How frequently do you currently take a bath or shower?

[MichaelCorfman]

This is a question I could never have imagined asking before the pandemic. But from what I've read, lots of folks have changed their bathing habits in the last year. In fact, last week the New York Times ran a story on the topic (click the link to read the complete story):

See Fewer People. Take Fewer Showers.

The article begins as follows:

Robin Harper, an administrative assistant at a preschool on Martha’s Vineyard, grew up showering every day.

“It’s what you did,” she said. But when the coronavirus pandemic forced her indoors and away from the general public, she started showering once a week.

The new practice felt environmentally virtuous, practical and freeing. And it has stuck.

“Don’t get me wrong,” said Ms. Harper, 43, who has returned to work. “I like showers. But it’s one thing off my plate. I’m a mom. I work full-time, and it’s one less thing I have to do.”

Further on, the article reads as follows:

Plumbing and upward mobility changed everything

Daily showers are a fairly new phenomenon, said Donnachadh McCarthy, an environmentalist and writer in London who grew up taking weekly baths.

“We had a bath once a week and we washed under at the sink the rest of the week — under our armpits and our privates — and that was it,” Mr. McCarthy, 61, said.

As he grew older, he showered every day. But after a visit to the Amazon jungle in 1992 revealed the ravages of overdevelopment, Mr. McCarthy said he began reconsidering how his daily habits were affecting the environment and his own body.

“It’s not really good to be washing with soap every day,” said Mr. McCarthy, who showers once a week.

Doctors and health experts have said that daily showers are unnecessary, and even counterproductive. Washing with soap every day can strip the skin of its natural oils and leave it feeling dry, though doctors still recommend frequent hand-washing.

The bottom line is that plenty of people have revisited their bathing habits in the context of having less interaction with other people and spending more time at home.

How about you? Besides voting in the poll, please share your thoughts in a post.

Personally I know I used to religiously shower every day with only rare exceptions. But now, working at home with only short trips outside the house for errands, that's changed. And I do like the idea of being more environmentally sensitive in my bathing habits. But once a week is far too extreme for me. Twice a week is definitely the absolute minimum for me even in today's isolated world. And I don't see myself returning to working in an office without once again showering before hand each day.

Michael

[gil.langelaan]

Hi Michael!

When I saw the thread topic I though what the h*** is that? And why we should share this stuff here? It's a forum to discuss a gambling stuff and so one.

But when I read the full description I expressed "wow".

I thought that now people take shower more often than it was before the pandemic. But I was very surprised reading the comments from New York Times.

Personally I took the shower once a day regularly, sometimes two times a day. I love shower as after it I feel more confident and fresh.

Even sitting at home and working remotely I feel a need in shower.

But you know this post made me think about it more. Maybe taking a shower lesser then once a day could save some more water or do the other useful thing for our planet. Hmm, that's interesting.

Thanks for sharing!

[rmeeuwsen]

Golly, why don't we all just live in the forest, eat berries and use leaves for everything else.

[Cash Bonus]

I have to shower once daily, because I suffer from dandruff which I've had since I was a child. It really all comes down to personal hygiene and feeling good, clean and refreshed. Ready to face the challenges of the day.

[AussieDave]

New York Times (Robin Harper)
“I like showers. But it’s one thing off my plate. I’m a mom. I work full-time, and it’s one less thing I have to do.”

Good thing she had children before the pandemic, because I'm sure her 'new' showering regime, would guarantee she'd stay childless. The mind boggles to what she does when that TOTM hits...

Edit:
Usual it's 2x a day. Though, if I've been doing yard work or anything that's got me sweaty, dirty or both, then I have another.

However, we don't use soap here. Instead, we use QV body wash (non detergent) or something similar. This help stop our skin drying out, though, we also use a fair bit of moisturizer on a daily basis too.

Golly, why don't we all just live in the forest, eat berries and use leaves for everything else.

Thanks for the chuckle, that was very funny, indeed

[DarkHorse-SB]

at least twice a day... ugh too hot ... and exercise....

[Sherlock]

Darkhorse, I know you from SBR! It was and maybe still is a forum, where I learnt to write English (some would argue otherwise).

Michael yur questions and polls are incredible. Usually you cover all options with really small increments. But it is not enough. I think right now, I am out of tropics, so I took a shower in a frozen Andean cabin exactly 3.5x a week! = every other day. But when it is extra cold, maybe twice a day.

I miss onsens badly.

[AussieDave]

I am out of tropics, so I took a shower in a frozen Andean cabin exactly 3.5x a week! = every other day. But when it is extra cold, maybe twice a day.

I'd have thought the Andes, like the deep Amazon, would be a few of the last places, you'd be able to get internet access.

[Sherlock]

50mbit 4G wireless. Is now shaky during mornings, because kids have internet school because of corona, and the network is not designed yet for it.

Actually today I met guys who are doing a new optical cable here. I changed the cabin with engeneers who came here to make a 5G project. Times change.

[Dsquared]

Twice a day... might have seen fewer people but it's more about feeling good for yourself I have a bath most evenings, might not 'need' it but it's a nice way to relax when you're sat at a laptop most of the day. Feels weird to have a bath in the morning, shower is the best start to the day (after coffee).

Considering how it was the norm to bathe much less back in the day, guess we're lucky to have the privilege of taking them whenever we want. Never really thought about the affects of soaps/detergent on body - might look into that more

[GreyBeard]

COVID knocked out my sense of smell back in November and it only starts to return to normal as we speak.
Even though I wasn't able to smell my own BO, I did shower once a day...

[affy]

Most of the threads I can follow but when they go indepth into "tech savvy" affiliate stuff I get lost, what the heck is a shower?!

[agsgroup]

Most of the threads I can follow but when they go indepth into "tech savvy" affiliate stuff I get lost, what the heck is a shower?!

haha, good one

[RacingJim]

I have a shower every 2 days.

Can you smell me from there? Haha.

[Sherlock]

Most of the threads I can follow but when they go indepth into "tech savvy" affiliate stuff I get lost, what the heck is a shower?!

I heard some Ruslan is taking it 7x a day. It is golden though. Not sure if it helps.

[Topboss]

I shower every day and sometimes twice a day and have done my whole life.
Even when we had times in South Africa where they were working on the water - I would "bath" in the swimming pool.

I guess this is partly because I have always lived in hot countries so it is simply the norm to shower once a day at least, but even in Winter I could not imagine not having a shower!

Once I went for 2 days without a shower as we were camping but I have never felt so dirty in my life!

[Nenad]

Once a day is enough for me

[johan_s]

5 days per week. More often if I work out a lot.

[Andy Brown]

Sometimes I work out and go for a run on the same day, so I take a shower 3 times a day: After the workout, after the run, and in the evening. I know, that it might not be that healthy, as you wash off some of your skin cells, that are in charge of protecting your skin from bacteria. However, I cannot help it.

[Pokerface]

Often 2-3 showers a day. Even shower before I go to the gym or go to work outside then obviously again after. lol