How many minutes does it take you to shower? (recycling, heater, electric) - Green Living -Sustainable living, ecology, conservation, local agriculture - City-Data Forum

kentuckydad95 · 12-26-2009, 10:06 AM

I have seen numerous articles debating shower vs bath and which one saves water. I saw more than one site stating that a shower under 5 minutes saves the most water. I decided to time my morning shower, so I started the stopwatch and the results:

8 min, 6 seconds.

I guess I could shave some time off, but that is the normal shower time for me. If I shave, you can add 3 minutes or so. How long does it take you to shower? I love to stand in the hot water, but if the 5 minute mark truly saves energy and money, I will probably shoot for that.

TomSD · 12-26-2009, 10:31 AM

Takes me about 5-6 minutes I guess but I take a navy shower so the water is only on for about 2 of that.

Oh and shaving I fill the mug with hot water and the sink partially with warm then straight shave so no aerosol cans or disposable razors/heads to deal with. Most of the rinsing is done with the water in the sink or from the mug (it is still clean since it was used to warm the brush) though I do turn the tap on for about a minute to wash my face and clean out the sink. Heck one of my razors is about 100 years old... how's that for recycling?

LinaJo76 · 12-26-2009, 11:14 AM

If I'm washing and coditioning my hair and also shaving my legs, about 15 minutes.

But if I'm not doing any of those, about 5-7 minutes.

marmac · 12-26-2009, 12:03 PM

I don't keep track as my water comes from my well as I ain't paying for it.

Heck, any one of the 50 milk cows on the farm drinks more than I use in an entire day.

Maybe I should tell them to drink less

marmac · 12-26-2009, 12:06 PM

A simple test to tell how much water you use ( if you have a tub shower) is to plug the drain.

I did that out of curiosity last week in a motel while traveling. The tub was about 1/3 full when done showering.

Omaha Rocks · 12-26-2009, 12:25 PM

I normally only take 3-4 minutes, max. But sometimes if I've been outside working, and am freezing cold and wet, I'll stand in there for awhile and warm up.

Mostly though, I'm not a "lounge around in the shower" guy, so I'm not apt to stay in there very long anyway.

marmac · 12-26-2009, 12:35 PM

Actually, since this is the --green forum---, I would guess this is about water useage.

Time spent in the shower and gallons used are not the same .

Flow rate x time spent in the shower determines gallons used.

A person spending longer with a smaller flow rate might be actually using less water than a shorter shower with more of a blast ( higher flow rate ) .

Steve Bagu · 12-26-2009, 01:10 PM

Depends on the girl I'm with how long I stay in there.

Ooops ..wrong answer.

Really not too long but will turn the hot on more to heat the body before exiting with todays cold temp. I will run the hot water on the back of my neck which helps to clear the sineses(sp)...really works good if the person has a head cold.

Steve

stillkit · 12-26-2009, 01:28 PM

I've found that the older and heavier I get, the longer it takes to shower. When I weighed 155 lbs, it didn't take long. Now that I'm closer to 250, it takes twice as long.

Must be something to do with the area I have to wash.

You know, when Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India, he could shower AND change clothes in 2 minutes. Now, there's a goal to shoot for.

kentuckydad95 · 12-26-2009, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marmac

I don't keep track as my water comes from my well as I ain't paying for it.

Heck, any one of the 50 milk cows on the farm drinks more than I use in an entire day.

Maybe I should tell them to drink less

I hear that. We have a well also. I am more worried about the bill for the electric hot water heater.