# Showers or baths? And how long do you take?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 26, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917 "2006-03-26T02:13:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/1 "2006-03-26T02:13:47Z")
I prefer a shower most of the time. It’s quick, and I have to wash my hair at least every other day anyhow. I don’t take very long, just long enough to lather up, get the shampoo and conditioner into the hair, wash, and then rinse it all off.
I will take a bath on occasion if I have the time, or my muscles or sore, or I just want to relax. Still, I don’t seem to stay in it for very long–maybe fifteen or twenty minutes at most. I get cold and sometimes a bit uncomfortable.
```
A friend of mine drives me nuts when we travel together. If we have to share a room, she takes forfreakingever in the shower and even longer in the bath. When I asked her why it takes so long, she said, "I have to scrub all 2000 parts." :dubious:
Do you prefer a shower or bath, like them both equally, or...? How long do you spend? Are you conscious of the amount of water you're using? (This last bit does not concern my pal in the least.)
```
---
### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/2 "2006-03-26T02:15:25Z")
Shower every morning. Shave face and head in shower. Wife doesn’t get up for another hour or so, so I am generous with the hot water.
---
### Author:  [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/3 "2006-03-26T02:56:13Z")
Shower just before bed. Maybe 10 minutes.
---
### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/4 "2006-03-26T03:05:53Z")
Shower every morning. Haven’t timed it but I’d guess maybe 2 or 3 minutes. Once it’s running I stick my head under, lather up the shampoo, rinse it off and then do the same with the rest of my body using liquid soap. Just lather up, rinse off. Once in a while I like to linger under the running water but usually I am in and out as quickly as I can manage.
---
### Author:  [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/5 "2006-03-26T03:21:56Z")
I’m a night showerer, and I take about 15 minutes on average. Washing hair, shaving legs, and such.
On nights when I need to decompress after work, though, I’ll be in a bubble tub with my rubber ducky and a book. And I’ll stay in there till my toes are all wrinkly and the water gets too cold. Heck, sometimes I’ll even drain a little to add more hot water, just because I’m not ready to get out yet. Water conservation be damned - I need my down time.
---
### Author:  [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/6 "2006-03-26T03:50:33Z")
Shower, every morning, about 10 minutes.
I like a bath after a gruelling day, which isn’t very often.
---
### Author:  [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/7 "2006-03-26T04:11:45Z")
Bath every day, ten minutes, tops, wash hair every other day. My hair’s waist-length, and gets brittle if I was it too often. Likewise, if I soap all over in the winter the skin cracks all over my body. I don’t like that, so I don’t soap all over.
---
### Author:  [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/8 "2006-03-26T04:24:46Z")
I always shower, unless I have access to a garden-sized tub. Even though I’m a small person, normal-sized bathtubs never allow for a truly relaxing position for a good long soak.
My showers are ususally only about ten minutes long-- I don’t usually linger. Wash hair, wash body, thoughoughy rinse both, and then I’m out.
---
### Author:  [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/9 "2006-03-26T05:18:34Z")
I shower every weekday morning, first thing. It takes about 15 minutes. If it’s the weekend, I might putter around for a while before showering, but I always bathe if I’m leaving the house and wash my hair.
I like to take baths but I don’t do it very often, maybe once a month. If I do it, I tend to stay in the tub for at least an hour. It’s very relaxing.
---
### Author:  [@Cockatiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cockatiel)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/10 "2006-03-26T05:41:16Z")
I denifitely prefer showers over baths. Showers usually last 15-20 minutes. Ahhh…so soothing.
The only time I ever take a bath is when my muscles are sore, and I can’t stand staying in that long because I get so hot. My hair gets really knotted, and I never feel very clean when I get out of the bath. That’s just me.
---
### Author:  [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/11 "2006-03-26T05:49:04Z")
I am SUCH a bath person. I love them.
Despite this I always think I am taking such a long soak, it’s usually 20 minutes. I think once I tried to take a really long time, I lasted 30 minutes, and that was with shaving (all areas) and shampooing with conditioning and a facial mask.
But I still love them.
AHHHH.
My dream is to have a huge deep tub with it’s own hot water heater.
I bathe once every two days, sometimes three. Our house has the worst hot water heater and if everyone washes on the same day we run the dishwasher I don’t have enough hot water to cover my toes.
However, after the gym it’s a shower, so when I was working out regularly (and when my back and neck are all better and I can go back) I shower every day.
---
### Author:  [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/12 "2006-03-26T06:11:56Z")
Always a shower, always ten minutes.
---
### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/13 "2006-03-26T07:51:09Z")
I have a patent on the new SHOWERBATH.
When I have time, I like to sit, cross-legged, directly under the showerhead and let the bathtub fill up. Once the tub has reached about half full, the drain is unplugged, I stand and finish with a hot one minute shower. Best of both worlds. Takes about 10 minutes or so.
On cold days (there ain’t a lot in Las Vegas) when I have lots of time, a hot bath and a crossword puzzle is pure luxury. That can last for a good hour.
---
### Author:  [@mrald](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrald)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/14 "2006-03-26T07:59:52Z")
Shower only most of the time 20 minutes are so. More if I am shaving and such.
I am icky about SITTING on the bathtub… even my own freshly bleached. The thought of putting my butt right on the bottom makes me shiver.
---
### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/15 "2006-03-26T08:17:56Z")
Bath. I’m too tall for the shower. If it’s the morning, it’ll be a quickie 5 minutes or so; in the evening, I’ll lay there, soak, and relax for an hour or so, more if I fall asleep.
---
### Author:  [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/16 "2006-03-26T09:56:27Z")
I’m a shower person. I take about 15 to 25 minutes depending on if I’m shaving my legs too.
---
### Author:  [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/17 "2006-03-26T10:18:30Z")
I don’t take baths. I get bored after maybe 5 minutes and spend the rest of my bath feeling guilty about all the water I’m wasting.
Shower, every day to every 3 days, 15 minutes.
---
### Author:  [@kapitagune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapitagune)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/18 "2006-03-26T11:29:04Z")
There’s a nice big (huge, even) shower area where my bath used to be. I’m never looking back 😃
I’d say 15 minutes or so, right after I wake up, every morning. When I go to the gym in the evening, I do a (quick 5-minute) shower there as well. I don’t usually shower at home in the evening.
---
### Author:  [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/19 "2006-03-26T11:32:00Z")
Usually: Shower, about 15 minutes. I don’t understand people who take hours in the shower. The whole point of the shower is speed and efficiency. My first girlfriend had hair long enough for her to to sit on it, and she took 45 minutes if she was washing it. Drying took forever, but we’d be chatting online, she’d idle for a shower, and be back at the computer in under 50.
When I have time and a tub I trust: Shower, Bath, Shower-rinse. You shower to get yourself clean, bathe to relax, and then hose off the bathwater. I can read entire small novels in the tub. I’ll go in around 9:00-9:30 and come out shortly after midnight. I’ll drink about a quart of fluid to replace the sweat-loss. When I soak, I _mean_ it.
In either case: really freakin’ hot. That water’s still warm when I crawl out of it.
---
### Author:  [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)
#### Post date: [March 26, 2006, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917/20 "2006-03-26T11:42:30Z")
On COLD winter mornings I spend about 15 mins in the shower.
that’s 5mins to actually wash my body.
The remainig 10mins to psyche myself out to stick my naked buns out in the cold air.
BRRRRR!! I hate that shit!!
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showers-or-baths-and-how-long-do-you-take/349917.md?page=2)