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Original poster

How often do we really need to wash our kids???

314 replies

Bunny10 · 02/10/2017 20:59

So I read today that Vivienne Westwood only has a bath once a week to keep her looking young and to save water/help the environment. It got me thinking - how often do your kids have a bath or shower? I'm in the habit of giving my little ones a bath every night although they probably don't need it. It's just a habit/part of their routine. But I keep reading about how we need to stop wasting so much water in the home as water levels are low and am feeling guilty. Any tips on keeping kids clean without a nightly bath???

OP posts:
Redcrayons · 02/10/2017 21:03

Teens. Every single morning cos they smell otherwise.

Chilver · 02/10/2017 21:06

We stopped the nightly bath around 3.5yo. Found it was drying her skin and also our water bill was huge!! Now its bath once a week at home and shower twice a week after swimming. Wash hair once or twice a week. DD is now 5, doesn't smell, isn't dirty, skin much better and water bill reduced Grin

barefootinkitchen · 02/10/2017 21:10

A quick shower can get them as clean. I feel bad about using a whole bath's amount of water more than once a week. My daughter ( 6) has a plastic tub in the shower to play with a few toys. Sometimes if we've been playing games in the evening and it's too late I'll do a quick wash with a facecloth, it's even quicker. Depends on the age I think.

WhooooAmI24601 · 02/10/2017 21:17

DS1 is 11 (almost 12) and has suddenly begun to smell a bit unless he showers daily. He's getting a bit pre-teen-spotty too, so we're teaching a great deal of personal hygiene at the minute so he's being wrestled into the shower each morning despite his protests of "I don't even care if I smell, I love the way I smell".

DS2 is a bit of a dirty hobgoblin so has a bath every few nights and a shower after football practise on a friday and again on a sunday after matches.

I shower daily because I feel grubby if I don't. DH showers every other day but never smells, ever. It's like he has magic armpits but he says showering less means your body regulates itself. I doubt it though.

Bubbles34 · 02/10/2017 21:28

Ours (5 and 3) have a bath once or twice a week and just wash hands and face on the other days, I really don't have time to bath them every night and defo agree about wasting water!

Wavingkitten · 02/10/2017 21:32

DD6 has a bath twice a week and hair only washed once a week after swimming. Every morning wash her face and wipe round her bum area with baby wipes.

Lowdoorinthewal1 · 02/10/2017 21:36

DS7 showers every night and washes his hair while he's in there. Takes 3 mins. I just don't really understand why people don't get their kids into the habit of washing properly every day.

Wiping a 6yo's bum with wipes???? She needs to get in the shower for a couple of minutes and wash herself.

Aderyn17 · 02/10/2017 21:37

Mine all shower every day. Youngest (age 10) might skip the odd saturday evening if doing sport in the morning. Also washes hair every day

GinIsIn · 02/10/2017 21:39

We bath DS every night but he's 7mo and we are weaning so most days he's coated in houmous or tomato sauce.

Paintbox · 02/10/2017 21:39

I agree that young kids don't need to be bathed or showered every day. They don't get that dirty or sweaty at school bar pe days etc. We only bath or shower ours about 3 times a week. Other than that it's a flannel wash at the sink. Perfectly fine at the age of 4 and 6

OhtoblazeswithElvira · 02/10/2017 21:42

Every other day. A compromise between eczema and dirt. Mine still get dirty at 3 and 7! Hair as and when needed which is once or twice a week.

AppleTrayBake · 02/10/2017 21:50

Everyday, 2 and 4yo.

2yo still in nappies (gross not to bath/shower after a day of poo'ing and wee'ing yourself) and is also generally a bit muddy and sticky.

4yo isn't the most reliable wiper and again often a bit muddy etc at the end of a day playing.

SellMySoulForMoreSleep · 02/10/2017 21:52

Showers every other day here too, bath on a Sunday night. DS8 washes hair everytime because it smells otherwise, DS6 just once a week for hair wash because he hates it and it doesn't smell or look greasy.

SuperBeagle · 02/10/2017 21:55

Every night, because they get grimy, and because a bath/shower before bed has always been the done thing in my family.

But baths are stopped as soon as they're old enough to shower, because baths are unnecessary water-wasters and I live in a drought-stricken country.

G1raffe · 02/10/2017 21:55

Usually 2-3 x a week showers here for the kids. sometimes more if particularly dirty or messy.

AfunaMbatata · 02/10/2017 21:57

DD5 and showers every night but only very quickly, her hair is washed around every 3 weeks.

PurplePillowCase · 02/10/2017 22:03

very shallow bath every night.
hair washed every other day.
the way dc shower, i.e. sitting in the rain, uses much more water than a couple of inches of bath water.

notfunnyhaha85 · 02/10/2017 22:09

Every night for both DC as they stink otherwise Confused although we only use one half bath tub full of water between them.

DS is 9 months and gets bathed first, quick full body soap up (concentrating on the neck folds and other crevices), rinse and he's done and ready for bed. Then I'll top the water up for DD who's 6 and prefers a longer soak and some play time with her mermaid barbies and DS's bath toys when she thinks I'm not looking.

DD's hair get washed on a Sunday night as even though she's a grubby, sticky ball of energy, she never gets greasy hair Hmm

whirlyswirly · 02/10/2017 22:13

Preteen ds suddenly seriously honks. It's happened pretty much overnight. So every day now. Same as when he was a baby.

The younger one can last a couple of days before being forced to wash.

CountFosco · 02/10/2017 22:35

DS has a bath or shower every day but he has eczema. We use to bath him twice a week so it was a bit of a change. His sisters swim multiple times a week so shower when they come out of the pool but that's it unless they get very muddy at football.

Openup41 · 03/10/2017 00:12

Everyday - morning and night. They are grubby after being at school all day touching all sorts, playing rough and tumble. They smell lovely after having a bath and being dowsed with baby powder.

I too was bathed morning and night so do not know any different.

Openup41 · 03/10/2017 00:15

How on earth does Vivienne Westwood keep clean on days she does not shower/bath?Shock

I worked with a woman who openly stated she did not shower daily and felt there was no need. Why would you choose not to shower when you have access to water and shower gel/soap? There is no shortage of either.

Ollivander84 · 03/10/2017 00:18

Open - sink wash? I had to do it after surgery. My skin was much nicer!

AhAgain · 03/10/2017 06:53

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

CauliflowerSqueeze · 03/10/2017 06:56

I wish the kids at the school where I work all washed every day.

Some of them smell so bad I have to go into the corridor for gulps of fresh air.

It’s disgusting. Not just a little whiff, some smell like a rotting bin bag.