Do you run water during the shower?

[JimB]

Somewhat inspired by the latest "do you pee in the shower" thread, I've been thinking about showers with strangers and strange places I have known. For as long as I've been showering, I've bathed with the water running from the moment I step into the shower to the moment I reach for a towel, but lately I've been exposed to people who seem to do it differently. For instance, I was staying in a hostel in Belgium a little while ago, and the shower there was designed to only release water in a fifteen-second burst before automatically shutting off. I just assumed that was a water-saving measure the facility instituted, though, and didn't really think anything of it.

Then, much more recently, I was helping a coworker to bathe a patient in the shower, and my coworker didn't leave the water running on the patient while she lathered her up. I couldn't think of a polite way to ask why this was (my thoughts on it are, "Jesus, don't you think the patient is cold as hell, sitting there damp with no hot water on here while he scrub her down," which is a hard question to frame diplomatically), but it did get me to wondering, maybe I'm the weirdo for leaving the water on during my shower.

So what about you, Escapists? Do you turn the water off in the shower, or step out of the spray, or anything like that?

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

I'm assuming you're talking about the actual shower water? Because if I run water from like the sink or something while the shower is on, it just makes the water in the shower cold.

But yeah, I keep the shower running the whole time. Mostly because I shower immediately when I get up in the morning, so the running water helps to wake me up a little bit. I always feel groggy for an hour or so after waking up if I don't shower right away.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

I keep it going the whole time. I really see no reason not to, unless your area is having water problems. I reposition the shower head to aim below me when I'm washing my hair, but otherwise, I let it spray upon me the whole shower. I'm quite curious to see the reasons for people not doing this, however. I can't imagine there'd be many people on the site who live in areas with water issues.

 

[shrekfan246]

I turn away the shower head or step out from under the water while I'm lathering up, but otherwise I always have to have the water hitting me.

On top of simply enjoying the feeling of hot water, I've got a fair few touch-based tics and my body feels strange if it isn't evenly warmed and rinsed while in the shower.

 

[sanquin]

As above, I turn away the shower head. Though when there's one person bathing another, I can understand if the one doing the bathing doesn't want to get their clothes wet. When I use a hair mask that needs to stay on for 2~3 minutes though, I do turn it off for a bit. Would be a huge waste of gas (I have a CV) and water if I left it running.

 

[IceForce]

The 15-second thing is to ensure that you don't just turn the water on and then leave. Some places get pissed off when you do that.

But that wouldn't apply to just the shower though. Any tap could be turned on and left on.

So, for what you're saying to be the correct reason, EVERY tap would need to have a 15-second timer on it, not just the shower.

 

[Weaver]

Huh, I never even considered turning the water off to be honest. I've always ran it the whole time.
To be fair, that could save a lot of water if everyone did it. To also be fair, it would make the shower pretty unpleasant.

 

[manic_depressive13]

I turn off the water when I'm lathering. Otherwise the water washes the all the soap off my spongy thing. I used to just step out of the water stream while I scrubbed, but then I took to turning it off because that's a huge waste of water. Reading some of the responses here you'd think people didn't pay for the water they use.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

It's weird finding out that people do these things differently. I don't turn the water off or turn the shower head away. I just make sure the part of me I'm lathering isn't being directly hit with the water.

It's like how I've always brushed my teeth with cold water. When I found out a lot of people use warm water I thought I had entered the Twilight Zone.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I never turn off the shower. I'll just step aside when I'm soaping/shampooing.

 

[Blow_Pop]

I leave it running. In addition to keeping me warm I usually have it positioned on my shoulders/back to try and release some of the tension that I carry.

Supposedly, you are suppose to turn the shower off in between washing your hair/body to help conserve water apparently though. But unless you actually live somewhere that's needed, I haven't heard of anyone doing that.

 

[Ieyke]

Preeeeetty sure anyone who DOESN'T run the water in the shower while showering is a weirdo.

 

[Signa]

Not only do I leave it on the whole time, I also turn it on before I take my clothes off and get in. I'm sure that's pretty normal, because most people want to have the water warm before they get hosed down with the water.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

Didn't even know that was a thing. The more you know, eh?

But yeah, I always just leave it on. I don't turn the head, either. I just stand with it hitting my back and soap down my front, then turn so it's hitting my front and soap my back. Works well enough.

 

[Caiphus]

Nope, I wait for the water to warm up then hop in and don't turn it off until I've done the full wash. Occasionally I have the dial pushed all the way to cold if I've been running, but that's as much variance as you get.

But please, Escapists, continue describing your showering techniques. I'll just be over here

 

[Teoes]

I live in the UK and worse, the central belt of Scotland. It's not particularly warm and we have more water than we know what to do with so you can be damned sure I leave that hot shower running.

 

[iseko]

Im from belgium and Ive never come across anything like that here. Then again I dont really shower outside of home much. Yes ai leave the water running. Except when I soap up. I do that shit quickly and the warm water after being cold is fucking heavenly

 

[skywolfblue]

I've done it in places where I've had to conserve the water. (Mobile Homes/Camping/Places without much water)

But ordinarily no, I just leave it running.

It does save a significant amount of water, but it's more enjoyable to let the water run, otherwise I get a bit cold, and we don't have droughts where I live in Alaska.

 

[lacktheknack]

Seeing how my shower water runs on a finicky dial with a screwed up thermostat, turning the water on and off shoots ice spikes from the showerhead into the very core of my soul.

So no, I leave it running. I just step to the side to soap up.