We've all heard common debates of this argument. "Showers save time." "Baths relax you more." "I have to shower. Why would you want to sit in your own filth?" "Showers are harder to clean." It seems in most cases, though, showers win the majority vote. However, there are several factors that influence which style of cleaning is better for your body and your lifestyle.
First, it depends on the length of your shower. If you're the average American, your shower lasts approximately 8.2 minutes. For a typical shower/bath combo, you would need to shower for less than eight minutes in order for your shower to use less water than your bath would. That is, unless your shower possesses a water saving shower head, which can decrease water flow rate to as low as 1.25 gallons/minute, and allows you to shower up to 20 minutes without using more water than a bath. Grist tells readers how to go one step further stating, "If you’re taking a more reasonable 5-minute shower with a 2-gsm showerhead, you’d use just 10 gallons — even fewer if you go military style and shut off the nozzle while you lather up." (A 2-gsm shower head produces two gallons of water per minute rather than the typical 2.5).
Whether you should shower or bathe also depends on what level of relaxation you want to achieve. Personally, I find quick showers stressful as I always end up with shampoo in my eyes or almost falling because I turned to quickly reaching for my body wash. If that's all you have time for, though, a five minute shower is over before you could fill up a tub, hop in, and wash everything. On the other hand, if you have the time and desire to relax, a bath is the way to go. Unless you're lucky enough to have a Swedish massage shower head, your shower probably isn't going to relax you. For one thing, you're spending 5-20 minutes on your feet you could be spending lounging in the tub. If you choose to take a bath, lighting candles, putting on relaxing music, or using bath salts can further your relaxation experience. Companies that produce bath salts claim they can ease the pain of arthritis and Fibromyalgia as well as alleviate itching caused by bug bites and eczema. Marilyn vos Savant of Parade magazine also argues that soaking in a bath gets rid of dead skin cells that a shower can't.
It appears as though showers are more eco-friendly, quicker, and often more convenient, you shouldn't abandon the bathtub completely. Treat yourself to a relaxing bath this weekend and melt away your stress!
