# How often do you shower? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 16, 2010, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317 "2010-04-16T07:17:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317/121 "2010-04-26T17:53:19Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Question–for those of you who don’t shower every day and don’t have dry skin issues, why not shower every day? Like, I get that it’s not necessary but what would it hurt if you did? Even if I didn’t need to, I think I would. Just out of habit and b/c psychologically I feel cleaner and because I do enjoy showering–it wakes me up and relaxes me. The clean, treated, safe water we take for granted isn’t going to last forever, and it doesn’t come free (either monetarily or ecologically). Things like extra bathing that isn’t really required is water waste. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317/122 "2010-04-26T21:37:05Z")
Once in the evening, unless I’m exercising on the weekends–then, twice a day. No deodorant. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317/123 "2010-04-27T05:00:08Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Since my hair has decided it no longer needs to out-produce a small OPEC state, I can get away with this now. 😃 On a serious note, I can’t wait till my hair decides to stop outputting that much. In the meantime, there’s always dry shampoo. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317/124 "2010-04-27T05:17:40Z")
Every morning, without fail. I get pretty horrible bed-head, and can get pretty funky in my “short hairs”, so a morning shower is really essential for me to feel as though I can face the rest of polite society. On the very rare occasions in which this isn’t possible (such as while camping), I feel absolutely disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![Taenia\_spp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Taenia\_spp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taenia_spp)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317/125 "2010-04-28T06:19:04Z")
This is one of those topics that I simply can’t discuss with any of my friends for fear of being judged. Yes, I’m one of those people who takes showers bi-weekly; I’ll typically take one every three days or so, but it’s not unusual for me to extend that to every four or, rarely, five days. I simply don’t think I smell very much. This too: I think this social norm of daily showers is ridiculous. It wastes a lot of water and energy. Sure there are some people who would benefit from such a routine, but I think by and large most people can stand to take one every other day and not suffer from any ill odors. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317/126 "2010-04-28T10:22:36Z")
I was showering three times a day in winter: [ul] [li]Morning shower before work[/li][li]Post exercise (run/bike/swim) shower at lunchtime[/li][li]Post workout (gym) shower in the evening[/li][/ul] Now it is summer, I am down to two: [ul] [li]Morning shower at work post exercise (run/bike/swim)[/li][li]Post workout (gym) shower in the evening[/li][/ul] I suspect I’ll try to keep it down like this next winter - have a quick wipedown with a flannel or wet wipes in the morning before work and shower after exercise at lunchtime and in the evening. I am also in the sensitive skin category, and was told to cut down on washing - my approach is to use _Dove moisturising wash_ (preferably the non-perfumed stuff) in the shower and apply _E45 cream_ all over after the shower while the skin is still moist. It is currently in the best condition it has been in for 20 years. Finally, wet wipes are your friend post defecation. Use toilet paper until clean, then one or two wet wipes will get everything shiny and squeaky clean. A damp paper hand towel can do at a pinch. They also help if painful hemorrhoids are a problem. However, they must be disposed of correctly (i.e. binned safely and not flushed). Si ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317/127 "2010-04-29T12:09:02Z")
In the evening. I don’t like to go to bed dirty. Also after masturbation to try and scrub the shame off. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317/128 "2010-04-29T19:21:00Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The danger of slipping and falling, mainly. I’m very tall so usually have to duck to fit under showerheads to wash my head which is unbalancing and there’s a long way to fall onto objects that would cause serious damage if I were to hit them with my head. I’ve had a few near-slips and that was enough. Ah, well, that makes sense. In my case, though, baths are unsafe. So I guess it works differently for everyone. I hate not going to bed all nice and clean. I always feel wonderfully relaxed after a nice hot shower. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-shower/536317.md?page=6)