Is washing overrated?

[jean]

This should really be in the Bathroom, but unaccountably there isn't one.

[Deleted]

confession time.. i live on me own and tend to only wash if im going out. if im at home i dont feel the need to shower/bath every day.. if i have a week without contact with any other human beings i can qwuite happily have 1 bath a week. i dont like having greasy hair though. dont mind my own bodily aromas so much though. i can get a bit caveman at times.
I would add though if i have company, or am out n about, im clean as a whistle and all loverly and fragrant smelling. dont judge me.

[Deleted]

in my defence also, a lot of my time is spent painting/artworking, so i tend to wear the same paint splattered garments day to day and usually end up smelling of white spirit or crayons. so it seems sillynessness to get clean just to get doirty again. i do stress cleanliness is important to me in all matters regarding contact with other human beings. i am not a pig.

[jean]

I won't judge you, costal. I think everone (in the West) probably washes far too much. I'm always having arguments with OH about it.

[Patrick]

Too much washing takes away the essential oils in your skin that help keep it protected against cold and damp. I used to shower every day, now it's every other day with a good swish round the 'necessary bits' in between days.

I went to a quiet country Primary School where some of the children needed a few lessons in washing. My Mum drove for the local Private Taxi company who had a few school contracts - including one for a local 'remedial' school. Bless they're little cottons but after dropping them off we would have to open every window in the car and drive very briskly for a bit. It certainly puts you in mind to remember to look after yourself after that.

[Weyland]

Nov 6, 2010 15:12:26 GMT Patrick said:

Too much washing takes away the essential oils in your skin that help keep it protected against cold and damp. I used to shower every day, now it's every other day with a good swish round the 'necessary bits' in between days.

Perfectly put. I agree 100%.

[jean]

`We had the best of educations--in fact, we went to school every day--'

`I've been to a day-school, too,' said Alice; `you needn't be so proud as all that.'

`With extras?' asked the Mock Turtle a little anxiously.

`Yes,' said Alice, `we learned French and music.'

`And washing?' said the Mock Turtle.

`Certainly not!' said Alice indignantly.

`Ah! then yours wasn't a really good school,' said the Mock Turtle in a tone of great relief. `Now at ours they had at the end of the bill, "French, music, and washing--extra."'

`You couldn't have wanted it much,' said Alice; `living at the bottom of the sea.'

`I couldn't afford to learn it.' said the Mock Turtle with a sigh.


www.sabian.org/alicech9.htm

[aubrey]

I think it's amazing that the amount of washing that is needed changes so much, between different times and different places: and the amount we do at any given time and place is exactly the right amount, and all the others are disgustingly bad.

I have a bath twice a week - occassionally more often, if I have something I especially want to read. I don't often use soap, except on my hands and fistula and hair. (I got out of the habit on having bad eczema a few years ago).

[riotgrrl]

Yes, yes, yes, but but but . .

That feeling, just out the shower, squeaky clean, hair shining, smelling lovely . . . you can't beat it. Every day goes better if you have a shower in the morning.

In my case, my morning shower depends on how late I am for work and what I've got on at work, but if I've got a big meeting I'll get up half an hour earlier in order to shower.

And if it's a REALLY big meeting I'll get up an HOUR earlier in order to both shower and blowdry my hair. Blowdrying my hair takes ages. It's a pain. It's so much easier just to scrunch it up in a bun.

[housesparrow]

<<Over the last few years there have been regular suggestions that daily hair-washing, or even any hair-washing at all, is quite unnecessary, with the commentator Matthew Parris admitting he hadn't shampooed his hair for a decade, and broadcaster Andrew Marr reporting himself perfectly happy with the results when he followed suit for a short while>>

I'm a once a week hair washer...though I gather that no washing at all is wonderful provided you don't mind smelling a little like a sheep.

But how I love a bath. It does't have to be a deep one, but if it is...well, there is always the possibility of using the water to flush the loo.

[Weyland]

Nov 6, 2010 19:06:57 GMT housesparrow said:

<<Over the last few years there have been regular suggestions that daily hair-washing, or even any hair-washing at all, is quite unnecessary, with the commentator Matthew Parris admitting he hadn't shampooed his hair for a decade, and broadcaster Andrew Marr reporting himself perfectly happy with the results when he followed suit for a short while>>

Andrew Neil, the famous fashion and grooming guru. (On the left.)


