. 😂I have however, stopped using shower gel. My skin is thanking me for it, and I am assured by others I don't smell. I hope they are not just being kind 😳

Every other day unless I've been exercising. The water in my area is very hard and wrecks my hair if I wash everyday, and it also causes itchy skin.

DD showers every other day too because she's found her eczema gets worse if her skin is assaulted with soap/gels everyday. By leaving it a couple of days her natural skin oils help keep dryness away.

DH twice a week, but he never smells. Has a strip wash in the sink most days.

It shouldn't be quicker to wash in the shower than at the sink though. You should be doing the same amount of washing in either place. I think some of the smelliest people I've come across are people who shower a lot though, but just do quantity over quality eg. They've been under a stream of water but not actually washed just essentially rinsed them self. So that they end up smelling like wet dog.