Bath once a week?

Darlene - posted on 07/03/2011

What an eye opener! It's just proper to shower daily for good hygiene. When in the islands it was humid. It was always hot and sweaty. Being stateside we go through the seasons. Whether you stay indoors for the most part or do outdoors, there are things that linger in the air that mix up with our bodily secretions that develop an unpleasant odor. I teach 6th grade and have students who obviously don't shower daily for whatever reason and it's unpleasant. They are the ones that end up getting teased by others. Even if a smell might not be evident the excessively oily hair gives it away. I'm just glad that I've taught my child that a daily shower is proper. I have NO problems in that department. (because it's been taught) Both her Dad and I have dry skin. She obviously inherited it.She's been lotioning since she was a baby. I can't believe that teens still have to be told to shower. It's disgusting. I see why daily showers are not practiced, but at least mask the odor, or wash or wipe down the necessary body parts. With those who don't practice daily showers I'm afraid to know what the bed or pillows smell like. I would hope that they are changed on a regular basis. That's another thing, if bedding is not changed regularly, the dirty bed odor wreaks.
In regards to sex, I always make sure that I'm clean and fresh for my man and he does the same. It's such a turn off NOT to be clean. I get too concious about odor when it comes to sex. Pleasant odors=great sex! There's no other way around it. Unless you and your guy like it that way, then that's just a preference. So what!, if you feel all sweaty and ...etc afterward. Clean up again the necessary parts. Bottom line, It's good hygiene for me. I thank God for water everyday. I don't abuse it either.

Rhonda - posted on 07/03/2011

It is not sanitary to a least rinse off before getting in and out of a swimming pool. I know chlorine should kill every thing, but not every pool is kept up to standards!

Minnie - posted on 07/03/2011

LOL Laura- I just went back and read all the previous replies. Oh my...



Yes, of course, apparently everyone has the exact same body chemistry and flora. So no doubt we all need to wash the exact same way :/ You all know that diet can lead to body stink, right? Perhaps the less-stinky people eat better? Just a thought...



Washing off staff in the shower at the end of the day lol...What do you do mid-day if staff is on you? Aiiiiiieeeee!!!!



I think I'll continue to shower when I feel like it, not use soap (oh noes!) and keep on not stinking. I must have super-powers, or something. Especially since I can't keep my husband off of me half the time.

Gale - posted on 07/03/2011

In the winter it was every 2 days, in the summer it was every other, as he got older. Depending on what we do during the day if he is out at the pool and getting sweaty, he takes a shower every night. Normally its every other day now. He is 5.

Rhonda - posted on 07/03/2011

Living in FL .....at least EVERYDAY!

Megan - posted on 07/03/2011

I am give my son a shower everyday because he is a very active child and is always dirty...I wash his hair every other day unless he had been swimming...as a mom you are the person who knows best so trust your judgement. Sometimes when babies take bathes and submerge their heads under water they can get ear infections...that happened to my son very often. Now that he is 5 I just have him go in the shower and wash up and now he hasn't had an ear infection for many months. If you are worried about dry skin, baby lotion by Johnson and Johnson is great or Aveno for babies with very dry skin.

Lisa - posted on 07/03/2011

Giving a child a bath everyday can dry out the skin. Due to all our moving my children have been to many doctors and all have said it is best to bathe them at least two to three times a week. As they get older and more active they should shower every other day. Do not be afraid to use lotion many companies have them for sensitive skin it is a good way to hydrate your skin.

Chesnie - posted on 07/03/2011

I think as a baby every 3 or 4 days but as my 2 yr it's about every other day. Usually if I wait 3 or 4 days it's out of pure laziness on my part. It's 100 plus outside this summer so if were out it's every day.

