Showering etiquette and frequency?

theguzman · 03-07-2021 1:12pm #1

What are peoples opinions on Irish showering routines? I'm a jump up and into the shower half asleep sort of guy in the morning, start with a cup of coffee/tea and out the door. If had a very hard day of physical labour or it was very hot I'd take a second shower at night again, this would be less often especially here in Ireland due to our cold weather and I'm not a big sweater anyway.

I am lucky in that I have an actual proper pumped high pressure shower which uses a good amount of water and not those god awful electric showers in every house in Ireland, they big out as much water as a squirt gun and you need like 3-4times longer. I lived in an house with an electric shower before and it was a nightmare and I'd skip showering as often as possible and discovered a huge improvement in my spotty pimply acne early twenties skin.

I was in a short relationship a decade or so back with a woman who was a total control freak and she refused to let me sleep with her until I took a shower/wash every night, the house didn't even have a shower only a bath tub and it was just part of her controlling manipulative behaviour and we quickly broke up within a few weeks.

Montage of Feck · 03-07-2021 1:13pm

I don't have a shower but I take a bath instead

So your a Phil Collins fan or is it Huey Lewis?

JustAThought · 03-07-2021 1:16pm

whats a pump shower please? Another thread was talking about this today. How does it differ in how it works to an lx one? (I’m not a big fan of trickle volume lx ‘mira’ showers).

Long thread on showering elsewhere recently. Might be worth a check. People get very hot under the collar about it!!

(Like maybe your ex. Lucky escape IMO!!)

theguzman · 03-07-2021 1:22pm

Shower Daily â€“ Evening/Night

JustAThought wrote: »

whats a pump shower please? Another thread was talking about this today. How does it differ in how it works to an lx one? (I’m not a big fan of trickle volume lx ‘mira’ showers).

Long thread on showering elsewhere recently. Might be worth a check. People get very hot under the collar about it!!

(Like maybe your ex. Lucky escape IMO!!)

So in Ireland the two most common types are an Electric Shower like a Mira elite, these are hugely popular for instant hot water but put out a very low volume of water and take much longer to wash yourself due to the pathetic low flow rates and guzzle electricity.

A pumped pressure shower is a pump usually in the hotpress which pumps the hot and cold water from the respective tanks. The hot feed is coming from the copper cylinder and is heated by your oil/gas boiler, stove, solar panels or electric immersion. In Irish homes it is common to have a tank of hot water alot of the year when the stove or central heating is on. They provide a very strong pressure shower and use far more water, think like a good quality hotel power shower. In Irish homes often there is a couple hundred litres of hot water bubbling away wasted because the hot tank water is not used for showering only the useless mira/triton showers.

theteal · 03-07-2021 1:23pm

We have pumped and an electric shower. The pumped is better but it's downstairs whereas the leccy one is in the main bathroom so that gets used a lot more often, it's not bad by any stretch - actually I can probably count on one hand the number of times the downstairs one has been used.

Anyway, this thread comes up kinda regularly. When commuting back in the day, I'd be up and shower as part of normal daily routine. The morning shower has gone now in place of night time after a bit of DIY (it's never ending) or exercise. If not for the exertion I'd gladly go for the every 2/3 days approach.

Allinall · 03-07-2021 1:26pm

theguzman wrote: »

So in Ireland the two most common types are an Electric Shower like a Mira elite, these are hugely popular for instant hot water but put out a very low volume of water and take much longer to wash yourself due to the pathetic low flow rates and guzzle electricity.

A pumped pressure shower is a pump usually in the hotpress which pumps the hot and cold water from the respective tanks. The hot feed is coming from the copper cylinder and is heated by your oil/gas boiler, stove, solar panels or electric immersion. In Irish homes it is common to have a tank of hot water alot of the year when the stove or central heating is on. They provide a very strong pressure shower and use far more water, think like a good quality hotel power shower. In Irish homes often there is a couple hundred litres of hot water bubbling away wasted because the hot tank water is not used for showering only the useless mira/triton showers.

Using a lot more water for a shower is not a good thing.

Electric showers are way more efficient, and supply plenty of water for a regular shower.

theguzman · 03-07-2021 1:31pm

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Allinall wrote: »

Using a lot more water for a shower is not a good thing.

Electric showers are way more efficient, and supply plenty of water for a regular shower.

I have my own private supply on the land and have a flow rates of around a couple thousand litres per minute, using as much water is a choice and I much prefer it than standing in an electric shower for a seemingly endless time with a trickle of water, this is Ireland and I don't give a damn about water conservation as we have the worlds largest unending supply. If I choose to spend a few more euros on energy thats my life and choice.

