Do you more regularly take baths or showers?

[Omar Little]

Since an adult (26 years), I bet I've taken no more than 25 baths. That's 25 out of approximately 9,500 days. I normally shower once a day, with an occasional miss here and there. The ratio of baths to showers I take is somewhere around 0.2% to 99.8%.

My current house has 5 full baths. Four of the bathrooms have tub/shower combos, while our master bathroom has a jacuzzi tub and separate large walk-in shower. Between my wife and I, we have probably used the jacuzzi tub 3-4 times in the 4 years we have lived here.

When we built the house I argued that we should not put in the jacuzzi tub, but a realtor friend of ours said that it would hurt the resale value of the house to not have a tub in the master bath. He claimed that a lot of women see the tub and its condition as a necessity when looking at a house.

I think that every home should have at least one tub for taking baths if necessary, but considering that I believe that the majority of people over the age of 10, take and prefer taking showers, there should be more bathrooms with walk-in showers and no tub.

Interestingly enough, this is a trend that I am seeing in hotels. More hotel rooms will have a walk-in shower and no tub.

What do you think?

[tdn]

I haven't taken a bath since 9/28/2002, and that was because I just moved into a new apartment and had no shower curtains or bath mat. In my previous apartment where I lived for 15 years, I'm not sure I ever took one. I have taken a few with lady friends, but those were very rare.

In my younger adulthood I took them all the time.

[KneadToKnow]

A bath?

It's disgusting. I'm sitting there in a tepid pool of my own filth. All kinds of microscopic parasites and organisms having sex all around me.

[MovieMogul]

I maybe take a bath once a month, and that's when I've got nowhere to go and just need to unwind a little. Otherwise, it's showers every day.

[Colophon]

Until about six weeks ago, I hadn't had a functioning shower in my house for about five years, so it was baths all the way. Now I have a new and shiny shower and I have about two a day just for the novelty value. I still like the occasional soak in the bath though, especially now we have one large enough for two, with no "tap end" :)

[Scarlett67]

Female checking in. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like all guys in here so far.)

I take maybe one or two showers a year, but often one and sometimes two baths a day. Only about half of those are for hygiene purposes; the others are mainly for recreation/relaxation. I'd much rather lie back and have a nice hot soak while enjoying a good book than have to stand there half in and half out of the water while scrubbing myself up. A hot soak just before bedtime also helps me fall asleep.

I know it uses more water, but it's one of my few indulgences. Also, Mr. S usually shares my water (I'm usually first, then he hops in when I get out).

Oh, and KneadToKnow:

Jerry, that was superheated water, nothing could live in that!

Seems Kramer's a bit of a flake. :D

[Superfluous Parentheses]

I haven't taken a bath in ... well I maybe had two baths in the last 10 years - not in my house, because I don't even have a bath.

So who cares? If you're not going to use it - and you're living there - what makes you think the investment is going to make it worth your while?

ETA: Your house has 5 baths already?!!! Seriously, what's the question?

[FairyChatMom]

Last time I took a bath was in the late 90s, and that's only because I was really achy and we had a whirlpool bath back then.

Our master bath only has a shower, but there are bathtubs in the other 2 bathrooms. One has been used to bath the dogs a couple of times. We're just not a bath family.

[norinew]

Well, when we lived in a house that only had a walk-in shower, I took showers daily and only got soaks in the tub when we were at a nice B&B or something (I appreciate a good bathtub that's long enough to stretch out in!) But we moved into the apartment building we own almost a year ago. The unit we lived in was designed to be 'the owners' unit' and one of its many attractions is the long, deep Jacuzzi tub in the master bath. The master bathroom does not have a shower, though the second bathroom has a standard tub with shower set-up.

Most nights, after I tuck my 10YO in for the night, I will pour myself a glass of wine, grab a book or magazine, and have a nice, long soak to wash away the stresses of the day; I go whole-hog: good-smelling, moisturizing bath salts, exfoliating body scrub, etc. A couple of times a week, though, my hair needs to be washed; for that, I prefer the shower in the back bathroom. So, for me, 90% bath, 10% shower. More or less.

[Patty O'Furniture]

When I remodeled my place, I took out the bathtub and converted the area into a 20 sq. foot steam shower. Picture (http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1473/5747827/23183687/386746976.jpg).

I find steam much more relaxing than baths. I recently had several real estate agents look at my place to make some pre-sale suggestions and I specifically asked if lack of bathtub would be a negative in any way. They said that it might be for 1 out of 50 potential buyers but the steam more than made up for that.

Only once in my life did I ever find value in a bath, that was about 20 years ago when I took an oatmeal bath to help reduce poison ivy itching. It did seem to work somewhat, but the effect didn't last long and I wasn't about to repeat that treatment every few hours.