Belinda - posted on 07/03/2011

As a kid I remember taking a bath or shower every day. Or if we were really pressed for time, we'd wash up (just washing the "important" areas- face, underarms, and private parts). With my children, we've increased the number of times we bathe them as they've gotten older. As infants, we just bathed them maybe twice a week. If there was a major diaper or spit up blow out, they'd get a bonus bath. Once they started solid foods and crawling and crawling and moving around more, we'd bathe them just about every other day. Now, they're 3 and 19 months and I base their bath schedule on our daily activities. If we're home all week they get a bath every other day. If we got out, they get a bath to wash off outside dirt. Sometimes that's every day in a given week. I've always had dry skin so I've always used lotion on myself and my boys since day one.

Minnie - posted on 07/03/2011

Ladies, not being judgemental, I have to ask out of curiosity. If you don't use soap, or bathe but once a week, or don't wash your hair, don't you stink 'down there'? What about when you want to be sexual with your husband? Will he go 'down there' if it is not fresh and clean smelling? I truly am curious and learn from each thing posted.....I find after a day of not bathing that it gets a bit "not fresh" down there.....

I take a shower every day but I never use soap. Water is sufficient for cleaning. I don't stink. Soap dries my skin out and it changes the pH of it as well. I definitely don't use soap on my vulva. No stink problems.

Peggy - posted on 07/03/2011

Kids DO sweat and get smelly.. coming from someone who has been a teacher. Unless you stay locked up in your house like a hermit crab and your kids don't play outside then I can see how they might not need a bath daily... but I personally still find it yucky!! I too lived in England for 3 years and Iceland for a year and my kids still got a bath daily and they NEVER got a yeast infection or UTI, But then again I didn't let them take a bubble bath everyday or let them sit in a tub with soap/shampoo. If they were gonna play in the tub for a while then that was the last thing that was done.

Rebecca - posted on 07/03/2011

Yep, my little girl gets it everyday. She gets dirty everyday. Plus, it is part of her bedtime routine, it relaxes her and send her off to sleepy land.

A lot of kids/babies have issues sleeping, mine never has. She is always more relaxed after a short bath or wash down with warm water.

If I only did it once a week, she'd have chicken grease in her hair, sand between her toes and would probably stay awake longer. So, no thanks.

Katherine - posted on 07/03/2011

My kids get DIRTY, I have to bathe them everyday to every other day.
Once a week is not enough IMO. Kids get germy and dirty and stinky too. Unless of course you are washing them down.
I'm kind of at an impass here. Not really sure which way to go. I would not give MY kids a bath once a week. They play outside all day, they swim and they need the chemicals off of their skin and out of theit hair.
They also love dirt, so I can't imagine how you keep them clean with just one a week. Again, my opinion.

Tracey - posted on 07/03/2011

this is about the kids they dont sweat and get smelly, they are beautiful little creatures, and i would cuddle mine even if they did stink lol. adult smell different to kids due due to hormonal differences therefore need to bathe more often. i live in the uk where it is cooler but i still bathe daily but kids dont need that

Ruiha - posted on 07/03/2011

I have eczema and have to shower once a day sometions twice, otherwise my skin breaks out. i live in a humid climate thou and sweat makes me itch. i shower/bath my daughter once a day and she has lovely skin, just water and a cloth thou. she just loves bathing. i have other skin allergies thou so maybe its not just eczema.

Becca - posted on 07/03/2011

Just because someone doesn't shower every day doesnt mean they dont clean themselves. Also, the thread is about kids. Kids dont need to be bathed everyday unless they are dirty. Some peoples kids dont get dirty all the time. Some people have only seen 80 degree weather like 2x this summer. My son isnt sweating all day because its been a cold summer. 70's if we are lucky. He doesnt like dirt, or even getting food on his hands. We wipe him when needed with baby wipes. I use wet wipes in the bathroom. I brush my teeth at least 2x a day. I do basically a sponge bath of my armpits if I need to (dont really need to when its 60 degrees and Im not doing anything strenuous)