03-07-2021 1:32pm

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theguzman wrote: »

So in Ireland the two most common types are an Electric Shower like a Mira elite, these are hugely popular for instant hot water but put out a very low volume of water and take much longer to wash yourself due to the pathetic low flow rates and guzzle electricity.

A pumped pressure shower is a pump usually in the hotpress which pumps the hot and cold water from the respective tanks. The hot feed is coming from the copper cylinder and is heated by your oil/gas boiler, stove, solar panels or electric immersion. In Irish homes it is common to have a tank of hot water alot of the year when the stove or central heating is on. They provide a very strong pressure shower and use far more water, think like a good quality hotel power shower. In Irish homes often there is a couple hundred litres of hot water bubbling away wasted because the hot tank water is not used for showering only the useless mira/triton showers.

That's not really accurate.

If you use that hot water, your heating then heats the replacement cold water which then cools overnight and is reheated next day.

If you are using a pumped system, solar panels are your man and may your father never see you mentioning the immersion!

So in terms of heating the water and water usage, your system is the less efficient. And that's why electric showers are so popular

EmmetSpiceland · 03-07-2021 1:34pm

Allinall wrote: »

Using a lot more water for a shower is not a good thing.

Electric showers are way more efficient, and supply plenty of water for a regular shower.

There’s no waiting around for the water to “heat up” either.

ClosedAccountFuzzy · 03-07-2021 1:34pm

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I will never forget the Gaeltacht. Our Bean an Ti only let us use the shower once a week! It was horrible. I used to just wash in the sea.

Donny Patterson · 03-07-2021 1:35pm

Montage of Feck wrote: »

So your a Phil Collins fan or is it Huey Lewis?

No no. I like Whitney Houston.
The Greatest Love of All, is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation and dignity.

I've to return some video tapes

hurikane · 03-07-2021 1:38pm

Wtf is this? Thinly veiled I’ve got a pumped shower and once had a girlfriend thread?

JustJoe7240 · 03-07-2021 1:42pm

Shower every second day

theguzman wrote: »

I have my own private supply on the land and have a flow rates of around a couple thousand litres per minute,

I appreciate I'm being extremely pedantic. But in a domestic setup like your home, this is either extreme overkill or, albeit more likely, inaccurate.

And to answer your question, I'm a farmer, so a daily shower is very necessary, in some cases, particularly this week gone by, I'd have to have a shower before going to the gym or for a swim, and again after

Mad_maxx · 03-07-2021 1:46pm

Shower 2-3 times per week

Shower every forty eight hours ,spend 5 minutes, herself showers every two days and spends around thirteen minutes, she uses the triton, I use the high volume one

03-07-2021 2:03pm

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I cannot believe the amount that don't shower daily.

03-07-2021 2:05pm

I don't have a shower but I take a bath instead

Went 4 years without one but I'd have around 3 a week these days. Just wash the main stuff at the sink the other days.

Larbre34 · 03-07-2021 2:14pm

Shower 2-3 times per week

Before lockdown, would shower every morning.

Since working at home, have often left it 3 or 4 days, but typically every second day. And I can say my skin is less dry in places and hair in far better condition for it.

c.p.w.g.w · 03-07-2021 2:40pm

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

I cannot believe the amount that don't shower daily.

There is no need to shower daily

the beer revolu · 03-07-2021 2:56pm

I have a shower every time this comes up on Boards.

03-07-2021 3:00pm

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c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

There is no need to shower daily

There's plenty of reasons. Whether you consider them or not is a personal choice.

At the moment, it's summer and people are sweating.

I sweat in work as many do. If you go to the gym, you sweat. Basically..... Sweaty ðŸ¥µ

Thelonious Monk · 03-07-2021 3:11pm

There's no option for shower pretty much every day but sometimes not if I'm really hungover and not going to leave the house that day.
I only spend about 2 mins in shower anyway, and now that gyms are back open I usually use the showers there.
Funny how this question always comes up here, for years and years now.

CoBo55 · 03-07-2021 3:16pm

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hurikane wrote: »

Wtf is this? Thinly veiled I’ve got a pumped shower and once had a girlfriend thread?

Correction, Mammy and Daddy have a pumped shower.

corner of hells · 03-07-2021 3:26pm

Larbre34 wrote: »

Before lockdown, would shower every morning.

Since working at home, have often left it 3 or 4 days, but typically every second day. And I can say my skin is less dry in places and hair in far better condition for it.

