Why do people shower every morning?

[elegantlion]

If I'm not doing anything but hanging out in the house, I will shower every other day and, no, I don't smell thank you very much. I have dry skin and dry hair as well.

 

I shower after a workout and lately just to get warm. When I worked outside the home I did shower every day, mostly because of my hair.

[Mynyel]

Is everyone doing this to just wake up or am I missing something when it comes to dirt or germs? I tried it for a few weeks in college because everyone else in the dorm was doing it, but I developed dry skin and really preferred to sleep in. I shower when I'm dirty, female time of the month or when I have worked out and am sweaty, but otherwise I just shower twice a week. Clean panties every day, clean clothes, clean sheets. What am I missing?

 

I don't shower in the morning, I do it in the evenings before bed. I like being clean when I get out of bed, not have to get up 15 minutes early (well not really we homeschsool :tongue_smilie:) to shower.

 

Besides doing that means I don't have to change my sheets as often!

[Mergath]

Perhaps you don't travel by public transportation in a large city.

 

Not daily, but I have done so enough times. I've also spent quite a bit of time in a large public library in Minnesota in the dead of winter, which means that it essentially gets used as a daytime homeless shelter. Yes, you can smell them, but it doesn't bother me any more than any other smell in the world.

[Peek a Boo]

Perhaps you don't travel by public transportation in a large city.

 

 

I think the ....bouquet... of the assortment of scents found in areas of mass congregation can give the smell of BOY a run for its money. ;)

 

Overwhelming can run both ends of the spectrum. :)

[justamouse]

I've tried showering fewer times, I'm just too oily. No how, no way. I put cream on after every shower so I'm not bothered by dry skin.

 

Believe me, I *wish* I had that hair that only needed washing twice a week. And I've tried to train it to do so, but it just never happens.

[simka2]

I've tried showering fewer times, I'm just too oily. No how, no way. I put cream on after every shower so I'm not bothered by dry skin.

 

Believe me, I *wish* I had that hair that only needed washing twice a week. And I've tried to train it to do so, but it just never happens.

 

:D I'm the complete opposite! If I wash my hair more than 3 times a week it starts to break and I can pull it out in handfuls. Thankfully, I have a lot of hair!!! Not to mention what it would do to my already super dry skin!!! :D

[caitlinsmom]

I dont shower in the mornings. I have wild curly hair that takes hours to dry. I shower at night a couple times a week. I prefer to go to bed clean than to shower in the morning and be a frizz ball all day. :)

 

ETA: I also have beyond sensitive skin that turns into sandpaper and peels off in sheets if I shower more than 3 times a week.

[QueenCat]

How many people sweat at night in their beds?

 

Me... every single morning, my pillow is wet from sweat. Rest of the sheets are okay. Just from my head. So I shower first thing, before I ever leave the bedroom most days.

[stephanier.1765]

Those of you who shower twice a day how do you afford the water bill? I try to take showers as quickly and efficiently as I can because I see dollar signs instead of water drops. :lol:

 

I'm a every morning shower reformer. Now that my older boys both work there are 3 people vying for bathroom time during already busy mornings so the youngest and I just do our thing at night. And if the two of us have stayed home all day quietly doing school work, we might skip that. Deodorants have come so far that the teen boy doesn't even smell after a skipped shower.

[Ellie]

I shower at night...every night. That way I can get dressed as soon as I get up. After 35 years of showering at night, I feel yucky if I go to bed without the shower.

 

I wash my hair in the morning in the kitchen sink. No one has died from being contaminated with wet hair in the kitchen. :D

[EKS]

I shower TWICE a day because it makes me feel good.

[gardening momma]

My baby gets a rash on his butt if he doesn't get a bath to wash away the urine from wearing diapers - even though I wash him with wet wipes at evey change -it just isn't enough.

Just a thought--are you using wet wipes (baby wipes) or a wet cloth? My kids reacted to any brand/variety of baby wipes, especially dd7. I used a wet cloth to wipe, and then a dry cloth to pat dry. Maybe it's the wipes?

[gardening momma]

Tops and tails are the most important thing to me-that is the part that seriously makes me gag if you do not do it daily. I honestly just can't imagine anyone being clean after a day of housework and taking care of children. Then again, I may be extra messy :tongue_smilie:

 

And I do feel dirty if I do not shower daily. We have a Lab whom thinks he is a lap dog, all 80lbs of him, do I need to say more, lol.

You don't know how other people take care of their tops and tails, how much housework and kid-work they do (and how they sweat during it), and whether they have an 80 lb. dog. So you don't know other people's levels of cleanliness, even if you do know they shower every other day.

