# What does your shower water temperature say about you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 19, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236 "2006-02-19T19:47:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/1 "2006-02-19T19:47:56Z")
A. Freezing cold - What the hell is wrong with you? Will you put on a hairshirt when you get out of there? B. Cold - Either it’s sweltering out or you’re me and **oneironaut** ’s been wearing those boots again B. Lukewarm - Me, I’d prefer the cold. Why not let a cat lick you all over? C. Perfectly balanced in a zen-like serenity between hot and cold - you are the Messiah D. Hot and steamy - Either it’s chilly out, you have company, or you’re pretending you do F. Boiling hot - So hot you need a safeword and a friend standing by with bandages Me, I’m somewhere between ‘D’ and ‘F’. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/2 "2006-02-19T19:49:42Z")
:smack: How silly of me. Of course, that should A, B, 3, C, D, 5. ---
**Author:** ![Dusty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@Dusty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dusty)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/3 "2006-02-19T20:04:05Z")
Thinking about it just now, I can be rather funny. For baths, I like the water as hot as I can stand it, but for showers, I prefer it cold. Not freezing, mind, I do mix in some hot water, but a temperature somewhere in the low 70s (Fahrenheit, obviously). And I tend to inch it colder and colder while I’m in there. So, B sliding up to, but not reaching, A. ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/4 "2006-02-19T20:37:35Z")
Somewhere between D and F for most of it - then cranked down to between A and B for the last minute or so. At one point or another I got the idea that this would keep me from getting sick. It seems to work okay. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/5 "2006-02-19T20:43:08Z")
Woohoo! I’m the Messiah! ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/6 "2006-02-19T20:57:36Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Woohoo! I’m the Messiah! Yeah, uh huh, me too. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/7 "2006-02-19T21:34:16Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Woohoo! I’m the Messiah! How do you do it? Can you actually achieve it, or does it require constant adjustment? I find that the perfect temp a moment ago is a little too cold right now… ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/8 "2006-02-19T21:47:05Z")
Morning showers: I’m generally the messiah, apparently, because I’m not awake enough to really notice the temperature. For the last five seconds or so, I just turn off the hot water, because that actually wakes me up. Post-workout showers: Start lukewarm, to let myself cool down and stop sweating so much. Then as hot as I can stand. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/9 "2006-02-19T22:18:11Z")
When taking a bath, the water temperature should only blister the skin slightly. When taking a shower, the water temperature should produce enough steam to raise the humidity in the house to slightly less than 99% - used to have the water hotter, but those micro storms in the kitchen wrecked havoc on the appliances. If my hot water heater ever dies, just call me stinky until Home Depot comes and installs a new one. Next time I might opt for that 50,000 gallon tank model. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/10 "2006-02-19T22:28:30Z")
Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot. Same for baths. I turn the hot tap all the way up, and add just enough cold to make the water pressure go from “pounding power shower” to " needle-like jets boring into my skin". That way I take about 5 minutes and feel really clean. Nothing worse than a drip-drip lukewarm shower. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/11 "2006-02-19T22:28:58Z")
> [@cthiax](#): > > How do you do it? Can you actually achieve it, or does it require constant adjustment? I find that the perfect temp a moment ago is a little too cold right now… I guess it’s one of those minor superpowers. I turn each knob once, kick on the spray, and it’s a perfect temperature every time. It’s no x-ray vision or telekinesis, but I’ll take it. ---
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/12 "2006-02-19T22:35:28Z")
I’m a Messiah with traces of cat slobber. If you knew my hot water heater, you’d err on the cool side too. ---
**Author:** ![mrald](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mrald](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrald)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/13 "2006-02-20T00:33:03Z")
F so my SO has to be an A 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/14 "2006-02-20T01:02:13Z")
I’m a D. At the end of the shower, I turn the cold water off and boil myself for a couple of minutes. Aaahhh… ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/15 "2006-02-20T01:32:38Z")
F. I wake up each morning (or evening, or whatever) with very low body temperature. Then I’m expected to get out of the shower dripping wet, which will freeze me again? Forget it. I can handle the cold the rest of the day, but I need that kickstart in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/16 "2006-02-20T01:45:47Z")
That alphanumeric scale is too confusing for me to use, so I’ll just say I keep it between lukewarm and moderately warm. Lukewarm is preferred. What this says about me: I hate having itchy skin in winter! In general, the less heat used in the water, the better it is for skin and hair. Lukewarm water says: good skincare matters to me. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/17 "2006-02-20T01:50:22Z")
A. Wakes me up, the way even Plax in an eye does. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/18 "2006-02-20T01:52:43Z")
> [@Stark Raven Mad](#): > > A. Wakes me up, the way even Plax in an eye does. :smack: Doesn’t. I meant doesn’t. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/19 "2006-02-20T02:00:03Z")
Totally F for me. I like it so hot that it almost hurts. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236/20 "2006-02-20T02:00:34Z")
I range from D to D-. If the air temp. is particularly cold, I’m an F. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-your-shower-water-temperature-say-about-you/345236.md?page=2)