Before Our Time author Alison is taking up a 1930s depression-style challenge this week. Can she survive a week of no showers? Alison is attempting to get through the week, hygienically, on sponge baths alone.
Is she the ultimate Recessionista?*
This is something that I would find very difficult. I love my showers. That's where I do all my thinking. However, increasingly we are being told that we over-bathe here in Australia - not to mention the impact of our long showers on our meagre water supply.
Go over and check out the bathing challenge here.
Alison will be posting her reflections on a week without showers regularly over the next 7 days. Not to be missed! Luckily we don't have smell-o-meter in the blogosphere.
*thanks to Le at coldpeas for this one!
11 comments:
hello M - we call them 'cat licks' and yes I give the boys cat licks as part of our water saving strategy, bath one day, then a cat lick the next and so on ...
Re me - I am a give after your own heart - I need, positively need my morning shower ... but I am washing my hair less now in an effort to be water wise ... I figure every drop helps :) le
thanks for the link back :)
We too do the alternating shower / sponge bath thing with the kids. We usually shower two out of three days and then sponge the third.
I'd give it a go myself, as long as I could have two showers on my tennis days. I suppose I could forego one before tennis - but definitely not after!!
I can't tell you how much of a shocker I am with showers and my over-showering tendencies have been inherited by my son. If I could have three showers a day I would. Love them. Blossom on the other hand has one very quick, shallow bath a day - in,out, 20 seconds. Perhaps I should get her a bucket.
I miss my shower in Cairns. Oh it was beautiful. (And they have over flowing water supplies up there so the guilt factor wasn't there - oh the shame of it all!) I do love a long hot bath too but it has been ages since I had one of those.
I could not do the sponge bath thing. Too many memories of the gas cut in 1999 when Melb had no gas for a week. Our hot water was warmed by gas so I had to sponge bath with water warmed by the kettle. Oh it was horrible. I am glad I live in modern times.
I am a 2 showers a day gal. I am a sook. Water me.
Thanks for bringing my hygiene issues to the attention of the broader community.
I could perhaps put a little sponge-bath tutorial together for Blossom and she can be your household's convert. If she uses even less water than she currently does, it can offset some of your extravagent showering!
To correct one point in your post...I am attempting to get through the week on sponge-baths daily AND a weekly bath. Wednesday will be bath day. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it.
okay the shower I could 'maybe' do without but not washing my hair in the shower.
Imagine years ago a bath once a week in shared water ....eeeks
I think she's very brave. Me, I miss my baths due to our scungy teeny-tiny tub. Showers are nice, but baths feel like the ultimate indulgence.
We have a 'rainwater' shower head and a large (lie down size) cubicle so while I have my shower the kids lie on the tiles on either side and do their morning wake up underwater. What would be a long shower for 1 person is pretty economical for 3.
I live in the tropics. It's 30 degrees by 8:30am and it stays that way until 7pm. I do not think that a single day without a thorough shower will go unnoticed!
Honestly, that is one area where I could never cut back. I must have my bedtime bath or I am unable to sleep. I have it pretty hot too and if I am unwell halfway through the day I'm not above a second.
But I only run my dishwasher when it is full and I air dry my clothes and I'm pretty responsible in other ways. I'm driving less too.
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