# What Happens to People Who Don't Bathe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016 "2012-06-13T14:23:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/61 "2012-06-17T20:52:17Z")
I Shower/Bathe as needed. I wash myself more than I might eat Breakfast. Both are synonymous with a daily morning routine. Both are equally Bullshit, advertisers want you to do, to buy more product. “Raises fist towards Commercialism”. I’ll Eat and Bath as I see Fit. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/62 "2012-06-17T21:10:11Z")
> [@Jamicat](#): > > I Shower/Bathe as needed. > > I wash myself more than I might eat Breakfast. > > Both are synonymous with a daily morning routine. > > Both are equally Bullshit, advertisers want you to do, to buy more product. > > “Raises fist towards Commercialism”. > > I’ll Eat and Bathe as I see Fit. :mad: Oh, forgot to mention…No I’ll effects from either. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/63 "2012-06-18T04:28:47Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > My husband and I got into a polite argument on this very subject a couple of days ago – he observed that when I bathe our two-year old, which happens every night as part of The Bedtime Routine, while I dump lots of water over him (which he loves), I use soap only on his butt and privates most days, with soap elsewhere only either when there’s visible schmutz or about once a week, whichever comes first. Husband was worried this would be a health threat, imagining that disease bacteria would grow out of control on an unwashed boy. I told him that it’s actually potentially unhealthy to use as much soap on skin as normal Americans do these days, because a) it strips away natural skin oils, which have a [protective function](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebum#Function), and 2) it washes away the good bacteria just as much as the bad, and the good stuff normally out-competes the bad stuff if you leave it alone. And also that stuff about [challenging the immune system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis) mentioned above. Though this does not apply when feces or urine are involved, hence the butt soap, or if there’s an infection, or pizza smushed into hair, or what have you. And that once he hits puberty, more soap will be called for when the [stinky](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_odor) [apocrine sweat glands](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocrine_glands) come online. > > Husband found my overall argument questionable and asked for cites after we put the kid in bed, apparently mostly because I sound particularly annoying and pedantic when I get to pontificating about science-y stuff like that. ☹ We had to go Google around a bit to settle it. > > Turns out most medical sites, including dermatology ones, if they discuss this subject at all, say something like “For skin health and comfort, use a non-soap cleanser and a moisturizer daily.” What exactly counts as “non-soap cleanser” is not clarified, nor are the specifics of why cleanser might be needed, etc. No cites found there. However, the Wikipedia page on [skin flora](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_flora) supports my science-y talk; husband agreed that I might not have been talking out my ass after all, and agreed it would be OK to use soap on the kid as sparingly as I do, so long as we follow up every bath with [jojoba oil](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jojoba#Cultivation_and_uses) as a moisturizer per the American Dermatologists’ Whatever-It-Was site he looked at. So we do. Kid seems to like the rubdown. > > I don’t remember the specifics and had no luck with a quick search, but IIRC the early history of soap advertising campaigns had a lot to do with convincing modern Americans that lack of bathing would lead to all kinds of horrors, including disease, wrinkles, old-maid-hood, and questionable morals. They were basically lying. You may be interested in the [Hygiene Hypothesis]([Hygiene - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene) \_hypothesis) Also, [Are we just too clean for our own good?](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/expathealth/4186782/Are-we-just-too-clean-for-our-own-good.html) and [Yes there’s such a thing as too clean](http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/31/garden/yes-there-s-such-a-thing-as-too-clean.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm). ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/64 "2012-06-18T12:31:16Z")
So where do we draw the line between too much and too little? People are told to wash their hands often to avoid getting sick…how do we decide what’s too much and what’s not enough? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/65 "2012-06-18T13:38:03Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > What’s the point of bathing without soap, though? The soap sticks to dirt on your body and that’s how it gets rinsed off with the water. If you’re just washing off with water, you’re not really getting any cleaner. > [@BigT](#): > > I think the water pressure does knock off some grime, and it may help dilute the sweat. It’s particularly good to get off the dried remnants of sweat, as those are water soluble. > > Then again, I never once found it to be sufficient. I knew someone who did this, and they always stank. What are you guys doing that water isn’t cleaning you? Per my dermatologist’s advice, I only use soap when necessary. Like, on the undercarriage and maybe my feet if I’ve been walking around barefoot in the summer, or all over after a big workout where I sweated a lot. Basic walking-around and sitting-at-desk? Water works just fine. And I can assure you, I do not stink. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/66 "2012-06-18T14:39:18Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > And breath can not only get “ugly”, but not brushing your teeth daily leads to tooth decay. Actually, [not so much](http://www.uic.edu/classes/osci/osci590/11_1Epidemiology.htm). Paleolithic remains are _notable_ if they show evidence of multiple caries. Many remains have no signs of tooth decay at all. The increase in caries from neolithic times is most likely linked to the concurrent increase in grain agriculture. It’s mainly what you eat that rots your teeth. Even traditional societies bathe, though you may not think of it as that. Sweat lodges do get you quite clean and are viable methods of bathing even in arctic conditions. In places where water is scarce, people have taken dust or sand baths and oiled themselves. Oiling and scraping is another method of bathing. You don’t necessarily have to use water to clean yourself, though it does help a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Shosy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@Shosy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shosy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/67 "2012-06-18T15:07:33Z")
