# How do hoomans use shower gel with no devices? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2019, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200 "2019-07-17T08:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/41 "2019-07-18T11:16:56Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > (US soaps foam up a lot, so it takes more water to get it off. That’s also why we rinse our dishes more than many others.) More than UK soap, yes. More than German, French, Swedish or Spanish soap, no. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/42 "2019-07-18T13:51:02Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Where I live (SE Louisiana, USA), water is virtually free and seemingly ever-replenishable. It’s not treated as a limited resource locally. It’s all I’ve ever known regarding home use of water. That makes sense _if_ you only take cold showers. But hot water would be a multiple of the cost of cold water just about everywhere I should presume. I have purchased a shower timer clock, with suction cup to attach to the bathroom tiles, to try and make good on my commitment made to my wife to only have the hot water running for 2 min 30 s during showering, in order not to (allegedly) bankrupt us with the hot water bill. My shower procedure: - shower head and body, with warm water, running handheld showerhead over body, for ca. 10 s. Shut off water. - put shower gel into cupped hand, rub into head and other hairy sites, spread on skin (from the top down, for obvious reasons). It helps very much that your body already is wet. - Rinse off head and body with warm water, running handheld showerhead over body, for ca. 2 min 20 s. Change water temperature to cold. - Run handheld showerhead over arms and legs, front and back, for at least two passes (I may use as much cold water as I like. Even if I don’t like.) That last step is pretty invigorating. Shut off water. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/43 "2019-07-18T13:57:13Z")
> [@Mops](#): > > That makes sense _if_ you only take cold showers. But hot water would be a multiple of the cost of cold water just about everywhere I should presume. Americans tend to treat energy as if it has no cost. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/44 "2019-07-18T14:04:54Z")
> [@Mops](#): > > That makes sense _if_ you only take cold showers. But hot water would be a multiple of the cost of cold water just about everywhere I should presume. We have a natural gas water heater in [a state that generates more natural gas than it consumes](https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=46&t=8) and has [extensive proven reserves of same](https://www.eia.gov/naturalgas/crudeoilreserves/). Heating the water is also very cheap locally. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/45 "2019-07-18T14:16:11Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Is that just that you face away from the shower when doing your hair, and tilt your head back like you’re getting your hair washed at a barbershop? Because that’s how I do it. > > Though I do turn back around for the rest of my body. It’s not the splashing that I don’t like. I just don’t like the sensation of water running over my face while my eyes are closed. I still splash water on my face to rinse off the facial soap. Exactly this, especially about the “barbershop” method of shampooing/rinsing in the shower. Where we differ is that I really only tolerate water on my face with my eyes shut. I find even plain water on my sclera and tear ducts uncomfortable, and I am a lot more sensitive than other people to soap/shampoo in my eyes. I do still soap up my face and let the shower rinse it off, but I do it with caution and I “overclose” my eyes while doing so (a really consciously-applied, tight eye closing/scrunching). ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/46 "2019-07-18T16:54:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I used to have a showerhead with a valve built in, so you could shut off the water up there, without having to rebalance the temperature. But the handheld showerhead I now have doesn’t have that feature. You can get an in-line cutoff valve at the hardware store and install it between the threaded pipe coming out of the wall and your handheld shower head. I have one and I love it. And they’re like $2. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/47 "2019-07-18T19:04:50Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I guess I’m lucky and my hair and skin don’t suffer because of what soap I use. So basically, my hair is a soap/shampoo reservoir during my shower. Put all you need on your head, lather it up and dispense where necessary. Nice to know I am not the only person who does it that way =) I actually discovered that Tresemme all in one shampoo makes a great moisturizing body wash - I don’t use it on my hair, I do a sulphite/whatever free shampoo and conditioner on my hair and didn’t want to waste an almost full bottle of tresemme that someone left behind. Works better than the Dove stuff and the Oil of Olay stuff I have also tried. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/48 "2019-07-18T20:06:28Z")
> [@Mops](#): > > That makes sense _if_ you only take cold showers. But hot water would be a multiple of the cost of cold water just about everywhere I should presume. It’s not that much for us. A natural gas hot water heater here in Chicago with average usage of 64 gallons/day (~250 liters) costs a little less than $20/month to heat. It wouldn’t make a significant dent in my bill to change a 10 minute shower to a 2 1/2 minute one. (Though I personally take baths.) And the water cost is the same for me, as our house does not have metered water (so whether I fill up a swimming pool or don’t run the water at all, my water cost is the same. I should actually get around to switching it to metered water, as we don’t generally run water for the grass during the summer or have a swimming pool or have any other kind of deep water usage activity.) ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/49 "2019-07-18T20:22:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Is this how most people use soap? I feel like I’m in some sort of bizarro world here where people are confused by shower gel and soap themselves up by rubbing soap onto their hands and then their body parts instead of directly on their body parts. I don’t know about most people. The only body part I rub soap on is my hands. Work into lather, apply lather elsewhere as needed. But at home I use liquid soap everywhere. The bar soap just sits there and is occasionally rubbed onto a washcloth or a pair of exfoliating gloves. Judging how long a bar will sit there (before it finally gets too disgusting and has to be thrown out) “most people” in my household don’t use it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/50 "2019-07-19T21:29:32Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I guess I’m lucky and my hair and skin don’t suffer because of what soap I use. So basically, my hair is a soap/shampoo reservoir during my shower. Put all you need on your head, lather it up and dispense where necessary. This. Every morning. Gel is just soap in liquid form and you need just a wee little bit to clean your whole body and hair. And afterwards my hands are so clean and soft that it is just perfect for cleaning my contact lenses and putting them in my eyes and the day can start. Which it does, of course, without my help or encouragement. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200/51 "2019-07-19T21:44:03Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > […] US soaps foam up a lot, so it takes more water to get it off. That’s also why we rinse our dishes more than many others. I don’t think it is the soap, I guess it is the water. I think the water where you live is very soft, that makes it difficult to rinse off the soap. But I would be surprised if there were not places with hard water in the USA too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-hoomans-use-shower-gel-with-no-devices/837200.md?page=2)