Great News: You don't have to shower (every day)!

[marty998]

Guys, if you want to stink less, shave your armpits.  It's the hair that the bacteria really cling to and stink up.

Does shaving make your pits itch? If not, I'd give it a shot.

It does not.

Yeah I don't shave completely there, just trim it down and it seems to mean less sweat and less smell.

Also - removing hair "down under" works well too. Still smell a bit funky at the end of the day, so a daily shower is necessary, but having less hair there makes a difference.

[Metalcat]

Lol, I work in an environment where it's normal to call someone out in front of everyone if they don't smell perfectly fresh. It's not considered embarrassing, it's considered doing them a service. Staff are in polyester scrubs, which can just randomly react with some people's bodies, so it's nothing to tell a colleague to switch scrub brands.

[projekt]

Polyester is the problem. It’s why under armor gets stinky and cotton doesn’t.

[Metalcat]

Polyester is the problem. It’s why under armor gets stinky and cotton doesn’t.

Yep, I mentioned previously that it's why I wear only merino wool. It's also why I refuse to wear the work uniform.

[julia]

This may be super gross to some, but I only shower every 3 or 4 days (2 times a week - I'm a 26 year old female and I'm very active). My bf is also 26 and he showers every 2 or 3 days (only because his hair greases quickly but he doesn't smell at all.. he even wears 'natural' deodorant).
I personally dislike showering... it's unpleasant (cold getting out) and time consuming.

We frequently go on long distance cycling trips where we cycle up to 10 hours a day and wild-camp, and wash ourselves in a lake every few days haha.

[maisymouser]

This may be super gross to some, but I only shower every 3 or 4 days (2 times a week - I'm a 26 year old female and I'm very active). My bf is also 26 and he showers every 2 or 3 days (only because his hair greases quickly but he doesn't smell at all.. he even wears 'natural' deodorant).
I personally dislike showering... it's unpleasant (cold getting out) and time consuming.

We frequently go on long distance cycling trips where we cycle up to 10 hours a day and wild-camp, and wash ourselves in a lake every few days haha.

Exactly. My problem is that I tend to have long hair, due to not wanting to pay $$$ to keep it short (tried letting DH cut my hair, not my most successful experiment ever) and not using a hair dryer. It takes a long time to air dry and just makes me feel cold for about an hour or two afterward in the winter.

[Metalcat]

This may be super gross to some, but I only shower every 3 or 4 days (2 times a week - I'm a 26 year old female and I'm very active). My bf is also 26 and he showers every 2 or 3 days (only because his hair greases quickly but he doesn't smell at all.. he even wears 'natural' deodorant).
I personally dislike showering... it's unpleasant (cold getting out) and time consuming.

We frequently go on long distance cycling trips where we cycle up to 10 hours a day and wild-camp, and wash ourselves in a lake every few days haha.

Exactly. My problem is that I tend to have long hair, due to not wanting to pay $$$ to keep it short (tried letting DH cut my hair, not my most successful experiment ever) and not using a hair dryer. It takes a long time to air dry and just makes me feel cold for about an hour or two afterward in the winter.

Saaaaaaaaaaame.

Although, I got a fancy hair drying towel and it makes a huge difference.

[Adventine]

This thread has been the best part of my day. I love watching people adamantly dying on a hill I don’t really care about.

Same here!

[waltworks]

I don't ever use soap or shampoo (except hand soap, because, you know, germs). Neither does my wife. Nor do my kids. Somehow none of us stinks horribly, even though we're pretty serious athletes and are outside getting sweaty and dirty on a daily basis.

I probably do a quick rinse-off 2 or 3 times a week, but just with water. No scrubbing or soaping.

Interestingly enough, my sister is a dermatologist and says that one of the most common pieces of advice she gives people is "stop using soap".

-W

[Trifle]

I personally dislike showering... it's unpleasant (cold getting out) and time consuming.

+1.  I'm very active, and don't like showers either.  They dry out my skin and then I'm cold getting out.  I only get in there if I really need to, maybe twice a week in the winter, and more often in the summer.  No soap unless I need it.  On non-shower days I just clean up with a washcloth as needed. 

As for how other people smell, I'm rarely offended by someone who smells sweaty.  I'm way more often choked by strangers' overpowering perfume/soap/shampoo/bodywash/whatever smell.   I think a lot of people overdo it.   

This thread is hilarious -- people are so different.   

[GuitarStv]

I need to shower just about every day as I work out hard enough to be soaked and dripping with sweat most days.  I've heard stories of people who work out and don't smell . . . but have occasionally run into proponents of this 'my sweat doesn't stink theory' who have a persistent pernicious smell about them that they seem to be used/immune to.  (I knew a few people in my engineering courses at university who were able to clear a ten foot radius around themselves in lectures.)  So my advice on this issue would be to be careful about this claim.  :P

People who use excessive amounts of scented stuff are also at least as bad as those who stink of BO.

Not sure I understand the 'time consuming' comments about showering.  What the hell are you all doing in there???  A shower takes me 3-4 minutes with maybe another 2 minutes to dry off.

[Metalcat]

I need to shower just about every day as I work out hard enough to be soaked and dripping with sweat most days.  I've heard stories of people who work out and don't smell . . . but have occasionally run into proponents of this 'my sweat doesn't stink theory' who have a persistent pernicious smell about them that they seem to be used/immune to.  (I knew a few people in my engineering courses at university who were able to clear a ten foot radius around themselves in lectures.)  So my advice on this issue would be to be careful about this claim.  :P

People who use excessive amounts of scented stuff are also at least as bad as those who stink of BO.

Not sure I understand the 'time consuming' comments about showering.  What the hell are you all doing in there???  A shower takes me 3-4 minutes with maybe another 2 minutes to dry off.

You've obviously never tried to rinse shampoo and conditioner out of two feet of porous colour treated hair.

[big_owl]

When my wife and I go mountaineering or even backpacking we can sometimes go a week without showering. Wtf it's terrible - I feel gross and it stinks. Literally it's the worst part about the sport.

And what about showers being time consuming?  It's like 3min and you use a few pennies worth of soap and shampoo. I even use that fancy Dr Squatch stuff and I use maybe a bar every month. It's all natural and I have an auto subscription so it just comes every so often automatically.  Use only warm water in the winter and it won't dry your skin.

You don't need to wipe your ass after you take a crap either but it's still a best practice. Think of your friends and coworkers.

[Sailor Sam]

Not sure I understand the 'time consuming' comments about showering.  What the hell are you all doing in there???

Well, on my ship the shower is literally the only place to be alone. So, generally I’m wanking. Water off, though. Conservation.

[GuitarStv]

Not sure I understand the 'time consuming' comments about showering.  What the hell are you all doing in there???

Well, on my ship the shower is literally the only place to be alone. So, generally I’m wanking. Water off, though. Conservation.

So add 30 - 40 seconds and you're good, right?  :P

[maisymouser]

When my wife and I go mountaineering or even backpacking we can sometimes go a week without showering. Wtf it's terrible - I feel gross and it stinks. Literally it's the worst part about the sport.

And what about showers being time consuming?  It's like 3min and you use a few pennies worth of soap and shampoo. I even use that fancy Dr Squatch stuff and I use maybe a bar every month. It's all natural and I have an auto subscription so it just comes every so often automatically.  Use only warm water in the winter and it won't dry your skin.

You don't need to wipe your ass after you take a crap either but it's still a best practice. Think of your friends and coworkers.

If you have a lot of hair, and shave ~1-2x a week (talking about legs which take more time to shave than facial hair), and take into account prolonged dry off time if you have longer hair, it tends to be a 10-15 minute job, minimum. Not saying it's a waste of time but it's not something I get excited about doing every day.