Elarna - posted on 07/02/2011

Yes i agree, with four kids it is better on my stress levels and better on the water level in the tank, and better on there skin as well, they can wash there feet, face and hands when needed but a once a week seems enough for them ages from 10 to 5 once the eldest gets to 13 I will get him to shower everyu other day, when they were babies i hated the wet wipe lotions so i rinsed them first with water before i wiped there bums and they had quite tough skin and not angry red nappy rash, as for johnson and johnson, well they are too harsh and olive oil after there baths was really nice and moisturising and protective. So good on you i agree totally with you :)

Kelly - posted on 07/02/2011

I have always given my kids a bath everyday.I dont like to be dirty and especially before I go to bed.They would always get a bath and massaged with baby lotion before bed.They loved it and sorry but I want my babies smelling fresh and clean when I snuggle with them at night.

Amanda - posted on 07/02/2011

I bathe myself about twice a week, and I bathe my son about twice a week. He gets his hair washed every 1-2 weeks. Now that it is summertime, with 115 degree weather, he and I both shower about 3 sometimes 4 times a week. We also ALWAYS bathe after the pool because the chlorine is really bad and damaging to the skin.

Tara - posted on 07/02/2011

Wendy, you would do a "sponge" bath of sorts down on your nether regions. I bathe every three days, washing my face and pits and down there when it feels not so "fresh"... I also use the wet toilet wipes when I poo, keeps me fresh down there. There are other options to wasting a bunch of water and gas or electricity on a bath just to freshen up. I also sponge bathe my 2 year old when he needs it. My daughter has learned from me, she will wet a washcloth and wipe down where she needs to when she needs to "freshen" up.

Kate CP - posted on 07/02/2011

I do have to point out that those who give an actual bath (not a shower) to their daughters every day should watch out for UTIs and yeast infections.

Wendy - posted on 07/02/2011

Ladies, not being judgemental, I have to ask out of curiosity. If you don't use soap, or bathe but once a week, or don't wash your hair, don't you stink 'down there'? What about when you want to be sexual with your husband? Will he go 'down there' if it is not fresh and clean smelling? I truly am curious and learn from each thing posted.....I find after a day of not bathing that it gets a bit "not fresh" down there.....

Arlene - posted on 07/02/2011

My kids bath two times in a day...we live in a place which is very humid and hot esp. during summers. We can't stay long days or hours without a shower. My kids will surely be restless and hot if they will not have it 2 to 3 times in a day. One in the morning before school, then one in the evening before bedtime. If it is summer and no classes.. its three times, morning, lunch time and early evening. Maybe it depends upon the temperature of the place where we live in.

Kristina - posted on 07/02/2011

Thank you for posting this! We always did the same as kids (bathed once a week, etc.), and we bath our son 1-2 times a week, as needed. We've never had a problem with dry skin or eczema. We do sometimes use lotion because we have extremely hard water, but we don't Need to, as a rule. Thanks again for posting this!

Josie - posted on 07/02/2011

Stacy Rowlett, please stop yelling. It's very rude.

Becca - posted on 07/02/2011

What I have an issue with is all the people who are being so judgmental because others dont see the point in bathing their kids when they arent sweaty or dirty, yet they cant even take the time to spell bathe correctly... bathe has an 'e' at the end of it. It is a different word than bath.
My son gets a bath like 2x a week. If he gets dirty or sweaty he will get more. I dont see the point in wasting the water or time to give him a bath when he isnt dirty. We wipe his butt with wipes when we change his diaper. We wipe his face and hands before AND after every meal. His hands get washed a few other times throughout the day. Why does he need to sit in a tub of water for 20 minutes?

Rebekah - posted on 07/02/2011

We all bath every day. I can't go to bed without one!