[gardening momma]

I wash my hair in the morning in the kitchen sink. No one has died from being contaminated with wet hair in the kitchen. :D

I used to do that--when I was a teenager. I think my back would go out on me if I tried it now. :001_smile: (actually, it was the laundry tub, around the corner, so maybe the faucet was lower than a kitchen faucet)

[Truscifi]

Am I the only one who likes to shower in the middle of the day?

 

I used to shower in the morning before I went to work, but now that I am home in the mornings I like to drink my coffee, play on the computer, do my daily chores around the house and putter in my garden while supervising ds in school. But I work in the afternoons, so I shower before I go to work. And honestly, I like it better this way. Also, I wash or rinse my body daily but only wash my hair if I worked out - so 4-5 times a week.

[Joker]

Am I the only one who likes to shower in the middle of the day?

 

I used to shower in the morning before I went to work, but now that I am home in the mornings I like to drink my coffee, play on the computer, do my daily chores around the house and putter in my garden while supervising ds in school. But I work in the afternoons, so I shower before I go to work. And honestly, I like it better this way. Also, I wash or rinse my body daily but only wash my hair if I worked out - so 4-5 times a week.

 

:iagree:I shower about 4pm -- after I've worked out and before I cook dinner. On days I don't workout or get sweaty (gasp) I don't shower.

[DaffodilDreams]

If I didn't, I would look like the Bride of Frankenstein - - or at the very least, Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix LeStrange. In my case, clean hair = tame hair.

[shalom22]

I live in Houston and I can't sleep if I don't take a shower right before bed. I feel all galmy and sticky by bedtime in this humidity regardless of my activity level for the day. There are times during the summer I may be inclined to shower in the morning also if it gets too warm in the house and I feel galmy and sticky just from sleeping.

[ktgrok]

I thought the post read "why would people shower in the morning rather then the evening?'

 

I can NOT understand how people can go to bed without showering. I like to feel clean when I crawl in. Why get the sheets all sweaty?

 

That's what I would like to know!:tongue_smilie:

 

Because my hair looks awful the next day if I sleep on it wet, and I don't like to blow dry it too often.

[cin]

I have 'stiff' hair. It stays the way it lays when I sleep; usually straight up. Yes, I wake up with a TALL mohawk. Therefore, I HAVE to wash my hair daily. My kids have reminded me to put on a hat before getting the mail because it is so funny.

 

I prefer to wash it in the shower, but i don't always have that luxury. Most days I wash it in the kitchen sink. i shower 3-4X wk. I ALWAYS shower before going somewhere I will encounter many people. I do smell.

[love2read]

Before my bladder got stapled back into place, there was that to take care of, too.

Wait until you are older, honey.

Not sure if this was meant for me or not, but I'm pushing 53 and have a slew of kids who have done a number on my bladder. How old are you?

[lauracolumbus]

First, can just I say I love the conversations on this board.

 

Second, when I lived in Europe 20 years ago, I was limited to two showers a week when I lived with a European family. Other students were limited to one shower per week. I was lucky because the woman I lived with was an American businesswoman. And she only showered 2x/week. At the time (I don't know if it has changed) showering daily was one of the reasons that that part of the world thought Americans were so wasteful. And I was surprised, but I (and my hair) eventually adjusted to 2x/week.

 

I don't shower every day, but I do shower at least 4-5 x/week, esp. if I'm out of the house. It still feels wasteful to me to use a precious resource such as water as a wake up call. Yes, it feels great to stand in a hot shower after a workout or on a cold winter day, but I envy the 12 year old girl down the street who turns her shower on and off in the winter. She lathers w/the water off and then rinses with it on. Then hops out in 5 mins. I wish I could be as conscientious as she is.

 

This conversation also triggered my memory of people routinely washing their hair in their sinks when I was growing up, so everyone must not have showering daily back in the day. Must be the source of the 'tops and tails' idea.

 

Laura

[Crissy]

Because I like to feel clean.

 

:iagree:

 

I usually shower just before going to bed. Who wants to slide into bed next to her husband with a day's dirt and grime on her? Blech.

 

I also shower in the morning after a night of hot-flashes, night sweats and...activity. ;)

[dangermom]

I don't feel right if I don't shower in the morning. Also, my curly hair doesn't deal well with being slept on or brushed out. I don't actually shampoo it every day, but I do condition it daily. They're quick showers, but I'm not happy if they don't happen.