3 to 4 days , you have the 'ol social distancing down to a fine art

NewbridgeIR · 03-07-2021 4:12pm

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I shower every morning as soon as I get up.

Have an electric shower; works fine.
One thing I am curious about - on every electric shower I've seen (my parents, in laws, friends houses), it says "THIS SHOWER MUST NEVER BE CONNECTED TO A MAINS WATER SUPPLY"

Why not?

03-07-2021 4:14pm

Shower Daily â€“ Evening/Night

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

I shower every morning as soon as I get up.

Have an electric shower; works fine.
One thing I am curious about - on every electric shower I've seen (my parents, in laws, friends houses), it says "THIS SHOWER MUST NEVER BE CONNECTED TO A MAINS WATER SUPPLY"

Why not?

They can be both depending on what they are using.

xzanti · 03-07-2021 4:14pm

I usually shower morning and evening.

fergiesfolly · 03-07-2021 4:19pm

Shower every morning before work in an electric shower. Will shower in the evening if I'm going out or particularly shweaty.
Changed the shower head to a smaller one and it made a huge difference to the pressure.
Also have a pumped shower but only use it when the house heating is on.
Immersions should come with a health warning. The amount of " I forgot it was on" conversations we've had in this house...

Allinall · 03-07-2021 4:24pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

I shower every morning as soon as I get up.

Have an electric shower; works fine.
One thing I am curious about - on every electric shower I've seen (my parents, in laws, friends houses), it says "THIS SHOWER MUST NEVER BE CONNECTED TO A MAINS WATER SUPPLY"

Why not?

Inconsistent pressure possibly?

If the pressure drops, the water will be a lot hotter, with a chance of getting burnt.

ongarboy · 03-07-2021 4:27pm

I understand why showering daily is not necessarily the best for your skin especially due to the excessive use of shower gels and shampoos on a daily basis but I do love a daily shower purely for the relaxing and even therapeutic benefits I get from it. I only shower first thing in the morning as it wakes me up and is the only compensation for dragging myself out of bed or else after my morning run. I'll sometimes have a second shower if I'm heading out in the evening and was after a day of physical work or after a day at the beach.

Once I installed a pump shower 15 years ago, I could never go back to electric!

theguzman · 03-07-2021 4:33pm

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fergiesfolly wrote: »

Shower every morning before work in an electric shower. Will shower in the evening if I'm going out or particularly shweaty.
Changed the shower head to a smaller one and it made a huge difference to the pressure.
Also have a pumped shower but only use it when the house heating is on.
Immersions should come with a health warning. The amount of " I forgot it was on" conversations we've had in this house...

An immersion timer is the way forward, set it for whatever lenght of time is enough to heat enough time for your shower, eg. you usually shower at 6am and let it come on at 5:30am before your morning shower and it will click off at say 6am or whatever.

fits · 03-07-2021 4:34pm

Pumped showers here with aerated shower heads to conserve water ( feels same) Lovely.

https://www.tapwarehouse.com/blog/buying-guides/water-saving-shower-heads

03-07-2021 4:37pm

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fits wrote: »

Pumped showers here with aerated shower heads to conserve water ( feels same) Lovely.

https://www.tapwarehouse.com/blog/buying-guides/water-saving-shower-heads

Would that work with an electric in a bad pressure are / hard water? I tried a low flow increase pressure head before but it just spent its lige clogged and spurting water every single way except down

Calahonda52 · 03-07-2021 4:38pm

theguzman wrote: »

I was in a short relationship a decade or so back with a woman who was a total control freak and she refused to let me sleep with her until I took a shower/wash every night, the house didn't even have a shower only a bath tub and it was just part of her controlling manipulative behaviour and we quickly broke up within a few weeks.

Did she shower before you dined at the Y?

03-07-2021 4:40pm

I don't have a shower but I take a bath instead

fits wrote: »

Pumped showers here with aerated shower heads to conserve water ( feels same) Lovely.

https://www.tapwarehouse.com/blog/buying-guides/water-saving-shower-heads

All over a hundred quid

Conservationism seems to be grand so long as the end consumer always foots the bill for it.

Flaccus · 03-07-2021 4:44pm

I shower every weekday but always cold, even in winter. A habit I got into 2 years ago when the immersion was on the fritz in the apartment. It does take a bit of effort to go for it mind you. I treat myself weekends to hot shower

https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-shower-benefits#limits-and-risks

03-07-2021 4:45pm

Last couple of electric showers I've had have been as good as any pumped shower I used. Current one on anything but the most-open setting on the shower head would easily hit the ceiling if pointed upwards. It's a fairly cheap model as well so I dunno how it works out.

fits · 03-07-2021 4:48pm

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

All over a hundred quid

Conservationism seems to be grand so long as the end consumer always foots the bill for it.

