It would be more accurate to have the title be "How to (try) to take a shower while running the hot water for only 60 seconds." Most any person of average intelligence can figure t his out, no? Does it really merit an article? How about "How to open cans with your bare hands?" Just tell people how to use can-openers. No gloves required.
How to Take a Shower in Sixty Seconds or Less
Photo: dvs / Flickr
Living or traveling in an extreme situation? The following is a real life scenario that our friends and several internet readers have gotten a kick out of. Yes, at least for this summer, this is how we do it. No, I'm not kidding. Read on.
Due to an extremely small water heater and the fact that our ground water is the same temperature as the lake (a degree or two above freezing), we have developed this technique for shower survival. It’s also a handy strategy to use on the road: desert camps with limited water supply tanks, solar shower bags, hostels where hot water is in short supply, etc.
1. First, get organized. Make sure all of your needed supplies such as shampoo, soap, razors, rinse-off cups for poorly functioning water heads, and pumice blocks are in easy reach.
2. Next, turn on the hot water tap until the water becomes hot enough to stand under. (Depending on how high your heater temp is set to, you may or may not need to mix in cold water.)
3. Turn the shower knob to get the water flowing from the shower head instead of the regular faucet, and immediately jump under.
4. Get your hair and body wet enough to lather easily and turn off the water, leaving the shower nozzle on.
5. Lather up your hair and skin.
6. Turn the water back on to rinse. Since the shower nozzle handle is turned on this will save you a few precious seconds of hot water for your own use.
7. Turn the hot water off again. If you feel the need to condition your hair, this is the time. Put the conditioner on your hair and leave on while you shave. (Guys, this won’t take you quite as long as the ladies.)
8. Lather up your legs with the product of your choice (shampoo, soap, gel, foam, hair conditioner).
9. Turn the shower nozzle off and run cold water only to rinse your razor every few strokes. Fill up your rinse cup or use your cupped palm to splash water and rinse off face, legs and underarms. If you feel the need to spray, scrub and rinse your shower, now is an excellent opportunity to do so.
10. Turn off the cold water. Then, turn the shower nozzle back open and the hot water tap back on.
11. Quickly rinse out conditioner. Done.
While your overall time in the shower stall may be longer than 60 seconds, your time with the hot water on is not. We’re perfectly able to purchase a larger water heater, but have decided to fore-go that until we start renovations / rebuilding. In order to have the place we want and still remain somewhat financially independent, it is important to eliminate any unnecessary short term expenditures. So for now, we’re plugging along with our one minute shower option.
I think this is blog-worthy because as my husband points out, even our military people in Iraq get two minutes to shower. Hooah!
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Thanks for your input.
Actually, you'd be surprised how many times this conversation comes up on the traveler's circuit, and from people that refuse to travel to destinations with extreme water conditions.
If you're used to doing this all the time (and it sounds like you've done a fair bit of either traveling or extreme living) it can seem common knowledge. But if you just got off the plane in the third world for the first time, you'll need all the strategies you can get.
Yikes, I would never survive - my hair is so extremely thick (even after being thinned out every few weeks or so... every person that's ever cut my hair comments on it's thickness, as if they've never seen such a thing in all their years of hair-cutting) that it takes more than 60 seconds just to fully rinse it out. If I don't do a full rinse I'm left with dry itchy shampoo on my scalp. I'll have to remember to avoid that type travel situation (and hope I never have to live it).
Yes, it can get old. But we're used to it now, and I just keep thinking about the extra square footage and cool kitchen appliances that await me . . .
In Europe, this is standard practice. The showerhead is actually not connected to the wall, so you have to place it down after every rinse, and turn of the water so it doesn't splash all over the place.
I don't know that this necessarily limits water use to 60 seconds though; it never did for me.
Well, I would probably be lounging more under the shower head if it wasn't for the really limited hot water supply, and the fact that the lake water is beyond cold. It's getting a little better as the summer progresses, but when the water is as cold as it was when we first got here (the ice had just finally gone off the lake), it really motivates you to scrub lightning fast.
