I was just reading that in 2001, 75% of all Americans shower/bathe each day.

But back in 1950, only 29% of Americans bothered to shower each day. That actually, in 1950, 52% showered only 3 times a week or less.

So does that mean that 1/4 of all visitors to this forum don't shower daily? I suppose I have to admit that working from home, I sometimes don't take the time to shower on a day that I'm really busy ...

I wonder if that survey included kids between the ages of 10 and 13?? That seemed to be difficult years to convince my kids of the virtue of cleanliness.. :rolleyes: ..After they became teenagers, they wouldn't go out to get the mail without a shower and "perfect hair".

When I was a kid, in the 50's, our water came from a well and my mom wouldn't let us "waste" it everyday. It was the "Sunday nite bath" era for us. Now, I am definitely in the 75% group. My hair looks so bad in the morning that the only thing to do is wash it and start from scratch.

I think they only included adults, it'd be unfair to include kids in something like that since they don't really perspire at all until they're teenagers <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

When I was interviewing a woman about her childhood she talked about them lugging in water from the well once a week and sharing the tub, and how the littlest ones went first and then at the end her mom and dad would share the tub. The kids all thought that was disgusting, how could they stand to be together naked like that! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

That's funny... <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ...I bet that water was disgusting, after a few grubby little kids got out of it... ...

I shower at least once, sometimes twice each day. It may be an obsession/compulsion after living a great deal of my childhood outside the U.S. and experiencing the differing opinions around the world regarding cleanliness!

Btw, my nine year old DOES sweat, it just does not have the (hormonal?)odor that a teen's will. He does still get quite "stinky" on a hot, summer and active day!!!

Kitty

That's a good point, that different cultures have different cleanliness standards. In America we get into a bath when we're dirty and then 'stew' in the dirty water. In Japan, they scrub all the dirt off first, and *then* they get into the clean water to soak. Makes more sense <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I remember my father telling us that when he was in Germany during WWII, the German women tended to not shave their legs or armpits and a certain "aroma" was desirable to the German men. Its a good thing he didn't try to pull that on my mother.....

I also question our practice of putting a grungy little kid in the tub, and then rinsing the shampoo out of their hair with the bath water.... :rolleyes:

I don't know, I think a lot of women would be quite happy not having to shave all the time. If only we were thought of as beautiful in our natural state, whatever shape that happens to be! Instead we tweeze and rub and tone and exercise and hone our bodies to be something else.

Baths are really relaxing, but I'm not sure they get you too clean. If you go in dirty, it seems the bath would just redistribute the dirt <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Stumbled onto this old topic, but I've got some interesting stuff I've been reading.

It's not the having water pour over us that makes us more "showerable" here in the US, it's the fact that we use a ton of detergents (soap) constantly. I've been doing some research on skin and hair, and it seems that rinsing once a day will keep you really clean and rather fresh smelling, even without soaps. Most of what comes off of humans is sterile until it builds up and becomes contaminated. It's washing the buildup off the skin surface, keeping bacteria from growing, that seems to prevent smells and itches.

- Rae

You know, this makes a great deal of sense, Rae! Thanks for sharing that! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />