# I Pit Shower Poufs (Lame but Important!) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 1, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323 "2005-04-01T23:34:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@stately\_plump\_buck\_mulligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stately_plump_buck_mulligan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/81 "2005-04-03T00:12:12Z")
> [@flamingbananas](#): > > Is it safe to use around your eyes? I only wear eye make-up and I haven’t really found anything that takes off the make-up without irritating my skin. Yep, I’ve always used it around my eyes with no problem. The best eye makeup remover I have encountered is 100% Jojoba Oil. You can buy it at Trader Joe’s (the brand I use is called Desert Essence) and at health food type stores. I pour a little on a cotton ball and swipe - makeup comes off quick, easy, and the jojoba oil does not irritate it at all. I also use a few drops of the oil to moisturise my skin at night. It’s really great stuff - I’ve always read that jojoba oil resembles the skin’s natural sebum closely, so it asborbs the best and is just great for skin care. ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/82 "2005-04-03T00:40:22Z")
Anybody have an opinion about glycerine soaps? I started using them exclusively a couple years ago because I found other soaps too harsh. They seem a bit better to me. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/83 "2005-04-03T01:57:59Z")
Heh, I thought this was going to be a rant about how easily they fall apart. 😃 I’ve been using poufs for a long time and I’ve never had a problem at all. I change mine about once a month or so. My skin is very clear and soft, and I haven always received compliments on it’s appearance. Unless I start seeing problems as a result of my pouf, I’ll continue to use it. And that nonsense about only washing the stinky parts is just icky. I use soap on my legs to shave, and I like the rest of me to be clean and fresh-smelling as well. Re: Removal of eye makeup. I find that a cotton ball soaked in some kind of cheap makeup remover works very well. But then, I don’t use a whole lot of eye makeup. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/84 "2005-04-03T02:13:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Also, people wash too much of their body. You really only need to wash the “stinky areas”- face, pits, crotch and butt, and feet. Your arms, legs, back, and chest don’t get that dirty. Maybe that’s fine for you female types but if I didn’t give a good scrub through my chest hair, and to a lesser extent my leg hair, it would quickly become a greasy smelly waterproof mess (I know this from long camping trips). ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/85 "2005-04-03T02:26:47Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > This thread has been brought to you by the useless-hygiene-products-you-never-even-knew-you-needed-before-you-were-warned-of-the-dire-threats-to-your-health-if-you-don’t-buy-them industry. What’s a few goobies in the shower here and there, anyway? We’re just conditioning a society of effete germophobes, and lining some pockets in the process. It’s not like you’re gonna wash your arsehole and then suck whatever you use afterwards, so who cares if you choose to wash with a belt sander or a live swan?. The OP is advising AGAINST buying fancy-shmancy poofy washy things and anti-bacterial soap. > [@Max Torque](#): > > Indeed. I believe it was George Carlin who said all you need to wash every day was “armpits, asshole, crotch and teeth. You can save a lot of time if you use the same brush for all four.” Funny, the OP said very nearly the same thing. > [@trublmakr](#): > > Also, people wash too much of their body. You really only need to wash the “stinky areas”- face, pits, crotch and butt, and feet. Your arms, legs, back, and chest don’t get that dirty. I think **trublmakr** ’s getting misinterpreted here as a over-the-top clean freak. She’s not advising people to bleach their entire bodies and surroundings, she’s advising them not to grind bacteria into their skin. The main point is, you don’t have to worry about killing all the germs if you don’t give 'em a place to live in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/86 "2005-04-03T03:40:31Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > However, you should know that washing anything in a washing machine doesn’t necessarily kill bacteria, unless you use bleach. I believe that washing in hot water with detergent removes a majority of bacteria. My recollection (backed up [here](http://home.howstuffworks.com/question692.htm)) is that washing with soap is not meant to kill bacteria, but to sluice them away. I’m pretty damn sure washing a pouf along with your towels will make it as harmless as any other household item you encounter each day. Thousands of people use cloth diapers every day. These don’t just get random environmental or skin bacteria on them - we’re talking human feces. And generally people avoid bleach because it degrades fabric and destroys waterproof materials. Yet we all manage to use our diapers for years without them becoming stinky,\* dangerous, bacteria-soaked cesspools. Lots of doctors will even recommend cloth diapers for babies with bad diaper rash. I also have a serious problem with the admonition that boils down to “Don’t touch your soap with dirty hands!” I really doubt a bar of soap is a hospitable place for bacterial growth. I think it’s quite sufficient to rinse the bar before putting it up. I really can’t imagine following a regimen that disallows one’s body or anything that has come in contact with one’s body to touch the soap! About the only time I get crazy about bacteria is in the kitchen, where I finish each cleaning with a spray and wipe using diluted bleach solution. This was reinforced by a quote (paraphrased here) in _Fast Food Nation_: “The average person would be better off eating a carrot stick that fell in their toilet than one that fell into their kitchen sink,” (based on fecal bacterial counts). \*Actually, the biggest cause of stubborn stink is soap residue. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/87 "2005-04-03T03:50:20Z")
I can understand that a pouf would carry bacteria if it never got a chance to dry out. But I’ve been using poufs for years, which I wash with antibacterial soap and allow to dry completely after each use, and I’ve never had any problems. My skin also looks fine, and according to Mr. AFG, is the “softest in the world”. I don’t feel it’s too rough. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/88 "2005-04-03T04:53:45Z")
> [@trublmakr](#): > > Scabies on just a forehead? That’s odd. They usually affect the entire body, with the telltale “burrowing” effects seen on the wrists and inner forearms. Did you use the cream on just that area and it went away? Yeah, I just realized it was shingles I had, not scabies. :smack: The doctor gave me some kind of pills. Steroidal stuff, I think. Man, my memory is getting suckier and suckier. Wish I could blame that on the shingles. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/89 "2005-04-03T05:00:40Z")
Hmmm. I only use them on my back but that does somewhat explain why my acne back there has gotten worse instead of better. Graci for the tip. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/90 "2005-04-03T07:29:31Z")
> [@Zette](#): > > I’m just crazy enough to try this. I’m not a curly girl, but my long straight to wavy hair has been just a damned mess lately, as has my scalp. I’m off work for the next week, so i’m going to try this (starting today- I just showered and conditioned only) . I last shampooed on Thursday (Friday was my usual skip day) so we’ll see! I’m so glad she posted that. I am another one who rarely “washes” my hair. Well, I rarely shampoo it. As she describes, I “wash” my hair with conditioner, or I just rinse it with plain water. I usually do the conditioner “wash” three times a week, rinsing with plain water the rest of the time and shampooing with actual shampoo maybe once a month or less. What’s weird is that despite my exfoliation, I rarely use lotion anywhere but my face, and never have dry skin problems anywhere but face and hair. With the face, I use anything and everything to keep it well lubed, and same with the very dry hair. Oh, and I don’t have curly hair either, I have lots of hair, but it is very fine in texture and unless I do the no-shampoo thing, it tends to get very dry. I’m with those who think our society worries just a bit too much about germs and such. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/91 "2005-04-03T07:36:01Z")
You know, I’m totally with everyone who says we worry too much about germs. I can’t budge on the hair-washing thing, though. My hair is intolerable unless I wash it every day, as it’s very oily. I try to use a mild shampoo but I just can’t see washing it less often than every day. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/92 "2005-04-03T07:38:08Z")
> [@Harimad-sol](#): > > I can’t budge on the hair-washing thing, though. ditto. My hair is super fine - if I don’t wash it every day, it’s a lank, slimy mess. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/93 "2005-04-03T08:30:22Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > \ > Make that 10,000% profit! > \ [nitpick-nitpick hijack] I could be wrong, but I think it’s actually 9,900% profit. IIRC, I learned this from _MAD_ magazine of all places, wherein one of their satrical articles dealt with a penny worth of (something) resulting in the final product costing one dollar—“a 100% [sic] markup”. A professor wrote in with a picture of he doing the chalkwork that proved that it was in fact a difference of 9,900. [/nitpick-nitpick hijack] > [@](#): > > You can give head. Just make sure you soak your partners genitalia in bleach every day. Didn’t I read here that bleach actually leeches the fat from your skin, accounting for that greasy feel? Might make for some interesting illusions (or lotsa laffs, depending on your preference). Anyway, I gave those He-Man Lather-Builders (remember that commercial, anyone?) up years ago after feeling scoured by them—which would certainly _lead_ to problems you wouldn’t have were your skin intact. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/94 "2005-04-03T08:32:44Z")