 

When I lived in Europe for a year and was limited to 2x/week, I would braid my hair in ~10 little braids overnight; that seemed to make it OK, but it didn't work great.

 

I do love a quick hot shower before bed too!

[Mejane]

I shower twice a week as well (my hair looks best on day 3.) I spongebathe in between. I don't dig ditches or plow fields, so I don't get "dirty" and see no need to shower everyday. :)

[mom2denj]

:iagree: Me too!!

My hair looks like a grease bomb if I don't :D

[gardening momma]

This conversation also triggered my memory of people routinely washing their hair in their sinks when I was growing up, so everyone must not have showering daily back in the day. Must be the source of the 'tops and tails' idea.

 

Laura

In our house, it was 4 teenagers trying to share one bathroom in the morning to get ready for school. So we occasionally resorted to washing our hair in the laundry tub if someone was in the shower and we wouldn't get a turn. (forget getting up earlier!)

[HappyCrazyMama]

I shower about 4pm -- after I've worked out and before I cook dinner. On days I don't workout or get sweaty (gasp) I don't shower.

Me too. No shower in the morning here and I don't sweat in bed. I only shower at night if I have ran and missed the before dinner shower because of the little ones. I end up with a a shower 3-4 days a week. I don't stink and I rarely sweat unless I'm running or it's 90 degrees. Not a lot of housework gets done on weekdays either, I can't find the time. I don't think throwing in a load of laundry and cooking dinner makes me grubby. I guess dry people who don't sweat don't need as many showers to be clean. (And I am clean, thank you very much) :D

[katemary63]

Is everyone doing this to just wake up or am I missing something when it comes to dirt or germs? I tried it for a few weeks in college because everyone else in the dorm was doing it, but I developed dry skin and really preferred to sleep in. I shower when I'm dirty, female time of the month or when I have worked out and am sweaty, but otherwise I just shower twice a week. Clean panties every day, clean clothes, clean sheets. What am I missing?

 

:iagree: I'm with you 100% I do not shower daily. It is bad for my skin. I do just like you. If my hair needs a freshening, I'll wash it in the sink or over the side of the tub. My Dh must shower every morning no matter what. If he showered at 1:00 am. and got up again at 6:00 am, he would shower again. I find it bizarre. After 26 years of marriage he still says to me, "Aren't you going to shower?" I say, "Why?" And no, I don't drink coffee to wake up either. I just wake up.

[ShutterBug]

I shower every day because I want to.

 

I shower every day because I like to.

 

I shower every day because if I don't my hair is greasy, my skin is oily, my "nether regions" don't feel fresh (or clean ) and I'm a miserable, grody feeling grump.

[eternalknot]

I only shower a few times a week, usually when I need to wash my hair (which I do 1-2x/week). I have coarse, thick, oily hair but still need not wash it more than twice a week. I work in customer service, so hygiene and appearance are important. I've had colleagues called out for poor hygiene but nobody has ever complained to or about me. I also don't wear deoderant; never have. Gasp! LOL

 

I do like to take daily baths, though, for relaxation. I usually take these at night, before bed, but not always. Sometimes I need to relax at lunchtime because it's been *that* kind of school day ;)

 

Every morning I clean my face, and any ripe smelling areas, with water and a washcloth. Feels clean enough to me!

[kalanamak]

Not sure if this was meant for me or not, but I'm pushing 53 and have a slew of kids who have done a number on my bladder. How old are you?

 

The same, only it didn't take a whole slew of kids. When one has to use a little pad every day, a good rinse is often indicated daily. :)

 

And if you don't have the morning stiffness yet, count your blessings.

[PinkInTheBlue]

My hair looks like a grease bomb if I don't :D

 

Because I like to feel clean.

 

It wakes me up and makes me feel clean. I hate that grubby feeling on the back of my neck if I go without a shower. Plus it's nice alone time :)

 

Because my hair looks awful the next day if I sleep on it wet, and I don't like to blow dry it too often.

 

:iagree: That is all. :)

[Mimm]

Another vote for simply liking to feel clean. :)

[ColoradoMom]

Because I like to feel clean.

 

:iagree:

[Tree House Academy]

My hair looks like a grease bomb if I don't :D

 

 

:iagree: This is me too.

 

I also itch if I don't shower (which may be mind over matter). I am also a lotion user, so dry skin just doesn't happen with me unless it is the middle of winter and there is zero humidity even inside the house. I like to feel clean "below" and just changing panties wouldn't do it for me.

 

My mom washes her hair in the shower about twice a week (she has dry hair; I have oily. Go figure). But she also takes a bath every night for the reasons I mentioned above.

