What is normal for having a bath or shower?

[Carnation]

We all know how anxiety can affect normal daily tasks and you get out of touch with what is normal?
I recently learned that a twenty something showers once a month, which if in high anxiety mode is not strange at all. But, what is classed as a normal?
I had a sister n law who showered twice a day, my dad had a bath once a week on a Friday night and my mum stopped having baths for years and just had a strip wash.
Weird, but curious subject......

[MyNameIsTerry]

Once a month? I would have thought they were in the shower more than previous generations and less understanding of what a sink used to be for before showers were everywhere?

What is normal in the shower? Me singing girls just wanna have fun.

When working I have one before I leave otherwise I tend to jump in every couple/few days. It depends if I'm just mooching around on my own or seeing someone for something that may mean close proximity...

After certain activities (use your imagination ) or if I've been doing a load of sweaty dirty jobs over some hours like being at work. Otherwise I can't be bothered and use the sink.

Rarely use the bath. Pre shower days it was bath time Sundays. We were always made to have one before the school week started.

I struggled using the shower when my anxiety got bad as it made me feel rough when I got out which was a trigger, still is for many activities, but I got over it. At my worst just being under the shower made me more anxious. Back then I could go months but the sink was still there and used daily except at the worst of the breakdown stages when personal hygiene went out of the window for a while.

[mezzaninedoor]

My Wife showers every day.
She thinks Im not hygienic because I tend to shower/bath once a week favouring standing washes on other days.

I think if you are bigger you probably also need to shower more often as sweat can gather in crevices on the body.

I dont think theres a normal. I cant imagine in the middle ages they bathed that often, was probably a monthly luxury. Maybe the scent of man & woman included the sweat & toil of a days work ?!?

[BikerMatt]

Not sure what would be classed as normal.

I have a shower every morning.

[Carnation]

Like Terry notes, it's not about being unclean, it's more about using the shower or bath, as opposed to a Wash down via the sink. Maybe a time factor, doing hair factor, health factor, disabled factor, mental factor or pure anxiety prevents us from using the bath or shower, I know that. But I just wondered what is accepted as normal, taking out the equation of a hot day, dirty work and a romp.

---------- Post added at 11:54 ---------- Previous post was at 11:53 ----------

I also know of a top hairdresser that only washes his hair once a month.

[BikerMatt]

For me a hot shower relaxes my muscles, so it helps my anxiety a little. I barely add any cold and come out a bit pink.

I've also always been a big night sweater so just feel i need a shower. I would think that once/twice a week would be about normal.

[Carys]

Shower every day, sometimes twice if have been working in the garden or doing dirty jobs. Tend to not bother on Saturday LOL For me its quick and convenient. I dont know if there is a 'normal' either, providing you are keeping yourself hygenically clean in some way or other thats all that matters.

[MyNameIsTerry]

My Wife showers every day.
She thinks Im not hygienic because I tend to shower/bath once a week favouring standing washes on other days.

I think if you are bigger you probably also need to shower more often as sweat can gather in crevices on the body.

I dont think theres a normal. I cant imagine in the middle ages they bathed that often, was probably a monthly luxury. Maybe the scent of man & woman included the sweat & toil of a days work ?!?

Interestingly I've seen this commented on before and how diet changes how we smell. It was said that until the introduction of more sugars people doesn't smell the same.

Although I think the main reason would be more likely medieval man, and probably every generation going past WWII for a certain period of time, we just less wussy about stuff.

Yeah, bacteria accumulates in crevices so skin folds mean more of that. Body hair traps it in too.

Haven't there been studies showing daily showering is excessive and removes oils from the skin?

Anyway don't women like a man "smelling like a man"? (Which might essence of lager and pork scratchings up here )

---------- Post added at 13:36 ---------- Previous post was at 13:30 ----------

So, you worked me out then, Carnation? Not that a romp is much more frequent than what Santa gets once a year with his mince pie

Some people say the shower is quicker than the sink. That may be true if you are washing your personal bits as opposed to face & pits. Uses much more water though and it's going to mean a heavier carbon footprint.

I always find hair washing under the shower isn't as good as the sink but we don't have a power shower, just a basic gravity fed one, or those luxurious hotel ones with the huge flat shower heads (they are great! ).

Look warm water for me. I could never stand boiling hot showers or baths.

[debs71]

Bathing is such a subjective thing, I think. As a norm, I would say that to bathe/shower minimally once a day would be right.

When I am depressed, I go days without showering and end up disgusted with myself. It takes so much effort and motivation for me to eventually go and shower, but ironically when I do, I feel a lot better within myself. It is motivation that is the struggle. I think for mental health sufferers, personal care is a really difficult issue.

I am the polar opposite when I am well. I shower every day, once a day, sometimes twice if I am on holiday (for instance), after a day out and before an evening out. I wash my hair every other day.....religiously!

I must admit though, I do have pyjama days if I don't have to go out. I work from home so unless I have an errand to run/shopping to do, I just say sod it. xx

[Magic]

What a good subject Carnation......... I was born in the forties. We had a boiler to heat up for hot water and tin bath in the back kitchen.
First my Dad had a bath, then my Mum, then Sister two, then sister three, then little me. I refused to get in the bath the water was filthy, but no I had to get in it.
We only had gas light and candles.
When my Dad retired from work, he had a lump sum pention or something. We had electric put in and a television. I was eighteen!!
Now in my own house. I have a bath every other day. In the summer this year every day to cool down from the sun. We have a shower down stairs, but I don't use it as it is to closed in for me.
There is one thing I am most grateful for is hot water out of the tap, and I don't waste any either it is too precious
This post makes me feel old. I am old. but young at heart.