I think the majority of people brought up valid points. Going a week without bathing won’t hurt anything, and will probably leave your skin and hair nicely moisturized and conditioned. However after that I’d say that you’re better off bathing at least every few days 1. helps keep pores clear (though sauna/sweat lodge will do that too, possibly better) 2. it keeps the bacterial load on your skin lower, which will result in lower infections, especially if you say, got bronchitis to begin with and skin your knee while stumbling for that codine cough syrup (I cut myself shaving while I had bronchitis…the result was not pretty). 3. your sheets will stay cleaner a lot longer. 4. In today’s world stuff commonly gets on your skin which didn’t occur 500 years ago. A lot of it probably shouldn’t be allowed to sit there for weeks on end (lead, cadmium, diesel particulates, and so forth). ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/68 "2012-06-18T18:41:10Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > What are you guys doing that water isn’t cleaning you? Per my dermatologist’s advice, I only use soap when necessary. Like, on the undercarriage and maybe my feet if I’ve been walking around barefoot in the summer, or all over after a big workout where I sweated a lot. > > Basic walking-around and sitting-at-desk? Water works just fine. And I can assure you, I do not stink. I only use water too. And a washcloth to remove any dead skin cells. My father has been doing the same thing for decades and it’s just fine. The only time I use soap in the shower is when we’ve been camping for several days and I’m covered in grime, or if I’ve gotten dirty working outside. I use soap on my hands throughout the day though. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/69 "2012-06-18T19:41:39Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > What’s the point of bathing without soap, though? The soap sticks to dirt on your body and that’s how it gets rinsed off with the water. If you’re just washing off with water, you’re not really getting any cleaner. I Am Not a Chemist, but as I understand [what I’ve read](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap#Mechanism_of_cleansing_soaps) about how soap works, plain water does in fact get you cleaner, while soaps ([surfactants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micelle)) just _help_, especially with anything oil-based. > [@Wizard\_One](#): > > …What is key is one thing: exfoliation. In short, removal of excess skin cells. In the brush, one would have excess skin removed by passing through the brush. That is HIGHLY lacking today. Add to that skin oils, which thicken and harden on the skin, causing adhesion issues… one ends up with a proliferation of skin and oil mixtures that can quite literally cause wounds in some areas, such as the scalp… One fails to exfoliate fully in the modern world. One accumulates fungi and bacteria which are FIRST “stinky”, then move on to degrading your skin… Do you have cites for any of this? > [@Imasquare](#): > > You may be interested in the [Hygiene Hypothesis]([Hygiene - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene) \_hypothesis) Why yes, I am interested! Which is why I cited that very same link in my post. > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > So where do we draw the line between too much and too little? People are told to wash their hands often to avoid getting sick…how do we decide what’s too much and what’s not enough? As I understand it, handwashing is intended to prevent person-to-person transmission of contagious/opportunistic microbes, which we get on our hands from our own snot and spit. It’s not to do with the microbes that ordinarily hang out on hand skin, and it’s to do with hands only inasmuch as hands are vectors for bodily fluids. Which is not to say we shouldn’t wash hands, just that you can’t necessarily generalize from washing hands to bathing all skin. IOW handwashing may prevent the spread of a virus, but elbow-washing or foot-washing wouldn’t. > [@Shosy](#): > > … I’d say that you’re better off bathing at least every few days > > 1. helps keep pores clear (though sauna/sweat lodge will do that too, possibly better) > > 2. it keeps the bacterial load on your skin lower, which will result in lower infections, especially if you say, got bronchitis to begin with and skin your knee while stumbling for that codine cough syrup (I cut myself shaving while I had bronchitis…the result was not pretty). … Any cites for either of these assertions? I have to say that I don’t believe at all that your bronchitis had anything to do with your shaving injury or how infected it got. I don’t actually think bronchitis-related microbes are capable of giving you a skin infection. I can believe that if you were busy with bronchitis your immune system might not have the oomph to fight off other infections as well as usual. [Bronchitis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchitis) is usually caused by a virus, so bacterial load shouldn’t be directly related. ---
**Author:** ![Shosy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@Shosy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shosy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/70 "2012-06-18T19:51:59Z")
> [@Ceejaytee](#): > > I only use water too. And a washcloth to remove any dead skin cells. My father has been doing the same thing for decades and it’s just fine. The only time I use soap in the shower is when we’ve been camping for several days and I’m covered in grime, or if I’ve gotten dirty working outside. I use soap on my hands throughout the day though. That kinda reminds me of a test of laundry balls. They tested 3 methods, one with laundry detergent, one with laundry balls, and one with plain water. The result? all the same. ---