Often traveling, and numerous times after typhoons living on Guam, I've had to go with no hot water at all. In warmer climates (like Bali), it's really not a big deal. You get used to it and actually find it refreshing some times (like in Cambodia). But this bone chilling cold thing . . . MAN! I grew up here and so did my husband. But June at this lake does not make for a toasty shower experience. We are that far north.
We lived in Europe for a while. I remember the shower heads you are talking about . . .
In some hostels and campsites I've seen timers on the shower. You turn the handle from left to right to turn on and then it slowly rotates back to off. This lasts for about 30-40 seconds - usually takes me about 90 seconds of water for a shower though. Wonder how much it would be to install one in a home shower? Probably not much.
It cost $30 (I think - it was a gift) and it attaches to the shower head. There's a button to turn the water on and off. I often use it to shower. It's a long, flexible tube, so you can aim the water wherever you need it, rather than waiting for the water to flow. This is a polite way of saying that it's easy to scrub your bum using the water hose.
The thing I don't like about it is that I get really cold in between the times that I have the water on. But that's just a part of the deal, I guess.
That sounds cool . . . I know there are a ton of products out there. Can't wait to order some when we actually build the new place. It's interesting you mentioned the dog factor . . . washing them in the regular tub is such a pain without a hose. Maybe that'll be my justification for getting a hose early . . . Thanks for commenting, Andrea.
Good points, but it seems only to work well assuming that you have a hot and cold water knob and a separate faucet. My bathroom has a shower stall (no tub) with only a showerhead and just one water knob which is turned further counter-clockwise for hotter water. Waiting for the right temperature each time would be a waste, and cold water really is unpleasant coming out of the showerhead.
Cold water is TERRIBLY unpleasant coming out of the shower head. I couldn't agree more. That's the whole reason behind the post. After a typhoon on Guam, it was three to four months before we had electricity (and therefore hot water). While the temperature there made the several months with no hot water bearable, we really don't have that luxury this far north.
I'm thinking with your situation, the answer would be to find the right temperature and then pull the nozzle out for shower head flow. You would need to then just push the lever in and out and turn the shower head off only, skipping the step of waiting until the temp is correct. You do have the separation of waiting for temp separately from shower head flow, right? If not, I can problem solve again for you.
I'm really glad you commented. Some may think these steps are a non issue. When you are uncomfortable getting clean and have too much else on your plate (refugee camp volunteering, working in Africa, post typhoon recovery in Micronesia . . . I've been there for the most part) to problem solve what others think are the basics, you really need all the help you can get. I don't know how many times since I've figured this out that I would have been so thrilled to have someone give me some tips while I was still in the bush or war zone.
By the way, it can work in reverse also. In many countries in the Gulf, the water is stored in tanks on the roof. Even putting the nozzle completely on cold can burn you so severely as to cause several degrees worth of burning if no one tells you ahead of time about the roof top storage system. Trust me, I was almost scarred for life and it was very painful. This after a day when a bomb evacuation (not a drill) has been initiated at your work place is not very much fun. If you work overseas in an extreme desert environment and your water tank is stored on the roof or anywhere without shade, wait until early morning when at least the water temp has had a chance to cool down. Even then, with the nozzle turned completely to cold, things can be uncomfortably hot as well.
Let me know if you have further questions. I'll be willing to problem solve for you as I'm only in an uncomfortable situation, not a life threatening one.
I have a water saver showerhead. It is high pressure/low volume with a shut off button. When it's shut off, it puts out a slight spray that keeps the hot and cold water mixed to the right temp. After living several years on the road in a travel trailer, that showerhead proved to be the most workable for two people and a ten gallon water heater. The wet down, lather and shave and then rinse works very well and now, even though I have thirty gallons of hot water available, I still use the same showerhead in my home.
OK, that's two people with shower head suggestions in 24 hours. And the shower head can be removed from this place if I splurge on a nice one, and included in the new structure.