Caroline - posted on 07/02/2011

all water is not created equal - it contains chemicals, added or natural that can have a drying effect, ironically, on some skin types. I know some people who shower daily yet don't smell fresh and others whose natural body bacteria doesn't produce offense. Children and babies are different, their systems and health are affected differently by exposure to various bacteria - cleaning urine and feces from any skin is basic and sometimes lotions can do a better job. Garden dirt on kids is not the same as a dirty diaper. Keep things in perspective.

Yvonne - posted on 07/02/2011

I would agree. Being overly clean can create dryness etc.
If you or your child become hot, sweat, smelly or dirty (ie.
summer time, after physical activity) than one can increase the times per week. However I do find bath time
for children part of a bedtime routine and/or a diversion when they may get hyped up and I find that very benefical
to my well being!

Amanda - posted on 07/02/2011

Gosh I have never actully heard that people dont bath everyday... I am from a hot country and live in UK now. I have bathed all my kids everyday since day one. My five year old has started dislking bath time but if she doesnt she gets itchy privates.... both kids had exma but never even thought for a min not to bath... it is interesting to me to hear how many people dont bath I have to say I find this hard. Why is water bad for your skin i understand the soap stuff but not the water stuff...

Lisa Cooper - posted on 07/02/2011

I hate to see that people are so judgmental. Don't make the assumption that because someone in not bathing daily that they stink or are not doing SOMETHING to cleanse. Many of us grew up "washing up" and that was expecting daily. We are a spoiled and wasteful society now so I think we don't care much about preserving our resources. Let people do what works for them dependent on THEIR circumstances factoring skin type, activity, culture, geography or whatever!

Peggy - posted on 07/02/2011

and let me add.. I have been a teacher in a 2 yr old room and find it mind boggling how a parent cant smell they nastiness of their little girls private when they changed her diaper.. made me sick to my stomach... oh wait I remember.. they were dirty smelly people also!! I used to bath her with baby wipes and wash her hair in the sink. She would look in the mirror and just smile at herself. At least I knew I was teaching her proper hygiene as much as I could. I just wonder if those who dont find it necessary to bath the dirt off your body if you also dont find it necessary to brush the nastiness off your teeth?... just a thought!!

Peggy - posted on 07/02/2011

OH NO!!.. my kids gets baths daily unless we have had a lazy day in the house then they get a bath the next day When they became school age then DAILY was a NO brainer!! In the winter months I would smell their head and if it smelled fresh and clean then I would pull their hair up and not wash it BUT when the weather got warm it is washed nightly also!! I GAG at the smell of a dirty sweaty head!! My girls have always had LONG hair and I DO NOT believe in kids going to bed with wet hair either so it was washed and dried!! I personally find it disgusting for a child to smell!! I feel sorry for kids that smell when the parents find it nothing wrong with it. Someone on here posted they were a stay home mom and didnt have time to bath their kids daily?... REALLY?... and why not?... I am a SHM now and there is NO excuse not to have time to wash my kids... and when I wasnt a SHM I still always had time to make sure my kids were clean!! Babies with nasty cradle cap on their heads is from excessive oil not being washed off. I would rather have to rub my child down with a good lotion like Eucerin to keep their skin hydrated then to have a dirty stinky child!!! Babies who smell like sour milk, children who smell like they just swam in the sewer (maybe a bit over drastic, but you get my point) make me wonder whats wrong with the parent! My husbands skin drys out with the hard water we have at home.. at my grandparents it doesnt because they have soft water BUT he still showers daily. IF an adult wants to be dirty and smelly then that is on them but they should make sure their kids are ALWAYS clean!!

Tracey - posted on 07/02/2011

my 2 yr old daughter has eczema and i was advised by my gp to bathe her as little as possible once a week maximum to avoid washing away the skins natural oils causing dryness and itching.

