The great shower debate: Kiwis divided on daily bathroom habit

On the Herald’s Facebook page, many declared that showering 'every day' is a non-negotiable.

You might recoil in horror at the thought of skipping your daily shower, but an anonymous poll tells a different story. Thousands of Herald readers have weighed in after a new survey revealed yesterday that just 54% of Kiwis who responded admitted to showering daily - and the other results might surprise you.

Over 20,000 people responded to a Herald poll yesterday that asked readers how often they shower, from less than once, once, twice or three times a day, or if they prefer a bath instead.

The results aren’t too different to the Finish survey released yesterday, with 53% of respondents - 10,525 at the time of writing - saying they shower daily.

However, 33% of those who voted - 6646 people - chose the “not every day” option. Meanwhile, 2346, or 12%, said they shower twice a day, while 161 - just 1% - claimed to shower thrice daily.

217 people, or 1%, said they prefer to take baths instead.

Over on the Herald’s Facebook page, many declared that showering “every day” is a non-negotiable, with others adding that they usually shower “every day, twice if you’re working out” and “twice a day. Morning and evening”. “Morning and night, especially in the summer months.”

Others noted it’s not necessarily the most sustainable option to shower more than once daily, with one commenting, “Think ‘water bill’. That may deter a second or third shower in one day.”

And others pointed out that it depends on what you do for a living. “Every day, especially if you work in a physical labour job,” one wrote.

Is a daily shower really necessary?

“Try having a baby and see how often you shower, or maybe that’s just me lol,” wrote one parent.

“Kids don’t need showering every night. It’s a busy time of the day and sometimes you just need to pick your battles. Not to mention children with skin issues, it dries out their skin,” another pointed out.

Dermatologist Dr Vania Sinovich would agree, telling the Herald yesterday that showering daily or even more frequently could damage your skin barrier.

“The skin is home to a huge variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which impact skin health as well as systemic health. Washing and scrubbing removes these, especially if the water is hot,” she explained.

“As a result, skin may become dry, cracked, irritated or itchy. This is often compounded by the reduced humidity that occurs during winter.”

Sinovich concluded that “daily showers do not improve your health, could cause skin problems and, importantly, they waste a lot of water.”

But despite this, it seems many Kiwis aren’t planning on giving up their daily ablutions anytime soon.

As one declared on Facebook, “Cleanliness is next to godliness and that’s good enough for me!”

But as another jokingly pointed out, “Some of the men just need to work on their deodorant game.”