I have to drive out to the nearest town today to run errands and shop. They now have a Lowes (yippee, otherwise I'd have to drive 4 hours to the nearest major hardware store). I think I'll check out this option. If you got by in a travel trailer for that long with one, this may be our solution.
Thanks for posting!
Ours is over the bath and works like Anne's. It can get a bit chilly showering on/off like that in the winter. Unless you are doing your hair, a strip wash is about as quick?
And it is possible to mostly dry yourself (except the hair on your head unless it's very short) with a flannel.Not as luxurious as a large towel though....
Another thing I do sometimes is that if I'm at home, I keep a bucket in the shower to catch the water while the temperature rises. Doing this, you can avoid having to turn on the showerhead while shaving to rinse the blade, and you can use the basin of water to rinse off your hands between latherings (for instance, if you don't want to get your body soap in your hair), as well as to rinse any bath implements or soapy shampoo bottles when you're done. If you're really hardcore and want to save an extra 1/2 cent on water, you can even use the water in the bucket to flush the toilet.
Especially in the US, we take a lot of things for granted. Even being able to take a long shower (most of us anyway). I am currently living in a place where I have about 10 min. of hot water. Sometimes I must shut off the water to shave, etc. But sometimes I am in a place where hot water is precious. This can be a shock back into reality, to say the least.
I have used this method when there is not enough hot water to have a nice long shower. I have also had to bathe in an icy lake or steam (a shock to the system but exhilerating). It's just an issue of survival.
I thought the comment about the tank on the roof was interesting. I went to Miami with my family and we booked a room in a hotel that was dirt cheap (we like cheap). We named it the hot water flat, there was NO cold water. I ran the water all night and it was still scalding hot at 4 AM. At first I was splashing water on myself with a bucket but that didn't work out too well.
I finally broke down and took my soap & shampoo down to the pool when there was nobody around and took a bath.
You're right. We do take a lot of things for granted here.On the island of Tinian, entire villages are not on water rations, they are on water schedules. Your village may only have water on certain days of the week or certain hours of a particular day. At least that's the way it was when I lived in the area. I had considered moving from Guam to Tinian to teach, but that water thing was a little more hard core than I was ready for at the time.
The bucket trick for individual showers is interesting. I've never done it that way, as I can recall. I've done the bucket pedicure thing on the deck after a typhoon, but not for the shower. One thing we did do in Micronesia was clean out large garbage containers (the really tall kind) and fill them up and leave at least one in the shower. You had to add a little bleach to keep it from getting nasty. Then, you could do the cup pouring thing while you were at least standing over a drain.
For the woman who had to sneak to the pool . . . . well, you tried to do the right thing but in the end, you had to do what you had to do, right? Funny story, although I'm sure it wasn't at the time. Those roof tanks I know are helpful for gravity feed situations, but DANG they can really scald sometimes.
On an up note, I took the advice of a couple of others here and picked up a handy dandy switch off hose at the hardware store. Woohoo! It'll be a couple of days before I can hook it up, but I am really looking forward to at least that much relief.
Sorry for the late post but I just spotted this one.
I used to live in South America and had about 2 min. of hot water. At first I chopped off my long hair to save some time. But I still needed to shave my legs.
I created an extravagant plan where I warmed water on the stove in two stock pots. I would use one to shampoo and condition my hair in the kitchen sink. The other would go into a tub that I placed in the shower and would use that to shave my legs. It also gave my feet a much needed soak.
After all that I finally went to a hardware store and bought a water saving shower head for maybe $10. It uses more pressure and less water so then I was up to 5 min. of hot water and could stop doing my hair in the kitchen sink.
Thanks for the comment and suggestion! I just got one of the alternative shower heads at the suggestion of another couple of readers. It's made a huge difference. Also, another thing I did was use the leave in conditioner idea I posted on the homemade spa products post. What's great about doing that is that you actually don't have to take the time to condition and rinse your hair in the shower. You just spray the conditioning spray on after. It works great and leaves an extra layer of protection in extreme weather.