Emmie - posted on 07/02/2011

My pediatrician recommends bathing my 5 month old every 3 days at most. His face and hands get a wet wash cloth several times a day and wipes seem to do just fine keeping his lil fanny clean in between baths. He does get a bath if he goes to a public place such as the doctor or the WIC office because of how many people he's around. His skin doesn't dry out near as bad with bathing every 3-4 days -it stayed dry when I bathed him daily-. As for the adult's bathing habits...well, that wasn't really a part of the OP's conversation. So, to all you people talking about sweaty working adults and how gross people are for not bathing everyday...I say to you, WE'RE TALKING BABY BATHS! =P

Angela - posted on 07/02/2011

As a child, our mother bathed us all on a Sunday night so we were clean for the week ahead at School. If we got especially dirty in-between times, we had a bath as necessary. We didn’t have a shower. I never had dry skin as a child.

As an adult, I once lived in an apartment with an expensive water-heating system. So I boiled water on the gas stove in a kettle and put it in a bucket mixed with cold water until it was a decent temperature. I climbed into the bathub, stood with the bucket in front of me and used the water to thoroughly wash my body down – we didn’t have a shower. After I’d washed all over, I tipped the remaining water all over myself – like having a shower. It kept me very clean and fresh and cost very little to do so. Washing myself down from the bucket whilst standing in the bath ensured I didn’t slosh water all over the place.

Now I have a home with plenty of hot water, a shower and a bath and I usually shower daily. I do have skin problems – boils developing here and there and patches of dry skin.

As for children, my own children and those of several of my friends have needed creams, lotions etc … for skin conditions. This is largely due to the culture of bathing or showering everyday and using soap, very hot water and other chemical toiletries.

There is no substitute for regular hand-washing though – but this doesn’t mean the rest of our bodies have to be rubbed and scrubbed in hot water once a day or more often. Regular attention to the parts of the body where the apocrine glands are is important, of course, but that doesn’t mean everywhere else needs to be soaked and scalded on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, the nature of my job means I must bathe or shower daily.

Terri - posted on 07/02/2011

When I was a kid my hair was always greasy and I got made fun of horribly. We took a bath about every other day. I didn't realize until after I was married that if I just washed and dried it EVERY day with a good shampoo and conditioner and then blow dried it, it wouldn't be greasy. I wish I had realized it when I was in high school Once I had my kids, I made them wash their hair every day.

Hollyanne - posted on 07/02/2011

My son gets a bath once or twice a week. If he goes swimming or plays outside and has sunscreen on he will get a quick bath to get all of the lotion off.

Stacy - posted on 07/02/2011

IM SORRY NOT SURE WHAT PLANET U ALL ARE FROM BUT BATHING MY SON EVERYDAY IS A MUST. THERE ARE TOO MANY GERMS AND DIRT TO LET HIM GO ANY LONGER THAN THAT. AND AS FOR MYSELF I TAKE A BATH OR SHOWER EVERYDAY . IF I CAN SMELL MYSELF ITS NOT COOL

Angela - posted on 07/02/2011

I argue with my mother about this constantly. She bathed my sister and I at LEAST once a day. With my long hair and dry skin, I wound up constantly needing lotion and high powered hair conditioner. As I got older, I started realizing that every other day (and if it's cold out, less) works best for me. My son (2 yrs) gets one every three or four days unless he gets really grubby, and my daughter (6 weeks) is getting one about once a week.

My mother watches my kids a couple days a week, and she has recently taken to bathing them every time, even though she's got them on consecutive days. Their skin has begun to dry out, and she has started asking me why I don't have more lotion around the house. Sigh.

And for those who are concerned about germs, keep in mind that I haven't seen anyone say that they only wash their HANDS once a week. I wash my hands, and when I can't for some reason, I use antibacterial gel (but I try not to overdo that).

I do feel like I speak with a bit of authority on this matter, as the concentration for my biology degree was bacteriology, and though I left med school to have a family, I am still pursuing an ARNP.