I also have a toddler and those 15 minutes aren't always very peaceful. In my house the tiny bathroom that the three of us share is only about 13 sqft and I'm always trying to track down where my towel went, my soaps that the kid moved, etc... It always feels like more than a hassle than it should be, I guess. There's a lot to do every day to keep our house running smoothly, and daily showering for me isn't one of them.

[GuitarStv]

talking about legs which take more time to shave than facial hair

YMMV on that.  My legs take less time to shave than my face.

[American GenX]

I like the feeling of a shower, so I take longer than 3 or 4 minutes, more like 10 minutes, unless I'm in a rush.  And of course, I use soap and shampoo.

[Sailor Sam]

Not sure I understand the 'time consuming' comments about showering.  What the hell are you all doing in there???

Well, on my ship the shower is literally the only place to be alone. So, generally I’m wanking. Water off, though. Conservation.

So add 30 - 40 seconds and you're good, right?  :P

I’m no superminuteman!

[Wrenchturner]

This thread has been the best part of my day. I love watching people adamantly dying on a hill I don’t really care about.

Lots of problematic white (collar) privilege in this thread.

[projekt]

There may be privilege, but it's not problematic.  If you need to shower every day, do so.  If you have never considered not showering every day, give it a try!  Doesn't work for you?  Oh well. 

[GuitarStv]

Just had a thought . . . for those of you who don't have sweat that stinks you must save a mint on laundry expenses.  If not for the smell of sweat, I would wear clothes for months (years?) between washings.

[ixtap]

Just had a thought . . . for those of you who don't have sweat that stinks you must save a mint on laundry expenses.  If not for the smell of sweat, I would wear clothes for months (years?) between washings.

There may still be oils. Some of us aren't so neat. And I only have about a week's worth of underwear.

[waltworks]

I wear most clothes for multiple days. Pants or shorts for a month is normal. Shirts is usually just a few days, they eventually get gross. Underwear and socks I do change daily.

My wife is a super sensitive person about smells, so I can say with some amount of certainty that it's not a problem (for me).

And yes, nice to do very little laundry.

-W

Just had a thought . . . for those of you who don't have sweat that stinks you must save a mint on laundry expenses.  If not for the smell of sweat, I would wear clothes for months (years?) between washings.

There may still be oils. Some of us aren't so neat. And I only have about a week's worth of underwear.

[big_owl]

Hey I just read an article in a magazine (I think Wired?) that said the average person leaves 0.14g of fecal matter on their ass when they wipe.  Without a shower that would add up pretty quick, and be rather stinky. 

[GuitarStv]

Hey I just read an article in a magazine (I think Wired?) that said the average person leaves 0.14g of fecal matter on their ass when they wipe.  Without a shower that would add up pretty quick, and be rather stinky.

Toilet paper is disgusting and bidets should be legally mandatory in bathrooms.  :P

[Sailor Sam]

This forum is the best goddamn entertainment.

Something like 3,400 posts on the AMWSC ridiculing people who are too dumb to wake up from the Matrix and stop spending money.

Then!

A couple people say they really, truly, pinky-swear actually can to longer than 24 hours between showers and still not be offense, and the MMM forum be like: “Inconceivable!”

[American GenX]

Hey I just read an article in a magazine (I think Wired?) that said the average person leaves 0.14g of fecal matter on their ass when they wipe.  Without a shower that would add up pretty quick, and be rather stinky.

Yes, but that can come in handy for those people in instances like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWaZMXiimms

[big_owl]

Hey I just read an article in a magazine (I think Wired?) that said the average person leaves 0.14g of fecal matter on their ass when they wipe.  Without a shower that would add up pretty quick, and be rather stinky.

Toilet paper is disgusting and bidets should be legally mandatory in bathrooms.  :P

I remember when I was just a young-un in college and I was talking to an engineer at my co-op and for whatever reason the conversation steered towards this subject.  He mentioned bidets and I was like ewww gross those things are nasty. Then he said to me "Really?  As opposed to what, smearing shit around your ass with paper?"  Mind blown. Major eye opening life changing event for me.  The Japanese really are doing it right.