Since you're in the market for a water heater anyway, you may be interested in getting one of the more modern just-in-time water heaters, instead. I grew up with a giant 40-gallon tank, which limits you to the amount of heated water actually in the tank, as well as keeps your pilot light running year-round (wasting gas and energy, and being a major fire/explosion hazard). I recently moved to Japan, and what is commonplace over here is a self-contained unit, about 20cm x 50cm x 80cm, that has feeds for all of gas, water and electricity. It senses water flow, and turns on and heats the water AS YOU USE IT, through a radiator-type system inside. This has the following benefits:
* Uses less space.
* Provides an unlimited hot water supply.
* Uses less energy (only turns on when you use it), saving you money.
* Is not a fire hazard.
They sell these in the US, as well. I will *never* buy one of the large water tanks, now. These are spectacular in every way.
Thank you for the shower tips, though :-)
Thanks, Jebediah.
They had something similar when we lived in Italy, and we loved them. They really are more space efficient and energy efficient as you say. I can't wait to get one, and my husband is in agreement.
Enjoy Japan!
The solution is to just do the essentials in the shower and get out as soon as you can. We don't need "instructions".
I guess this article isn't for you. Feel free to explore the rest of the site. For other people who are having fun with the topic, feel free to enjoy the piece and post additional idea.
You know, I've only started hearing about them recently. But then, I've been out of the country bumming around most of my adult life . . .
Andrea introduced me to the concept of the switch on - switch off hose variety. I believe I also recall hearing about ones that are designed to give more coverage for less water use, but I would definitely be interested in any other information anyone else has. . .
Would seem far more sensible to use a bucket and forget the shower bit. I favor #20's idea above about heating the water first if possible. You then take your time and work on your parts, ha-ha, and dry yourself now and again as you go to keep from freezing. You don't have to rush that way. Don't use a ton of soap. Do the hair first. I now take a bath daily, my one luxury, and I never fill the tub too deeply. And I do my hair in my big kitchen sink twice a week, never could understand why any woman would want to wet her hair down daily in a shower if she didn't need to. Phooey on showers. My ex and I did a lot of camping in Kentucky years ago and I managed fine the bucket of water way. Not only that, when we were first married and I moved into my ex's house (who is a journeyman plumber, by the way) he had not finished the bathrooms and believe me, I did the bucket routine for far longer than anybody would care to (and which is one reason why we eventually divorced, ha-ha, long story).
Good commentary, Cindy. You know, it's funny there should be a new comment today, because as I was just dealing with this issue not 5 minutes ago I was thinking about a few additional points. The on-off shower head worked for the summer, but I think as the weather and water warmed it masked just how little hot water we have. I say that because during the summer if we ran out of hot water, the overall temperature became tolerable. Now we are back (on roids) to the original situation and then some. Once the hot water runs out and the water has to run through the system before it can reheat again, it's the same temperature it comes out of the ground at (which is the same as the lake which is starting to have ice around the edges). We may very well have to incorporate your bucket strategy.
One of the reasons I posted this is that while it may seem like a no brainer to some of the snippier commenters above, I would submit that they have yet to try to do this on any sort of regular basis and in as many differing situations as can occur on the road. Getting in and out quickly only cuts it for a few days. After that, all of those minor "issues" get to be major, especially in a dusty desert or mucky forest (trust me, short water supplies really suck in situations where you have major dirt to take care of on yourself, your gear, your pets, etc.). Also, the shower situation on the road is rarely the same wherever you go. So it helps to have a repertoire of ideas, particularly if you are changing locations all the time.
Thanks for posting, Cindy.
To this you can add the Galbraith showering system - follow the outline of your body, then broad strokes to front and back, a little extra attention where needed, and rinse.
