Do you need one every day?

[GladAllOver]

I was told off at the weekend by someone who said it was wasteful and environmentally irresponsible to have a bath or shower every day. I said she was wrong. AIBU?

An unapologetic bath and hair wash for me every day.

I soak in the bath everyday.
I've two disabled kids so on an evening when their dad is home to support them I get my time to relax in the bath.
Yes it might not be environmentally friendly but caring 24/7 is hard work and i need my sanity 🤣

I think it’s rank to not fully wash every day, doesn’t necessarily have to be the morning etc but at some point having a wash of your bits is essential.

Unless you’re doing a flannel / wet wipe situation (arguably less sustainable than just using water)

Most of the things we do in everyday life could be considered irresponsible and unsustainable from driving to work, watching tv, using smart phones, buying clothes, owning pets, having children to putting the heating on when it’s cold.

Every single thing has its implications, do what you can to be more sustainable but absolutely do not walk about having not washed your bum for several days. Buy some reusable straws and recycle your tins instead

What about bottoms? They need washing. I wish more people would shower every day. I can’t get over the stink of a lot of people on the buses. Revolting.
quick shower soap rinse that’s it

This often comes up on MN.

Other people can do what they like, but I shower every morning and often shower or bathe at night, too. I like to feel fresh and clean.

DH and our teens both shower every morning, but rarely have baths.

I can’t imagine feeling fresh and awake or going out to work with other people without showering, but I suppose lots of people work from home now and it matters less to them.

I feel like people have very short memories. It's not so long since families shared ONE bath of water on a Sunday, even if there were 10 of them in the house.

We do not NEED to shower every day. If we take care of ourselves, have a quick wash over the sink when we get up, we would be fine.

I shower most evenings because it makes me feel good, but I don't NEED to.

A few times a week is fine.

I have to shower and wash my hair every single day, otherwise I just feel dirty. I don’t think others can smell me, but I can smell the mustiness of being unwashed. I can smell people’s musty hair on public transport so think just have a very sensitive nose. If I get a slight whiff of halitosis of fellow commuters I have to move.

I prefer to shower daily. Mostly because I go to the gym a lot and want to wash to feel clean after a workout. I also feel my hair needs to be washed often as gets greasy easily. DH prefers to shower a couple of times a week and my DC generally like a daily shower (also gym goers)

I don't miss commuting to work on public transport. Cex or any other game shop is just as bad. There's no excuse.

The recommendation is at least twice a week. Like bare minimum

I didn’t know that, @healthywino. Makes me feel better about the fact that Dd has entered full blown soap dodger territory and it’s a battle to get her in the shower every few days 😂

Unless you’re actually dirty or sweaty, then you don’t need a bath or shower every day.

What you do need every day, though, is what used to be called a ‘proper’ wash, I.e. including ‘pits and bits’. That’s what many people did before it was normal to have a proper shower in the bathroom, not to mention enough hot water for everyone to have a shower or bath every day.

Every day. Twice. Very quick though. Sometimes let the water from power shower accumulate in bath to see how much I use. Very small amount!

Night sweat central thanks to menopause so yep shower every morning these days

I don’t shower daily but my reasoning is also skin health; I don’t want to dry my skin out especially in the winter! I’m every other day followed by a very intense moisturising routine all over — I also shower at night and then go to bed and the next morning I’m good to go — I am not a sweaty person, and have never been told I smell bad. Quite the opposite! To each their own.

I just don’t get why you wouldn’t hop in the shower and wash rather than stand at the sink with a flannel? Quicker, easier and likely to actually result in a better wash. And no flannel to wash either

The NHS advice is "at least twice a week"

I think your friend needs to mind her own business

I shower every morning and bath every evening unless- it’s a lazy weekend day when I have a long bath in the afternoon or I’m on a sunny holiday in which case I shower in the evening before dinner (but rinse then swim a lot during the day!)
I just like to feel clean and my evening bath is my relaxation. Our water and energy bills are quite high but we can afford it. I offset the energy guilt by driving an electric car.

Bath or shower every day for us and the kids. Could never imagine missing even one day as an adult. I think the kids may have missed one or two when we were late back from a long day out when they were young but would give them a bath first thing the next day. So for me, I would find it very wierd for someone to not wash properly every day.

You would get it, if you’d ever been in a situation where there would not be enough hot water.

Living as a human on this planet is environmentally irresponsible because no one has a carbon footprint of zero. Yet I don't see people advocating for mass suicides.

Have your bath or shower as often as you need to to feel comfortable.

Don’t think I’ve ever showered/ bath every day but was bought up having a good wash every morning , if I thought for even one minute that I smelt offensive I would, but I’m sure I dont

If I’m not going out then I don’t bother. My water bill used to be massive when my son was here, with his daily long showers even if he wasn’t going anywhere. Once he went off to Uni I was able to cut the water bill considerably. I will though have a bath sometimes if I’m achy whether I’m going out or not.