You know those substitutes for a wash cloth, a shower pouf. They are normally made out of layers of mesh shaped into a ball and include a small rope on the end to hang it up in your shower. I think I’ve seen them around for nearly 2 decades now.
I have used one regularly for the past 15 years or so. They cost anywhere from a $1 to $5 depending upon how fancy and how large you want to get. My wife usually replaces the ones in our shower about every month or so. I think they are much better for getting the suds going and ultimately your body clean.
So do you use a pouf? Or are you a rag loyalist? Poll to follow.
I would be your basic comprehensive washer. I use the poof to lather up and the washcloth to thoroughly rinse (it always seems to be so hard to rinse all the soap off the poof and I don’t want to exit the shower with a layer of soap still on me).
I do. I used to just use my hands (and still do on delicate bits). Never been a fan of washcloths, as they seem to just absorb all the soap instead of spreading it around. I get nice suds/lather with a shower pouf. I know that isn’t actually necessary for a good washing, it’s psychologically pleasing.
I don’t feel truly clean unless I exfoliate. A nice, scrubby shower pouf is much more refreshing than just wiping shower gel or soap on myself with my hands.
I use Japanese nylon washcloths, which come in varying strengths, from not so exfoliating to something akin to sandpaper. The “pouf” things aren’t very effective for actually cleaning (not much better than “rag”), and the Japanese nylon wash cloth more hygienic than the loofahs. (You can also effectively clean the back, since the suckers are a couple of feet long.)
Salux is the go-to brand, though there are others.
I voted “yes” because there wasn’t an “occasionally” option. I have no use for washcloths, and usually just use my hands, but occasionally I’ll use a pouf to scrub my skin a bit more harshly to exfoliate.
Now all the Dopers are picturing each other in the shower.
Yes but only occasionally do I use an assist though. Mostly I’m a hand guy. Sometimes, like winter dry skin time, it’s nice to get a little extra scrub with my soap.
You lumped all the hand only people in with those that use an assist of some sort. It’s hard to tell if they don’t like them or just don’t use anything as an assist. I’d suspect men tend towards the can’t be bothered to use anything group. Calling it a poof that isn’t high on appealing to a rugged manly man self image though.
I tried one for a while, but stopped when I read an article saying they weren’t good, because they could introduce bacteria into the deeper layers of the skin.
Back to cheap fabric washcloths. (I do mean cheap. I buy “bar rag” cloth towelettes.)