Matthew Parris, the famous hair consultant.


Google reckons this is Matthew as well. Looks like he'd washed it for the portrait.

I try to make sure that mine is washed, conditioned, and blow-dried twice a week at least. My hair too.

[Deleted]

Nov 6, 2010 19:31:23 GMT Weyland said:

Nov 6, 2010 19:06:57 GMT housesparrow said:

<<Over the last few years there have been regular suggestions that daily hair-washing, or even any hair-washing at all, is quite unnecessary, with the commentator Matthew Parris admitting he hadn't shampooed his hair for a decade, and broadcaster Andrew Marr reporting himself perfectly happy with the results when he followed suit for a short while>>

Andrew Neil, the famous fashion and grooming guru. (On the left.)


Matthew Parris, the famous hair consultant.


Google reckons this is Matthew as well. Looks like he'd washed it for the portrait.

I try to make sure that mine is washed, conditioned, and blow-dried twice a week at least. My hair too.

whilst many people claim, after a certain point, hair begins 'cleaning itself' my issue is that to reach that supposed point, you would have to surely weather at least a month or so of having the most grizziest hair imaginable.. yuk.
Also i remember when one of my mates had dreadlocks ( unwashable, apparantly) whenever he got caught out in the rain he smelt of wet dog.

[bonbonlarue]

I shower most weekday mornings..it takes me 40 minutes to shower, blow dry and straighten/ curl my hair [depending on mood], put my face on and get dressed.

Baths are for relaxing...At least twice a week and every Saturday morning I wallow hippo like, in huge amounts of hot bubbly water. I generally combine this time with a 20 minute nap.... oh bliss.

[Patrick]

Nothing beats a good Wallow.

[everso]

I'm with Riot regarding a daily shower. I seldom have a bath though. I shampoo my hair every day except Tuesday and Thursday (when I have to be out ultra-early to look after the grandkids).

I was brought up having a bath only once a week (Friday) and having a good wash on other days. [violins]This was because we only had an electric immersion heater to heat the water and we couldn't afford to heat bathfulls of water every day[/violins]. Ordinary people didn't have showers in those days, so that wasn't an option.

When we got married, our water was heated by electric immersion heater so, again, baths were only once a week (Saturdays this time, prior to Saturday nights out) but a good wash every day.

The important thing to remember is that there are only certain parts of the human body that need regular washing: armpits, "undercarriage" and feet. The rest (unless you do a job that gets you dirty) doesn't really get smelly provided you're not jogging or in the gym.

Anybody with body odour who goes out in public and gets up close to people is, IMO, being disrespectful to the rest of us. I take great exception to anybody who stinks getting close to me. These days you seldom actually come across anyone who stinks, but I remember well in the sixties when I started working in London, there were plenty of people on the Tube who literally took your breath away.

This non-washing thing is a fashion.

[housesparrow]

whilst many people claim, after a certain point, hair begins 'cleaning itself' my issue is that to reach that supposed point, you would have to surely weather at least a month or so of having the most grizziest hair imaginable.. yuk.
Also i remember when one of my mates had dreadlocks ( unwashable, apparantly) whenever he got caught out in the rain he smelt of wet dog.

Some of you are old enough to remember Dr Miriam Stoppard, who hosted a TV show. She memorably invited volunteers to not wash their hair for several months. Those who stuck it to the end said their hair went all lank and greasy at first, then sorted itself into shiny locks. It was one of those who made the "smells like a sheep" remark.

But I can't remember whether they were allowed to get their hair wet in the shower or rain.

[aubrey]

Wet dog is a lovely smell. I miss it.

[Deleted]

its a loverly smell on a dog that you love. on anythnik else, such as a mate, for example, its not qwuite so endearing!

[Deleted]

also i would like to point out i do wash daily, i was only referring previously to my bath/shower routines. you all think im a smelly git now dont you?

[everso]

Not at all, Costy. I have been known to slob around for the major part of the day in my dressing gown, all grotty, with hair like Russell Brand's. There's nothing like feeling all hot and sweaty and smelly, then having a lovely shower. Mmmmmm.