Edited March 5, 2011 by Tree House Academy

[Peela]

I loooooove water and how it makes me feel to bathe in it. It feels like it washes away more than dirt and grease- it washes away the night, the day, it washes away the past, whatever past that is. I love it. I will sometimes have 3 showers a day if I want to.

Whether its the ocean, the spa, the pool, the hose, the bath or the shower.... I love to bathe. I always feel fresher and i love to feel fresher.

I never use soap, although I do wash and condition my hair 2-3 times a week. Since I shower a lot, I just don't need soap. I also have coconut or sesame oil in my shower and sometimes will moisturise my skin with oil while I am in the shower. The water rinses off some but not all of it and the towel wipes off some too, but my skin is always moisturised and soft afterwards.

 

I also finish every shower with the cold tap only- even in the middle of winter. THAT wakes me up! It is very good for circulation but also for snapping out of a funk!

 

Having said that...I don't think there is any need to wash more than twice a week for hygiene, most of the time. But thats not why I do it.

Edited March 5, 2011 by Peela

[Holly]

Am I the only one who likes to shower in the middle of the day?

 

 

Me too! I prefer to shower after chores and school are done and my toddler is napping.

 

I will admit that I don't shower everyday. I shampoo my hair about 2x/week and shower every other day. I do apply deodorant every day which takes care of BO. Other people do not notice because my DH would be the first to tell me if it was noticeable...and he has when I've forgotten deodorant or been sick. :lol:

[Haiku]

What am I missing?

 

Nothing. Americans have a weird obsession with showering.

 

I usually only shower twice a week as well.

 

And since my hair is super short, I usually only wash it *gasp* once a week.

 

Oh, and I only use soap on my pits and lady area. The rest just gets water.

 

Tara

[Haiku]

 

People *think* they don't smell. But they do. They really, really do.

 

Well first of all, that's not true of everyone. I live with four other people, two of whom are young and don't necessarily have a filter. They would tell me if I smelled (as would dh). My son tells me my breath smells bad after coffee/before toothbrushing in the mornings.

 

Second, I would way rather smell a little BO on another person than some of crapnastic fake floral or "warm vanilla sugar" revolting scents people use. Seriously ... I work in a store and it's not the BO people who gag me out. It's the unnaturally scented people who do (and the weed-aroma-ed people who give me a contact high, but that's another story ;) ).

 

Tara

[Elfknitter.#]

Um, people you live with wouldn't necessarily tell if you were overly smelly, so to say. I tend to be use to how my family smells, but even my mom or other family member not living in our home smells different to me due to just plain laundry detergent or bathing soap differences. And yes, my two monkeys would be more than happy to say if I smelled as well. Or farted. Or ... what have you. They are 5 and 7yo. (probably not the same age as your children.)

 

I do work with the public and I smell a BIG varieties of smells, from unwashed homeless persons to WAY over cologned/ perfumed persons. There are those of us who are sensitive to it.

 

Back to the OP (and I didn't read all the posts), I like to shower daily to feel clean and refreshed. The days I have not showered or bathed tend to make for more difficult days when I finally do cleanse. To avoid that, I bathed daily. Plus, I do workout daily and that just plain requires a bathing. Because I live in a warmer climate, I sometimes bathe twice a day in the summers.

[LittleIzumi]

I don't. Dh does just to wake up, 5-min shower ritual, but he only washes his hair 3 times a week. Hair will regulate oil production to match the amount/regularity the oil is stripped. Mine is happy w/every 4 days & I'm not looking to push it further than that because I'm not a fan of becoming fragrant :lol:. Plus we're in a very dry climate. In a humid area I think I'd shower constantly just to get rid of the sweat. I don't miss that....

[scmama]

Interesting posts! :)

I bathe everyday, sometimes twice depending if I have to go somewhere or if I've been working out in the yard.

Growing up my parents, especially my mom, would make us bathe before going to bed. She use to say you aren't getting into clean beds at night filthy and sweaty. Which now that I'm an adult I totally understand. Who wants to get into a comfy clean bed feeling dirty. Well that's my opinion, anyways.

If I didn't bathe every day I would feel terrible. If I shower in the morning it's usually to wake up or just to feel that hot water.

Oh and I have to wash my hair every night too, otherwise, one day of not shampooing and I would scare the kids!!

[Miss Sherry]

I take a shower every night before getting into bed. I don't like to get into bed feeling dirty.I use Dove to wash with, which doesn't dry out my skin and I put on moisturizing cream after I shower. I like to use unscented products, such as the Dove cleansing bars that are unscented and Cetaphil moisturizing cream.

