Everybody has to stay clean. But would you rather do it in a bath or a shower? We did the research to find out which is better.
Which uses less water?
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Hands down, the shower wins here. And if you’re using a low-flow showerhead, that same shower uses only 12.5 gallons. Therefore, unless you’re regularly taking 25-minute showers, take showers to save water.
But that doesn’t mean you should skip baths completely! One classic conservation tactic is to reuse your bathwater. Let's see.
Which is safer?
Think cleaning yourself daily can’t be a health risk? Think again. Both showers and baths are ripe with opportunities to injure yourself. You might slip and fall in the shower since you’re presumably standing and moving around.
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And if you’re taking a relaxing bath? You might fall asleep or pass out and drown, or burn down the house if you leave your scented candles on.
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But most of the safety risks of baths are avoidable, while you can’t really help slipping in the shower. So baths win here.
Which gets you cleaner?
Think taking a bath means you’re simply sitting in a cesspool of your own filth? Turns out, you’re right – but only kind of.
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Baths are crucial because it’s only through soaking that you shed dead skin cells. But then you sit in the same water as your dead skin cells – plus all the dirt on your body and the residual soap. Luckily, there’s a simple fix: rinse off after your bath.
Showers are fine for everyday cleaning, but you need a bath to go a little deeper. So let’s call this one a tie.
Which saves you more time?
It probably won’t surprise anybody that showers take far less time than baths.
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The average shower takes 8.2 minutes. It takes 7.5 minutes just to fill up a 45-gallon bath with a standard bathtub faucet running 6 gallons per minute. If you’re in a rush, take a shower.
Which is healthier?
This is a tough call, since baths and showers have different health benefits.
Warm baths can reduce feelings of loneliness. They can also help moisturize your skin, as long as the water’s not too hot.
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Hot showers can also ease anxiety and loneliness. Hot pressure on your back is good for sore muscles, and the steam showers create is a natural decongestant when you have a cold.
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Cold showers have the most health benefits. Like warm showers and baths, they are good for your mood. But they also wake you up, stimulate weight loss, don’t dry out our skin or hair, increase the speed of muscle recovery.
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Bottom line? Both showers and baths have their time and place. So try taking showers throughout the week and indulging in a luxurious soak on the weekends. Don’t forget to make some of those weekly showers ice-cold!
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