Here’s a revelation that might leave some people aghast: in our household, we don’t take baths every day. In fact, we don’t even have a shower. I’ll pause for a moment while the judgmental parents stop gasping and imagining the state of my kids’ feet.
The average American enjoys a daily shower, which consumes a staggering 17.2 gallons of fresh water each time. With the ongoing drought issues in the West and the growing alarm from scientists about dwindling freshwater supplies, the notion of showering daily without a pressing need seems downright wasteful and irresponsible. An adult only requires about 2 to 3 liters of water daily for survival and perhaps 2 gallons for general use. As our world becomes more crowded and our resources become increasingly strained, my family has chosen to be more mindful of this precious commodity.
I didn’t give much thought to our natural resources until I became a parent. Parenting is inherently political: every choice we make influences not just our children but also our communities and the environment. Our decisions around water consumption led us to embrace conservation by ditching our daily shower routine.
Three and a half years ago, just before my second child was born, my partner tore out our bathroom. We thought we needed more space, but it turned out the bathroom wasn’t the area we needed to expand—hello, closets! When it came time to choose a new shower, we decided to skip it entirely and instead bought a charming antique clawfoot tub from one of those quirky roadside antique shops along our state’s coastline.
This tub has shifted our perspective on water usage. Unlike showers, we can visually gauge how much water we’re consuming. We’ve also stopped purchasing soaps and beauty products that contain those tiny plastic beads that are wreaking havoc on our oceans. Bathing now requires more time—from prep to soak to cleanup—transforming it into a planned event rather than a quick rinse-off.
You might be curious how I manage to not smell like a giant armpit or deal with the realities of personal hygiene without daily showers. Each morning, I engage in a close and personal rendezvous with a washcloth. It’s straightforward, time-efficient, and in just a few minutes, I’m ready for whatever the day throws at me—without wasting gallons of water or creating more laundry.
Speaking of skin, it turns out daily bathing can actually be detrimental to your health. According to the Atlantic’s web series “If Our Bodies Could Talk,” showering every day strips your skin of beneficial microbes that help keep it healthy. Your skin isn’t just there for aesthetics; it’s a living organ designed to protect your health from germs and viruses.
And yes, my kids don’t bathe daily either. They, too, enjoy a couple of baths a week and keep clean with a washcloth to combat typical kid antics.
Water is vital, and we treat it with the utmost respect in our home. We refrain from pouring chemicals down our drains because we rely on a well, and we understand that those chemicals don’t just vanish. We utilize rain barrels to gather water for our garden and even save gray water during the summer for outdoor use.
If we want to preserve our planet, we all need to scrutinize how we utilize our natural resources. It’s essential to distinguish between what we think we need and what we actually require, then find a reasonable balance. We all desire a clean and safe world for our children, and our commitment to water conservation is a small but significant step in that direction.
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