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="" />

Ya know, I shower like every two or three days, but I never feel dirty. I think I have more of a Euro attitude about it all.

I must have a Euro attitude as well. I only shower when I need to get out of the house (never more than once a day). Which is only on workdays, and whenever I want to go out on the weekend. I like to be unwashed more. My skin feels better and less irritated.

I agree, Ice Queen. my skin feels better when it's not drying out all the time from soaps. But I live in Arizona, where it's dry dry dry. My skin would crack if I showered every day. Now, my husband LOVES showering, and sometimes he does it 2 times a day. BUT he also slathers lotion all over his body after every time, plus before he goes to bed. I can't be bothered. Maybe it's because I am of Italian descent.

BTW, I love baths. But not for cleaning, moslty for relaxing and thinking.

Agreed on baths. I feel dirtier after than before <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I need a shower everyday to feel normal. I am a fan of squeaky clean, all over. I am not into the natural aroma thingie, really. I think females and uncircumsized males , both of whom are susceptible to infection, really should wash, RINSE, and dry thoroughly every day. Sorry, am I being horribly graphic?? I can take b.o. to a certain extent, but I really don't want to crawl in bed next to someone and smell their butt. lolol! Sorry, again, but it's true...

I have to shower everyday...preferably at night before I go to bed. I find that I sleep so much better after a hot shower (even though the water dries out my skin).

Also, my 10 year old son definitely sweats and absolutely hates to bathe/shower/wash-up. My daughter (under 3) likes to take 2-3 baths a day! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well, inreferance to water on the surface of the body everyday, I look at it like this. I break it down into 3 catagorys.

1.Bath=When I want to get away from the rest of the house/world and housework.

2.Shower=When I am in a hurry for work.

3.Ho-Bath=When my daughter is in the bathroom that has the shower, mine off the bedroom does not. That's when I wash all over, at my sink, once with soapy cloth, then rinse, then dry off. All three are followed with lotions and oils, I have dry skin. I do at least one of these a day, and not to long, I also have reoccurring Eczema.

Sharon

I never heard the term ho-bath. I like the idea though. Sometimes I just wash my hair in the sink, if I am in a hurry or don't feel like a whole shower.

I like to wash my hair in the sink also - wrap it in a towel followed by lazing in the tub. Our tub here in The Netherlands is narrower than the USA and it doesn't take long to fill up.

BTW as a child we had a well in the country and had the Saturday night bath thing - first I used the water, than my sister, than my brother.

In summer, we were sent down to the river's edge with a bar of ivory soap. lol

Susan <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

As to the term "ho-bath", my girlfriend and I made it up long time ago when we spent the night at one anothers apartment to go shopping the next morning.

At the time we only each had one bathroom, one would have to wait.

One day we decided that one would take a shower and the other would use the sink.

I shortened the spelling of the term as not to be crud, get it.

Sharon

Oh, I get it now! Cute :angel: maybe the term will catch on.

Susan, how did taking turns in the tub work out? Was the water cold and dirty at the end?

In the summer it's definitely shower every day at least once - busy or not. It's just too much not to do that.

On the days I am busy I end up taking a shower sometimes at midnight but I can't sleep in bed being dirty. The funny thing is, I can take a nap in the bed if I am all sweaty. Hmmmm....

And when the ambulance was coming to take me to the hospital I was begging my husband to let me shower before they came. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> He wouldn't let me and the nurses at the hospital didn't let me shower until the day after I had my daughter.
Went into labor about midnight Friday night, had Natalie on Saturday. Was able to shower Sunday afternoon.

Let's all say it together.... EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Overshare, I know.

Victoria

hummm, interesting question - do people about to give birth manage to get a shower in first????

I'm Spanish and I have a shower everyday. In my country most people have a shower or two daily. It's so in Mediterranean Europe, although northern Europeans don't do it so often. Spain is the biggest consumer of shampoo, gel and body lotion in Europe while the French are the ones to use more parfume in the EU. We also use our washing machines more often than the rest.