**Author:** ![Shosy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@Shosy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shosy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/71 "2012-06-18T19:56:18Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > I Am Not a Chemist, but as I understand [what I’ve read](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap#Mechanism_of_cleansing_soaps) about how soap works, plain water does in fact get you cleaner, while soaps ([surfactants](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micelle)) just _help_, especially with anything oil-based. > > Do you have cites for any of this? > > Why yes, I am interested! Which is why I cited that very same link in my post. > > As I understand it, handwashing is intended to prevent person-to-person transmission of contagious/opportunistic microbes, which we get on our hands from our own snot and spit. It’s not to do with the microbes that ordinarily hang out on hand skin, and it’s to do with hands only inasmuch as hands are vectors for bodily fluids. Which is not to say we shouldn’t wash hands, just that you can’t necessarily generalize from washing hands to bathing all skin. IOW handwashing may prevent the spread of a virus, but elbow-washing or foot-washing wouldn’t. > > Any cites for either of these assertions? I have to say that I don’t believe at all that your bronchitis had anything to do with your shaving injury or how infected it got. I don’t actually think bronchitis-related microbes are capable of giving you a skin infection. I can believe that if you were busy with bronchitis your immune system might not have the oomph to fight off other infections as well as usual. [Bronchitis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronchitis) is usually caused by a virus, so bacterial load shouldn’t be directly related. Immune system load was what I was getting at, which of course you picked up on. Of course thats a rather obvious point. Sweat lodge/sauna is purely anecdotal/personal experience. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/72 "2012-06-18T21:59:27Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > What are you guys doing that water isn’t cleaning you? Per my dermatologist’s advice, I only use soap when necessary. Like, on the undercarriage and maybe my feet if I’ve been walking around barefoot in the summer, or all over after a big workout where I sweated a lot. > > Basic walking-around and sitting-at-desk? Water works just fine. And I can assure you, I do not stink. Chemically, that’s the point of soap – to stick to oil/grease/dirt. Water doesn’t really remove anything, it just flows over it. I’ve never tried just washing with water because it would never occur to me to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/73 "2012-06-18T22:17:45Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Chemically, that’s the point of soap – to stick to oil/grease/dirt. Water doesn’t really remove anything, it just flows over it. This just isn’t true. Warm water with some form of exfoliating action (e.g. a washcloth, or just sufficient water pressure) is sufficient for removing anything unhealthy that may be on your skin. Nearly everything that your body excretes and that winds up there is water soluble. Soap can speed the process and help remove stubborn grime, but isn’t generally necessary for normal hygiene. Washing hands with soap after using the bathroom _is_ necessary to lower the risk of disease transmission. So, use soap in the shower or don’t. Whatever floats your boat. Wash your hands after you touch your junk. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/74 "2012-06-18T22:22:21Z")
Nobody else use a metal grill brush when they wanna get squeaky clean? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/75 "2012-06-19T07:10:14Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I recall an argument being mentioned here a while back that some people claim that constantly washing with soap makes your skin and hair greasier, because the body is trying to compensate for the lost oils scrubbed away by the soap. They claim that if you wash with just water for a while the greasiness will go away as the body stops doing that. I’ve no idea if anyone has scientifically tested that claim, though it’s not silly on the face of it at least. The sample was tiny so it didn’t quite count as a scientific study, but a long-running healthcare program on Spanish TV once ran an experiment where they asked some members of their staff to stop washing their hair for several months. Only one of them was able to go beyond the three-week mark, but they had her on the show at the three-months and her hair was perfect, better than it had ever been. She said it had been itching like mad for the 2nd and 3rd weeks but had settled after a month. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/76 "2012-06-21T11:41:34Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > This just isn’t true. Warm water with some form of exfoliating action (e.g. a washcloth, or just sufficient water pressure) is sufficient for removing anything unhealthy that may be on your skin. Nearly everything that your body excretes and that winds up there is water soluble. Soap can speed the process and help remove stubborn grime, but isn’t generally necessary for normal hygiene. > > Washing hands with soap after using the bathroom _is_ necessary to lower the risk of disease transmission. > > So, use soap in the shower or don’t. Whatever floats your boat. Wash your hands after you touch your junk. That’s about it. But isn’t oil/grease _not_ water soluble? I just remember learning in chemistry class that it was because of that that water alone doesn’t get you clean. Water and oil don’t really mix but chemically soap sticks to grease/oil. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016/77 "2012-06-21T11:55:46Z")
Not soluble doesn’t mean it doesn’t get dragged along, specially with the help of a washcloth. Pouring oil on a river will produce an oil slick which doesn’t stay in place: it moves along with the river. Using a wet washcloth to clean up works by friction, not by dissolution: it drags cells, particulates and grease (which doesn’t “like” water but does “like” cloth) away. Also, “soluble/insoluble” isn’t a pass/fail proposition. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-people-who-dont-bathe/625016.md?page=3)