[FallenAngel]

I shower at least once a day, usually twice in the summer (Hey, it's Phoenix. When you get done with a cross town commute you really want a second shower.) I only take a bath when I want to relax and have a lot of time to kill.

Mrs. Angel, on the other hand, takes baths almost exclusively. The only times she showers is when she's really pressed for time or when her biological femininity is asserting itself.

[AClockworkMelon]

I only take showers. The males I know only shower as well. The females I know take baths much more often.

[Giles]

The only time that I shower is when I'm staying in a hotel/motel where there's no bath available, and only a shower. So the last time that I had a shower was about 5 months ago, staying in a pub in a small country town in Australia.

[KneadToKnow]

Oh, and KneadToKnow:


Jerry, that was superheated water, nothing could live in that!

Seems Kramer's a bit of a flake. :D

No argument there!

[aruvqan]

For getting clean I shower, for relaxation and pain relief I hot tub.

Female, 48, gimpy.

Husband - getting clean shower, relaxation hot tub.
male, 45, nongimpy

[Kyla]

I'm a woman. I can't remember the last time I took a bath. I'm thinking back to all of my old places of residence and trying to remember if I ever took a bath in that bathtub...I would say it's been at least eight years since I've taken a bath. If I had a hot tub, I'd probably do it pretty often, though, I do enjoy hot tubs.

I usually shower once a day.

ETA: I do often have foot baths, though. I sit on the edge of the tub at night and let my feet soak in hot water. That's very relaxing.

[norinew]

I only take showers. The males I know only shower as well. The females I know take baths much more often.
You know, now that you mention it, I've never been aware of my hubby taking a bath as such, except when a shower was simply not an option. I guess it is probably more of a "girl" thing.

[aruvqan]

You know, now that you mention it, I've never been aware of my hubby taking a bath as such, except when a shower was simply not an option. I guess it is probably more of a "girl" thing.

I have known my previous boyfriends/lovers/whatever the hell to call them to take showers to get clean and baths for relaxation.

it does actually make sense - guys tend to be more active in their relaxation than women much of the time - hanging out with buddies, watching sports or gaming, or going out and playing touch football ... women tend frequently to be more passive in their relaxations - sitting and watching tv, handcrafts like needlework or knitting, chatting - not really the jumping up and down screaming for sports teams.

[Silver Tyger]

I tend to take baths. On one hand, I feel bad because it uses more water. On the other, I like relaxing and I don't like standing in the shower. Where I'm living now (dorms) I find the showers physically unpleasant (the stream is too fine and hard and it ends up feeling like needles). When I move back into my parents' I'll take a lot more showers and save baths for special occasions. Of course part of that is that they have a porcelain tub and it steals all the heat out of the water.

Oddly enough I don't enjoy sitting in the hot tub. I get bored. *shrug*

tl;dr - I prefer baths.

[HepToTheJive]

Male here, I take showers because I have to, I take baths because I want to.

Baths are amazing. They are much more pleasant, you have quite time to yourself, there is nothing like being surrounded by warm water.

Silver Tyger Girl as far as wasting water I don't think it is as bad as you think. I did a test in my bathroom before filling up the tub with the shower head and seeing how long it took to get to "bath water level" in minutes. It was on par with my average shower duration.

[Khadaji]

I shower to get clean. I bath to relax.

[elfkin477]

Female. I always take showers, and don't find a bath relaxing. I suppose I might take a bath in a brand new tub (so I know it's in spotless condition) but I'd still need to rinse my long hair with the shower head to get all the shampoo and conditioner out, so what's the point?

[Superhal]

I take a bath about once a year, usually when I visit in-laws in Korea.

But, when I was in elementary school, the shower didn't work so normally I bathed until I was about 12 years old and we fixed the shower head.

[norinew]

Female. I always take showers, and don't find a bath relaxing. I suppose I might take a bath in a brand new tub (so I know it's in spotless condition) but I'd still need to rinse my long hair with the shower head to get all the shampoo and conditioner out, so what's the point?
This would have been true for me when I was younger. Now that I'm approaching 50, and my hair is fine and dry, it's best shampooed maybe twice a week. That's when I shower.

[even sven]

Haven't had access to a bathtub for a while, but when I do I take a bath almost nightly. In the winter, it's really the only way for me to warm up. It's also when I get the best reading done.

it does actually make sense - guys tend to be more active in their relaxation than women much of the time - hanging out with buddies, watching sports or gaming, or going out and playing touch football ... women tend frequently to be more passive in their relaxations - sitting and watching tv, handcrafts like needlework or knitting, chatting - not really the jumping up and down screaming for sports teams.