Being too clean is a problem in this country - leading to superbugs, allergies, eczema, and psoriasis. While I grew up with terrible allergies and dry skin, my son shows no signs of any allergies and only needs lotion when my mom watches him. Also, my entire family gets sick less often than my parents and my sister (who are all antibacterial-swigging germaphobes...).

Melba - posted on 07/02/2011

I am a stay at home mom and I dont always have time to bathe my girls, not that they sell or are dirty or anything and I kinda took offense to that comment there sal

Teresa - posted on 07/02/2011

We live in the country n a farm and my seven year old is ALWAYS outside getting dirty head to toe, so he takes a bath once a day at least and sometimes gets a rinse off before coming inside. In the winter he doesn't bathe every day but he's nnot getting sweaty and dirty like he does in the warmer months. We've never used lotion on him.

Caroline - posted on 07/02/2011

I was born and raised in London, UK and due to post World War II rations on heating fuel, bathing was limited to once a week and daily washing of "important places" was practiced as my sister and I entered puberty. As kids, it was hands and faces during the week, tubs on Saturday night. My redheaded skin type dries out with daily showering, so it's only twice a week to shampoo hair at same time too. I "French bathe" the important places the rest of the time. My kids were bathed daily as babies, partly due to tropical climate and the cooling benefits which they loved and the daily bathing custom of many Asians - their dad was Chinese so their skin is partly Asian. In Japan babies are bathed daily with moms and everyone bathes daily in very hot water. Skin types and climates are important variables. Hygiene is relative, ask any doctor. Obgyn issues for females are another variable. Hair is dried out with daily shampoo, and encouraged by manufacturers of moisturizing products, no surprise.

Corrine - posted on 07/02/2011

I have not read all of the posts but the ones I have read seem to have mixed opinions. Personally, I feel it is possible to be too clean. There are bacterias that are helpful and others that you can build up a resistance to if you are exposed to them once in a while. I have known kids who are always sick and the mother wonders how they can be when they are always clean and other kids who are allowed to be dirty (what I would call clean dirty) are hardly ever sick. If your body is never exposed to anything it cannot learn how to fight it off. Building up a good immune system will serve you better than washing or bathing 6 times a day. Just my two cents.

Debbie - posted on 07/02/2011

here in Florida I like my bath every night and if i can fit in a shower or two during the day I do.I also am easy on the soap and love a vinegar rinse for my hair.As far as kids go it's what you put in the water that hurts the skin water and baking soda or vinegar feels good and oatmeal is great for sensitive skin.It's all a personal preferance.

Laura Zoey - posted on 07/02/2011

I did before close it, but then I got 5 different messages of moms offering encouragement and support so I re opened it.......

Daniela - posted on 07/02/2011

Yeah Josie, the hysteria here is kind of getting painful. There are so many daily precautions we take around our home and I completely agree - the very best protection against disease is washing hands properly and often. Good to know about the antibacterial soap though, I wasn't aware of that.
And what's this constant talk of BO? Your main sweat glands are in your armpits, around your genitals and your feet. You don't need to shower to wash there. You all make it sound like those of us who shower every other day smell like that old alcoholic batchelor sitting in the pub all day never changing his clothes.
Laura: For all our sanity (ours because who wants to be so rudely insulted and for the bath-crazy because they seem to be freaking out a little) you might want to close this thread...

Judith - posted on 07/02/2011

bathe everyday

Laura Zoey - posted on 07/02/2011

Yeah my son hates getting dirty! So if he does he wants me to wash it off right away in the sink or with a wipe.....

Josie - posted on 07/02/2011

Laura, don't stress out about it. Telena is "in a nursing program". Therefore, she is going to feel she knows better.
Remember, you mention that your doctor says once a week is fine for kids. Mine says the same thing. I think people also have this mental image of kids rolling around in dirt, getting scrapes, and dumping food on their heads, then going to bed with dirt & food. Yeah, if a kid is actually dirty, they get washed. If they dump food on their head, they get washed.
Bet you didn't expect this type of response!