I think it's not only having a shower but washing your clothes too.

I shower six times a day = you are all filthy.

I totally agree with you!

When I was in my 20s and 30s there was no question but that I needed to shower and wash my hair every day. I could go without on a weekend day, maybe two, but for work, it was essential. Then when I was in my mid 30s, I married my European husband; he definitely showed me how silly that was. He washes when he's been doing work that makes him dirty, like digging or painting, but otherwise, not every day, except for the privates, which are washed with a handheld shower, and a shave at the sink. (Sometimes not, unless I ask him to.<G>) He _never_ smells. He prefers that I don't shower overly much and makes no bones about letting me know! I find that now that I'm used to the idea of it, I have no problem accepting that I am indeed "clean," and my skin is often complimented on its condition. (Amerians have definitely been brain-washed in this area. Mostly by the soap, douche, and cosmetics industry.) He doesn't care whether I shave my legs or not, so I don't in the winter and do in the summer so as not to scare small children. Daily bathing is social conditioning and has little to do with skin health, except perhaps in the negative. I have a very good nose and know when I need to wash in the entirety. It sure saves time and water not to shower every day. When I do shower, it can take an hour or more when hair drying is included. What a waste of time!<G> My teenager, OTOH, does need to shower more frequently, and I don't think there would be any way to stop him now that he's realized that he is producing a hormonal soup. I just make sure there's plenty of moisturizer available for his use and we try to keep a balance on the mental aspect of this. I advise him not to use water that is too hot so he doesn't dry his skin out too much and I think he listens as he trusts my experiences most of the time so far.
Best wishes,
Mary Ellen

I shower at least once a day. I prefer to do it in the morning, but with four kids (two of which are still completely dependant on me and early risers), sometimes I dont have the time until the afternoon. At latest I shower each evening when my husband comes home from work. I cannot stand not to wash my hair in the shower at least once a day.

I don't take baths, if I do I end up getting a shower right afterwards, feeling dirtier than when I started.

It's hot here so sometimes I may shower up to 3 times a dya in the summer.

Meg

I usually shower most days. I remember when visiting grandma she grew up with the "community bath" but she always kept a wash cloth available for cleansing frequently between baths and after bathroom visits I suppose. Anyway.. if I skip a shower one day I wash up at the sink.. I don't wash my hair everyday because it is dry anyway and I hate using conditioner because it takes way too much time. Unless I'm getting ready for a special time out. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Mom used to almost boil us in the tub LOL .. I rarely take a bath unless it's to relax and then I light a candle, turn on some music, add some bubbles to the bath and ignore the world <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
As for being in labor.. YOU BET! I always made sure I had a shower before having any child.. that's the first thing I did even before telling hubby I was ready to go to the hospital lol.. even before surgeries (Including an emergency surgery I insisted on a shower) .. nobody is getting that close to me without my body being clean. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Plus being bigger and living in a state that can get to 115 in the summer sometimes I take more than one shower a day.. it all depends on what I'm doing, temperature etc.. but for the most part usually everyday. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Shaving.. that's another topic LOL I don't shave my legs very often.. unless I'm going to wear shorts but I do like to keep my pits shaved <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Ok.. we've gotten pretty personal here but there's my take on it.

I'm gonna have to go with daily here. I know it's not great for your skin but I love standing in a hot shower. It's really great for relaxing my very tense muscles and the only real alone time I get.

Hygiene and health: My ideal cycle: body daily and hair every other day. Body for hygiene; heard that it's healthier for hair if you don't wash daily. (dries out) Anyone do the same?

That's my routine (body everyday, hair every other) unless I'm in one of my black depression funks.

I've found that when my depression hits me hardest and I'm in the "black pit" so to speak - it takes everything I have to get out of bed, much less take a shower. Heck, I'm usually still in my PJs when my husband gets home from work if its been a REALLY low day.