A simpler way to wash your hair is to dilute some shampoo in enough water to saturate the scalp, then work it to the ends and rinse. You only need more if you're dusty/dirty. Cornmeal also works well as a dry hair cleaner, better if it's too cold for any shower.
One thing to be aware of is that water-saving showerheads are not compatible with all tankless/demand water heaters. When the shower switch is off, it can trip the sensor on the heater, and you have to turn the water on and off and let it warm up again.
Something I grew up with an just assumed was normal: combing your hair in the shower. I realize now that we had low water pressure and needed all the help we could get to rinse out shampoo/conditioner. It works somewhat like a squeegee to get the residue off.
Basic idea: Shampoo, rinse, and run your comb through your hair while rinsing to hurry along those suds. Similarly, after conditioning use the comb to hurry the conditioner out as you're rinsing. The comb won't do anything on its' own, and it's not a huge improvement, but it does help. I used that tip this weekend at our campsite.
As for Anne of comment 12: I have a similar shower setup, and I bought a Shut-off for hand held showers at Home Depot. Initially I bought it because I had a shower stall in my apartment, and I wanted a moment to pause and shave my legs :-)
I live in England and pay £11 a month for water just for myself, not to mention cost of electricity. I heat a little water in the kettle and put a pint or so in a plastic measuring jug. Measure in a small amount (I use a teaspoon for shoulder-length hair) of shampoo, stir with the hand to mix and bend over the bath where a plastic washing up bowl is waiting. Wet the ends of long hair in the jug, then pour over the hair. Repour from the washing up bowl. Wash hair and scalp in the usual way. Squeeze out as much shampoo as possible, then rinse under the shower, which in my case can be hand-held. Follow the same procedure for conditioner; before rinsing I soap myself from a bottle of diluted shower cream, then rinse hair and body thoroughly. I have the plug in the bath, so that I can retrieve the water for flushing the toilet. Less water is used because the toiletries have been diluted. I find this is better for my sensitive skin, as well as saving money. By the way, if not washing hair, I wear a showercap and make myself get under the shower while it is still cold. This definitely speeds up the shower!
Hi Guest.
Yup! Freezing cold water sure speeds things up, as I can personally attest to. Thanks for sharing your strategy.
thanks for the article. DH has been practicing this since I've known him. Me? Although I grew up "green", I have come to treasure long showers. However, since cutting my hair short, my time is down to 4 min. We have installed a water-saver button, and that helps a lot! :)
actually this article is useful. americans usually take having hot water for granted. i know i do. my parents are both from rural china and we still have relatives there. they have propane heated water. so most ppl just do a quick sponge bath. my cousins recently visited there and they said they didn't wash their hair for a week which is pretty gross considering how freaking hot it gets there. i think they could've done it if they knew about these tips. so this isn't stupid!
I've always been a water-saving freak (off-topic, but there was a local promotion when I was little about a monster called the H2Ogre, who sang songs about what it would be like when all the water was gone to encourage people not to waste water, absolutely scared the pants off me).
Now just to get the husband to do this. He can easily spend 10 minutes in the shower, before I bang on the door to remind him to get out.
Seriously I can rinse, lather, rinse and be out in under 60 seconds (assuming no leg shaving, which is pretty rare, and I only wash my hair once a week).
Most folks could probably stay in their homes for 1-2 years if they wanted to and really try to milk the system. Not saying it's right, but I see it all the time.
This is great if you can do it. I have tried unsuccessfully in the past. An investment in a low flow shower head can save big money.
this works espically when my sister wants to decide @ the last minute she wants to get in the shower when we are getting ready for school
Good, but not exactly what I was looking for. On days when I wash my hair I take 6 times longer - any hints for how to rinse my hair faster? I tried last night and now I have dandruff (never a problem for me before)
I went a-wall when I got our first electric bill at our new house. It was over $400. (Our last place, the electric bill never saw $100) Between electric heat here in Northern MN, a drafty 109 year old house and being a Stay-At-Home-Mom, we use a lot of electricity! This is a great tip I will surely be using.