How the hell is knitting less active than playing video games? Seems like both require pretty similar motor skills. And do you really know anyone under the age of sixty who does needlepoint? I think your theory needs some refinement.

[Dr. Woo]

Well, I'm a female, and I haven't taken a bath since the autumn of 1965. That's when I broke my finger and wasn't allowed to get the splint/cast thing wet. We've lived in our house for 12 years and have both a soaking tub and a big shower in the master bath, but the only time I've been in the tub is to clean it. In fact, I have to dust it periodically.

It's a combination of things for me: I have to rinse my long hair, plus I don't find baths relaxing, and don't have time for them anyway.

[even sven]

A couple of WAGs why women might be more partial to baths....

Baths are a great way to relieve cramps. Heating up the abdomen can work wonders.

Shaving your legs in the shower sucks. Often it require awkward balancing (why don't they design showers that are better suited for this basic task?) and you end up positioning yourself so that odd parts are in and out of the stream. I can't figure out how to shave in my shower without either getting my face in stream or having big chunks of myself out of the stream and freezing cold. In a bath, you can simply lift the leg out of the water without any awkward contortions, leaving most of your body nice and warm

[Freudian Slit]

I occasionally bathe but not for cleanliness, just to relax. If I do take a bath, I'll shower right after it because my idea of bath is just lying around in hot water.

[Sigmagirl]

I have taken nothing but showers for at least 15 years, because that's how long our tub has been unusable. But we're currently remodeling that bathroom and it's almost done! I can't wait to take a bath! If only I could find some fragrance-free bubble bath . . .

[Perciful]

Showers mostly. My tub is too short and low to take a decent bath. Now if I had a Jacuzzi bathtub like in a condo I once rented it would be a different story. It was the most beautiful tub I have ever used. It had plenty of jets and kept the water hot and just add some bubbles and some nice music and Calgon take me away...

I'll never forget you, sweet Jacuzzi tub.

[norinew]

I have taken nothing but showers for at least 15 years, because that's how long our tub has been unusable. But we're currently remodeling that bathroom and it's almost done! I can't wait to take a bath! If only I could find some fragrance-free bubble bath . . .
Try this:
http://www.amazon.com/California-Baby-Bubble-Fragrance-Sensitive/dp/B000S823SQ

Or just google "bubble bath fragrance-free"; I got lots of hits right off. This was my first one.

[DChord568]

Last bath I took was in 1990, in an older duplex I moved into that only had an old claw-foot tub. I actually rigged one of those horrid portable shower contraptions with the curtain in a ring above and a hose leading to a primitive shower head.

It was pretty crappy, but it beat continuing to take baths. Baths hold no appeal for me.

[Moonlitherial]

I take baths almost every day and I have the bubble bath collection to prove it. Years ago I started showering at night because I hated drying my hair in the morning and the extra time let me move to baths instead of showering. It's definitely more relaxing and I do most of my reading in the tub. I'm waiting for the first waterproof ebook reader to come out :D

My husband prefers showers and when we bought this house we renovated the second bathroom into a multihead steam shower for him. Since it's got a low step to get in it's also very convenient for muddy dogs.

[tygre]

I average about a bath a year, and only if I'm sick. I'm female. Baths kind of squick me out and with my long legs, I can't lay down and keep them under water, and then if I sit up, the top half is cold, then I start thinking about the water getting all funky and... yeah. I'd much rather shower.

[Sigmagirl]

Try this:
http://www.amazon.com/California-Baby-Bubble-Fragrance-Sensitive/dp/B000S823SQ

Or just google "bubble bath fragrance-free"; I got lots of hits right off. This was my first one.

Awesome! Thanks!

[bearman217]

I don't know if I'm just weird, but I'm a guy who enjoys to take baths. The problem is that I live with two other people and if I were to fill the tub every day with hot water, the other two would have to tough it out with cold showers. Since I would not enjoy a cold bath, except for therapy after playing a rough sport, I can't really take baths right now. Furthermore, one of my roommates made a deal that if she doesn't keep her cosmetics and feminine things cleaned up and in order, then she is not allowed to relax in a bath either. While we both do enjoy baths, I understand that she does in fact enjoy them more and as such I am more willing to let her enjoy her baths and I'll take showers instead.

[Ann Onimous]

Showers exclusively. I think our daughter is the only one who takes baths currently: mainly because she likes to sit in a warm Epsom Salt bath every once in a while. But she showers 95% of the time.

As soon as I lose a bit more weight, I may rethink the bath thing. For right now, showers are easier.