[Trifle]

This forum is the best goddamn entertainment.

Something like 3,400 posts on the AMWSC ridiculing people who are too dumb to wake up from the Matrix and stop spending money.

Then!

A couple people say they really, truly, pinky-swear actually can to longer than 24 hours between showers and still not be offense, and the MMM forum be like: “Inconceivable!”

Clearly the only way we'll be able to settle this is we all get together at the next Camp Mustache, smell each other, and then vote.

[Blue Skies]

I have issues with dry skin.  In the winter showering every day requires copious amounts of lotion, and even then I'm still itchy.  It is not fun.  I did it for years, but then I came to my senses.  Now, I shower every other day.  In the summer I can get by without so much lotion, and end up sweating more, so I shower more often.  Still not every single day though. 

[OtherJen]

This thread has been the best part of my day. I love watching people adamantly dying on a hill I don’t really care about.

Right?! I'm tempted to get some popcorn.

Wow, people are different! Who knew?! Some people are like me and sweat a lot and have oily skin that remains oily even if I don't use soap (haven't washed my face with soap in ages; still have oily skin, even in winter). Some odor-causing bacteria and fungi really love sweat and skin oil, and therefore I shower (or at least clean pits/privates/feet/face at the sink) daily. Other people have less active sweat and sebum glands and don't need to shower as often. Good for them.

[Tyson]

This thread has been the best part of my day. I love watching people adamantly dying on a hill I don’t really care about.

Right?! I'm tempted to get some popcorn.

Wow, people are different! Who knew?! Some people are like me and sweat a lot and have oily skin that remains oily even if I don't use soap (haven't washed my face with soap in ages; still have oily skin, even in winter). Some odor-causing bacteria and fungi really love sweat and skin oil, and therefore I shower (or at least clean pits/privates/feet/face at the sink) daily. Other people have less active sweat and sebum glands and don't need to shower as often. Good for them.

Different climates too, affect this.  I used to live in Houston and had to shower every day because that place is like a freaking sauna.  When I moved to Denver I kept showering every day for a long time and had severely dry skin as a result.  Nowadays I shower every couple of days and I'm still less oily/stinky than I was in Houston on a daily basis.

[ChickenStash]

Hey I just read an article in a magazine (I think Wired?) that said the average person leaves 0.14g of fecal matter on their ass when they wipe.  Without a shower that would add up pretty quick, and be rather stinky.

Toilet paper is disgusting and bidets should be legally mandatory in bathrooms.  :P

I remember when I was just a young-un in college and I was talking to an engineer at my co-op and for whatever reason the conversation steered towards this subject.  He mentioned bidets and I was like ewww gross those things are nasty. Then he said to me "Really?  As opposed to what, smearing shit around your ass with paper?"  Mind blown. Major eye opening life changing event for me.  The Japanese really are doing it right.

Up until recently, the only bidet setup I saw was a separate fixture from the toilet requiring twice as much space. How very 1%er to have 2x the sqft for "evacuating". I've seen the toilet seat based ones but they all looked cheap and many needed an electric outlet near by - yeah, I want to have household current running a device spraying water on my sensitive bits.

What blew my mind (almost literally considering where my head usually is) was a trip to Egypt where every hotel/lodging bathroom had a really simple, all-in-one bidet/toilet design. It was a simple chromed sprayer nozzle permanently mounted in the bowl a few inches above the water line. The control was a manual knob on the side of the bowl near the tank that regulated water from the same connection as the tank. No extra space needed, no power requirements, a simple mechanical solution. Cleaning is the same as a regular toilet with, perhaps, some extra care on what chemicals are used. The water wasn't heated so it was an awakening experience in the morning but not a big deal. It took some practice to get lined up for the sprayer since it had no adjustment beyond pressure. I'm not sure how this compares to what they do in Japan or Europe - haven't traveled there, yet.