Edited March 5, 2011 by Miss Sherry

[Virg]

I shower 1-2 times a day and wash my hair every time.

 

I do it because:

I love water.

I was a competitive swimmer for 10 years and you have to wash out the chlorine if you don't want your hair ruined. Since I had 2 practices a day, I got used to 2 showers a day at 7 y.o.

Competitive swimming is also why I shave everything every other day too. Now I am used to it and hate feeling "hairy."

It is relaxing.

I have serious "clean" issues with everything. (We even all use flushable Huggies wipes!)

My hair is baby fine and has been oily since I was a baby.

I like to smell good. I LOVE my warm vanilla sugar! (So does DH hee hee.)

AND I am alone in the shower!!!

 

Everyone in my house showers every day. DH showers 1-3x a day. He also has clean issues lol. The kids all shower 1x a day, every morning. Sometimes a second time if they go outside and get really smelly. DH and step kids only wash their hair 2x a week as they are AA. My twins are mixed but have hair like mine and wash theirs every day.

[Melissa in Australia]

I shower every morning, and wash my hair every 5 days. I shower after hand-milking the cow. We only have limited water ( tank water collected off the roof) but we have enough for a shower, we have low water pressure, and we catch our shower water. I use about 10 litres per shower, more if I wash my hair.

DH and I shower in the mornings as the bathroom is booked out in the evening for my teen boys, they shower in the evenings.

 

My German/Canadian ( migrated to Canada in the 50's) in-laws only shower once a week, and only change their underwear after their shower. Last time my FIL visited, he AIRED his undies every evening in the bush outside the house. I had never heard of that custom before. I have been told by my Canadian husband that that is not a Canadian custom though.

[DawnL]

I shower every other night. Unless I'm all sweaty and gross, of course.

[nd293]

I honestly just can't imagine anyone being clean after a day of housework and taking care of children. Then again, I may be extra messy :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm thinking you may be extra tidy as my level of housework never causes me to break a sweat. I don't think I'm doing it right. :001_huh:

[arghmatey]

Perhaps you don't travel by public transportation in a large city.

 

LOL! DD says she wants to be a princess and a bus driver. I tell her that's fine as long as she knows Latin and doesn't mind being around body odor all day WITHOUT comment.

 

As far as showering--meh. I do it when I can. I no-poo.

 

I've gone through months where I'm too physically weak to shower on my own (pregnancy complications), so I got used to skipping a few days.

[sewingmama]

Those of you who shower twice a day how do you afford the water bill? I try to take showers as quickly and efficiently as I can because I see dollar signs instead of water drops. :lol:

 

I don't drink coffee or alcohol or smoke - so I save money that way and use it up on my shower treats instead :D Seriously being in a drought stricken country you would think I would know better but I just can't stand the icky feeling.

 

My DH showers once a day (wish he's take more - he stinks) and my kids are still so young they share one bath/shower - so that leaves more water for me. When the kids get older I guess I'll have to take quicker showers (notice I said quicker not less :D).

 

Even with two showers a day and never using lotion I never have dry skin - I guess it's the humidity we have in Aus. When I lived in Canada I did have very dry skin and I only took one shower a day then. I'm guessing it was because of the in house heating. Houses in Australia rarely have central heating so less problems with dry skin I guess.

 

My baby had two showers today - the first when he got into a bag of flour and covered himself in it and the second after eating a spaghetti dinner and smearing it head to toe. My other two kids had already had a shower by lunchtime - one also got into the flour and the other got her face painted at the mall and wanted to wash it off. Like I said before I don't see how people can get away with not bathing little kids daily - my kids just must be unusually messy.

 

Just a thought--are you using wet wipes (baby wipes) or a wet cloth? My kids reacted to any brand/variety of baby wipes, especially dd7. I used a wet cloth to wipe, and then a dry cloth to pat dry. Maybe it's the wipes?

 

Either/or it doesn't matter. All three of my kids had super sensitive butt skin. If they bathe daily they never have a problem with rashes or redness -if they don't they get sore very quickly. The wipes I use are alcohol/perfume free but I also use just plain water as well. Even my older kids (aged 3 and 4) get owies and itchies in their "areas" if they don't bathe daily. They don't wipe themselves perfectly so anything left behind irritates them very quickly. My baby's skin cracks and bleeds if I don't change his poopy diaper within a couple of minutes - he actually goes from perfect/blemish free skin to fiery red and bleeding in as little as 3 minutes.

Edited March 5, 2011 by sewingmama