[elfkin477]

Shaving your legs in the shower sucks. Often it require awkward balancing (why don't they design showers that are better suited for this basic task?) and you end up positioning yourself so that odd parts are in and out of the stream. I can't figure out how to shave in my shower without either getting my face in stream or having big chunks of myself out of the stream and freezing cold. In a bath, you can simply lift the leg out of the water without any awkward contortions, leaving most of your body nice and warm I still don't know if it's true or not, but my high school health teacher told us that shaving in the bath is a great way to encourage UTIs. To shave in the shower, you turn the water off while shaving - except to rinse the blade.

[Scarlett67]

I still don't know if it's true or not, but my high school health teacher told us that shaving in the bath is a great way to encourage UTIs.

I'd like to know why shaving in the bath is any more risky than just being in the bath.

Anyhoo, I used to get UTIs, but haven't had one in donkey's years. (Standard disclaimer about anecdotes != data.)

[divemaster]

Showers exclusively. Same for my wife. The house we currently own has one of those jacuzzi tubs in the master bath--never use it. The only thing it is good for is collecting dust. Same with the previous house. Waste of space for us.

[kayT]

My urologist told me that if I stopped taking baths I would stop getting bladder infections. I didn't completely stop, but mostly. Haven't had a bath in at least 30 years. Our house has no tubs. We are putting it on the market soon and the realtor doesn't seem to think it's a problem.

(And reading about shaving one's legs in the tub gave me the shudders; sitting in a tub full of water with little hairs floating around in it! oh my god)

[norinew]

My urologist told me that if I stopped taking baths I would stop getting bladder infections. I didn't completely stop, but mostly. Haven't had a bath in at least 30 years. Our house has no tubs. We are putting it on the market soon and the realtor doesn't seem to think it's a problem.

(And reading about shaving one's legs in the tub gave me the shudders; sitting in a tub full of water with little hairs floating around in it! oh my god)
My urologist told me baths were fine, but only use bubble bath occasionally, if at all. Since we moved to a home with a good bath tub, I don't get UTI/kidney infections any more frequently than when we just had a shower (though I seem to get them pretty frequently no matter what). I don't use bubble bath often, though; usually just some moisturizing bath salts.

[Captain_C]

I would love to take more baths, but can't fit in the tub. At 6'1" and 170lb, I'm not abnormally tall or heavy, but I have yet to find a tub that is a comfortable fit without feeling like my knees are in my nose, so to speak. The few times I've found a long-enough tub, there will be an overflow drain that prevents anything more than 6" or so of water from being in the tub at any given time. A bath should be deep enough to completely submerge yourself in if you want, and 6" just doesn't cut it.

So, no baths for me.

[Silver Tyger]

My urologist told me that if I stopped taking baths I would stop getting bladder infections.

Last time I had one, the doctor said that if I take baths just rinse off that area after with clean water. I haven't had a problem in quite a while.

(I personally can't shave in the shower - I can't see because my glasses are steamed up and if it's not warm, I cut myself or get a ton of ingrown hairs because of the chill bumps. But I get cold very easily.)

[lindsaybluth]

My boyfriend takes a bath 3-4 times/week. He showers after the gym every day (and a quick rinse-off in the AM) but he takes a bath some nights just to soak his sore muscles because of the gym. Me, I try to squeeze in 1-2 soaks at the gym's whirlpool; a bath sans jets isn't really worthwhile to me.

IMO, most people taking baths don't do so to actually clean themselves, but rather to relax/enjoy themselves.

The few times I've found a long-enough tub, there will be an overflow drain that prevents anything more than 6" or so of water from being in the tub at any given time. A bath should be deep enough to completely submerge yourself in if you want, and 6" just doesn't cut it.

My friend, you want this (http://www.amazon.com/Better-Sleep-Deep-Water-Bath/dp/B0001YJIGW). This little gadget is a godsend.

[Quartz]

I have a bath every day. It's very relaxing.

[dangermom]

I much prefer showers and never take baths. I don't even like hot tubs. Showers are also better for relaxing and headache mitigation.

The large tub in the master bath does seem to be considered a necessity these days, but to me it would just be a dust-collector. Happily my house was built just before a tub became a requirement and we just have a nice shower in there.

[don't ask]

Up until about 10 years ago I hardly ever showered. I used to love laying in the bath with something to drink, smoking and reading a book. Since I started living alone I have had one bath. Don't really know why - there is a tub there but I have used it once.

[Mrs Johnson]

Showers for me. After a bath I still feel the need to take a quick shower to soap up and rinse off. I don't really care to relax in the tub. I'd rather relax on the couch with a good book and one of my dogs snuggled up next to me.

When we moved into our rent house we were excited to have a jacuzzi tub. We took the time to clean everything thoroughly... and we've used it no more than 5 times. Probably all within the first month of living there.