Now that I'm back in the US, I want one of these. I can't find anything other than the cheap seat based ones or uber-expensive ulta-modern toilets that seem to just be doing a "built-in" version of the cheap seats and up-charging dramatically ($1200+). If I had known better, I would have bought one in Cairo and carried it home in my checked baggage. TSA would have loved that. "Do you have anything to declare?" "Umm..."

[Boofinator]

On the topic of bidets....

How do you know when you're "done"? What is the equivalent of the wipe test on a bidet?

[PDXTabs]

I concur, humans do not need to shower once a day. However, in the summer I certainly like to shower once per day.

[chaskavitch]

I'm firmly in the "not every day" camp.  I take a shower and wash my hair with a shampoo bar every 4-5 days in the winter.  The weather is super dry here, and I work at a desk, so other than my actual workouts I'm not getting sweaty.  I usually wipe down my armpits and other relevant areas with a soapy wash cloth after I work out.  If I took a shower every day I'd go through like a thousand bottles of lotion.  In the summer I shower more often, but still only every 2-4 days, probably.  My DH has a very sensitive nose, and he'll definitely tell me if I'm smelly.

What blew my mind (almost literally considering where my head usually is) was a trip to Egypt where every hotel/lodging bathroom had a really simple, all-in-one bidet/toilet design. It was a simple chromed sprayer nozzle permanently mounted in the bowl a few inches above the water line. The control was a manual knob on the side of the bowl near the tank that regulated water from the same connection as the tank. No extra space needed, no power requirements, a simple mechanical solution. Cleaning is the same as a regular toilet with, perhaps, some extra care on what chemicals are used. The water wasn't heated so it was an awakening experience in the morning but not a big deal. It took some practice to get lined up for the sprayer since it had no adjustment beyond pressure. I'm not sure how this compares to what they do in Japan or Europe - haven't traveled there, yet.

Now that I'm back in the US, I want one of these. I can't find anything other than the cheap seat based ones or uber-expensive ulta-modern toilets that seem to just be doing a "built-in" version of the cheap seats and up-charging dramatically ($1200+). If I had known better, I would have bought one in Cairo and carried it home in my checked baggage. TSA would have loved that. "Do you have anything to declare?" "Umm..."

@ChickenStash We have a cheap ~$30 one from Amazon - no electricity required, just add it in-line with the water to the tank.  It's not fancy and heated or anything, but it's been working just fine for at least 5 years now. 

[projekt]

Now that I'm back in the US, I want one of these. I can't find anything other than the cheap seat based ones or uber-expensive ulta-modern toilets that seem to just be doing a "built-in" version of the cheap seats and up-charging dramatically ($1200+). If I had known better, I would have bought one in Cairo and carried it home in my checked baggage. TSA would have loved that. "Do you have anything to declare?" "Umm..."

I know it's out of the given price range, but Toto manufactures and sells the Neorest toilet in the US. https://www.totousa.com/find-a-showroom  I don't think they're all that cheap in Japan.

[sui generis]

After a 3 week backpacking trip with no showers, I got home and (after an awesome warm shower) was like, "Why do I do this every single day? Seems excessive."  For a week, I was only showering every other day, but then my muscles had rested and I had to get back to some physical activity and....yep, time to shower every day again.  I mean, that or wet wipes for the important bits like on the trail.  And I'm a female, so just want to admit to that here....even some women get stinky and have to shower more in the civilized world.  I still wash my hair much less (1-2x per week instead of every other day), but again on the trail where I didn't wash my hair for 3 straight weeks, I was either constantly under a giant hat or a beanie.  Considerations are very different between wilderness and civilization, but it did give me the chance to push a little further to a still-totally-reasonable position of less showering and hair washing when possible.

At home, I loooooove a warm shower, even if it's my standard 2 minutes-ish.  On the trail, I looooove not having to worry about my hair and just using a few baby wipes each day.