For those really worried about bacteria lingering on your laundry: sunshine is a very effective germ-killer. I have a dryer, but I still hang at least towels and bed linens outside about nine months a year. Yes, sunshine will fade colors (which is part of why I firmly believe All Towels Should Be White) and even damage the fabric eventually, but this is nowhere near as bad/quick as the damage from bleach. Besides, NOTHING beats the smell of line dried bedding. Unless you live in a stinky urban area, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/95 "2005-04-03T10:43:46Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Yes, sunshine will fade colors (which is part of why I firmly believe All Towels Should Be White) and even damage the fabric eventually, but this is nowhere near as bad/quick as the damage from bleach. OK, so now I have to bleach my dick _and_ hang it out in the sun to dry? I can see myself explaining that one to the neighbours: “Don’t call the cops - I’m acting under medical advice!” ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/96 "2005-04-03T11:13:17Z")
Well, I’m upset, because I truly believed that jellyfish (as I call shower poufs) were almost entirely free from bacteria. And I despise washcloths, because you can’t put them in the hamper until they’re dry, and it takes forever for them to get dry, and Mr. Rilch is always leaving them **in** the shower so they can go from damp right back to saturated, and next thing you know, we have half a dozen terry squares in various degrees of moistness cluttering up the bathroom. As far as bacteria, I once knew someone who refused to go on water rides at an amusement park because “The water’s swarming with germs! You don’t know who’s been on those rides before you!” Which I thought was truly ridiculous. First of all, I’m sure the water is circulated and purified; they wouldn’t let it just sit and fester. And secondly, if you’re that paranoid about germs, seems to me you’d want to avoid amusement parks entirely. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/97 "2005-04-03T13:26:45Z")
I prefer poufs to washcloths. I throw them in with the whites once a week, hot water mild bleach. I’ve never had a problem with rashes although I did when I used loofahs. Urgh, what was I thinking? I wash my thick, shoulder length, color processed hair about every other day. On the days I don’t shampoo, I let the hair around my face get wet when I shower. My hair is much less frizzy and silkier since I stopped shampooing daily. For my face I like Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer. It seems kinda pricey but the bottles lasts forever and skin looks and feels great. To remove eye makeup I prefer plain light mineral oil. Virtually the same thing as baby oil without the perfumes. Plus it’s super duper cheap. **Case Sensitive** , Your scrupulous attention to hygiene is commendable. Just be careful there. Watch for fading. ---
**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 4, 2005, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/98 "2005-04-04T07:30:16Z")
You know last year I got these red bumps (no white heads) all up and down my arm. I got them through out other parts of my body as well but mainly my arm. Me being the typical stuborn male; I never did go see a doctor about it. (I was get’n around to it but then they started going away. So I never went) Now I’m thinking this is what it was due to. Now I am completely icked! I do love my poofy though. Hmm wonder if I can get a discount if I buy them in bulk. Etheir that or disposible poofy’s are the next million dollar idea… shhh. keep that between us though… ---
**Author:** ![hildea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ebca7d/32.png) [@hildea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hildea)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/99 "2005-04-04T07:51:12Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > My criteria for anti-bacterial stuff - use it around food preparation to prevent food poisoning, and wash things that come in contact with your bum with a weak bleach solution … This is just my opinion, of course, but I was trained in microbiology, so I’m not completely talking out of my ass. So, when I read posts from people who _do_ talk out of their ass, should I bleach my eyes, or is it enough to bleach the computer screen? 🙂 > [@trublmakr](#): > > Apply soap to clean, wet washcloth, hold the soap in the running water to rinse off the bacteria from your hands, and store it in a dry place. No bacteria. Sure about that? I’ve always thought there are lots and lots of bacteria _everywhere_, including in the water. I don’t worry about 'em except when handling raw meat or when travelling abroad (because the bacteria elsewhere are unfamiliar to my immune system, not because there are more of them). ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323/100 "2005-04-04T11:42:21Z")
I use a mesh sponge, and a type of shower gel that contains natural anti-bacterials such as tea-tree oil and lavender. I figure they also help keep the mesh clean/bacteria free. I never get rashes or rough/dry skin, and my skin is quite sensitive. [**Original Source**](http://www.originalsource.co.uk/main/index.asp) - it is the nicest stuff. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-shower-poufs-lame-but-important/297323.md?page=6)