I didn’t even look at prices in link. I’m sure there are lots available at different price points

I Am The Law · 03-07-2021 4:55pm

Once a week wether I need it or not.

appledrop · 03-07-2021 5:17pm

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I'd shower every day but wouldn't wash my hair daily as its long and nightmare to dry.

I'd have a relaxing bath once or twice a week in evening, with candles etc and would have already showered that morning.

fergiesfolly · 04-07-2021 7:57am

theguzman wrote: »

An immersion timer is the way forward, set it for whatever lenght of time is enough to heat enough time for your shower, eg. you usually shower at 6am and let it come on at 5:30am before your morning shower and it will click off at say 6am or whatever.

I have a few questions... but let's start with how you know I shower at 6am???

04-07-2021 9:54am

Shower 2-3 times per week

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

I cannot believe the amount that don't shower daily.

Do you not feel guilty about how much of the world's fossil fuels you are using?

Calahonda52 · 04-07-2021 9:56am

appledrop wrote: »

I'd have a relaxing bath once or twice a week in evening, with candles etc .

does the etc include company ?:D

Mimon · 04-07-2021 9:58am

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Every morning as much to wake up as much as to feel clean. Great place to gather your thoughts before going to face the World.

RobertKK · 04-07-2021 10:02am

You don't have to use a lot of water with a shower.

Get naked
Turn on shower
Get wet
Turn off shower
Shampoo hair/lather up body/clean yourself
Turn shower back on
Rinse off
Turn shower off
Dry yourself.

Saves a lot of water and more environmentally friendly than simply wasting water because the water feels good...

04-07-2021 10:15am

I don't have a shower but I take a bath instead

But it does feel very good.

Mimon · 04-07-2021 10:18am

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RobertKK wrote: »

You don't have to use a lot of water with a shower.

Get naked
Turn on shower
Get wet
Turn off shower
Shampoo hair/lather up body/clean yourself
Turn shower back on
Rinse off
Turn shower off
Dry yourself.

Saves a lot of water and more environmentally friendly than simply wasting water because the water feels good...

My electric shower runs crazy hot and then ice cold and takes a minute to get back to normal temperature if doing this.

Sleeper12 · 04-07-2021 10:26am

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theguzman wrote:

So in Ireland the two most common types are an Electric Shower like a Mira elite, these are hugely popular for instant hot water but put out a very low volume of water and take much longer to wash yourself due to the pathetic low flow rates and guzzle electricity.

Believe it or not these are A energy rated. A 5 minute shower with an electric shower is cheaper than the power shower heated by gas or oil. Probably costs around half the price of running a 5 minute power shower. The only thing cheaper to run than an electric shower is solar heated water

Sleeper12 · 04-07-2021 10:28am

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ReginaldSmythV wrote:

Went 4 years without one but I'd have around 3 a week these days. Just wash the main stuff at the sink the other days.

Id hate to be washing my face or shaving after you have wasted your junk in the sink

04-07-2021 10:29am

Shower 2-3 times per week

I used to be every day, but have switched to every second day for full shower. My skin thanks me. I've tried lots of sensitive skin products to no avail. Even on full shower day I don't use product on my forearms. The other day is mini shower for the hairy bits.

Sleeper12 · 04-07-2021 10:30am

Shower Daily â€“ Evening/Night

NewbridgeIR wrote:

Have an electric shower; works fine. One thing I am curious about - on every electric shower I've seen (my parents, in laws, friends houses), it says "THIS SHOWER MUST NEVER BE CONNECTED TO A MAINS WATER SUPPLY"

NewbridgeIR wrote:

Why not?

Mains pressure is will damage the shower (unless it's a mains fed shower) & voids the warranty

Allinall · 04-07-2021 10:31am

theguzman wrote: »

I have my own private supply on the land and have a flow rates of around a couple thousand litres per minute, using as much water is a choice and I much prefer it than standing in an electric shower for a seemingly endless time with a trickle of water, this is Ireland and I don't give a damn about water conservation as we have the worlds largest unending supply. If I choose to spend a few more euros on energy thats my life and choice.

Only noticed this now.

Nobody has a private supply of water.

Where do you think the water comes from before it gets to your land?

Showering etiquette and frequency?

How often do you shower and when? 258 votes

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