Take a Shower

Showering is an activity that millions of people make a part of their daily routine. It's a fast, effective and refreshing way to get clean. Only shower about every other day so your hair does not get dry. If you have played a sport or worked out, you should shower that day. Do you want to learn how to take a shower? Read on! Alternatively, if you want to not so subtly encourage someone else to take a shower, send them this article!

Steps

Setup

  1. Undress. Place your dirty clothes in a laundry basket. Put your clean clothes or pajamas in a safe place where they won't get wet from the shower water.
    • Take off your glasses too. If you wear contacts you can wear them in the shower as long as you don't get too much water in your eyes.
  2. Get the water temperature right. Turn on the water and let it run until it is warm. Check the position of the shower head, to be sure that the water is spraying down rather than out of the shower. However, make sure it is not too hot. Your wrist is a more accurate gauge of temperature than your fingers, so use your wrist to determine if the temperature is actually comfortable.
    • Consider taking the occasional cold or cool shower, especially when it is hot and humid out or after a heavy workout.
    • Consider jumping in the shower right when you turn it on, even if it's cold, to save water.
  3. Carefully enter your shower once the temperature is perfect.

Get Clean

  1. Wet your entire body. Slowly turn around a couple times under the spray to let the water cover your entire body. If you are washing your hair, be sure that your entire head and hair is completely wet. Rinsing off loose dirt and dust is the first step to getting clean—and getting wet, particularly with warm water, helps your muscles relax.
  2. Lather a small amount of shampoo into your hair. Work the lather gently down to your scalp, making sure all the strands of your hair are sudsy to their ends. You don't have to use too much shampoo—if you do you might run out quickly and it can strip your hair of healthy levels natural oils. Just a quarter sized puddle of shampoo on your palm will do the trick. Always remember to start with a small amount, and add more if you need it.
    • Wash your hair every other day rather than every single day. Washing your hair too much can damage it.
  3. Thoroughly rinse all of the shampoo out of your hair. You don't want your hair to dry with soap residue in it.
    • To check that there isn't any more shampoo still in your hair, wet it and then squeeze your hair and watch the color of the water that runs out. If you still see a little bit of shampoo in it, keep rinsing and repeat!
  4. Apply conditioner to your hair. In addition to simply cleaning, putting your preferred conditioner in your hair can improve the look, feel and health of your hair. Conditioner does not lather, so work it in from scalp to ends until you feel a layer of slickness all over your hair. Check your conditioners instructions. Many will recommend leaving the conditioner in for several minutes before rinsing it out. Others are actually meant to be applied after getting out of the shower.
    • Some people prefer to use a combination shampoo and conditioner that doesn't require a separate step to apply.
  5. Wash your face. Wet your face and apply a small amount of facial cleanser or exfoliating scrub to your face with your fingers or a washcloth. Gently rub the cleanser around your face for at least 30 seconds, getting your cheeks, nose, chin and forehead, and potentially your neck and upper back if you experience acne breakouts there. Make sure you avoid getting any into your eyes. Especially if you use anti-acne wash, leave it on your face for at least 30 seconds so it can seep into your pores. Then rinse the washcloth and your face thoroughly.
    • You can use basic soap instead of a special face cleanser. This is better than not washing your face, but overuse of the wrong kind of soap on your face can dry out and irritate your skin.
  6. Wash your body. Apply your bar soap or body wash to your washcloth, loofah (shower poof), body sponge, or just your hands. Now, clean your entire body. Start at your neck and shoulders and work your way down. Be sure to wash under your arms and on your back. Wash your private parts and bottom last. Remember to wash behind the ears, back of the neck, and in between each toe.
  7. Rinse off the soap. Turn around under the water and rub your body with your hands to get off lingering soap and loosened grime. Run your hands through your hair and make sure all the soap is rinsed out. If there are any areas you have missed, wash them now.

Shaving and Brushing Teeth

  1. Shave your legs and underarms if you like. Many people shave their hair that grows on their legs and in their armpits, and find the shower to be the ideal time for this occasional task.
    • Shaving legs and armpits is very common for girls and women in some countries, but you can be clean without it. Ultimately it's a personal decision, so speak to a woman you trust if you're not sure what to do, and also consider the customs of your culture. Exfoliating legs with a body scrub helps remove dead skin for a cleaner shave.
    • Wet and lather shaving cream or conditioner on your legs.
    • Using a razor, shave upward, against the grain of your hair. Start with your ankles and work your way up. Don't forget the tops of your feet at the end.
    • Shave slowly to avoid cutting yourself, especially your knees and the back of your legs because you might hit a bump and cut yourself.
    • For your underarms, lather shaving cream or conditioner on your underarms and shave (slowly) upward and downward—underarm hair grows in both directions.
  2. Shave your face. Some men prefer to do their shaving in the shower as well. For this you need a shower mirror—one designed not to fog up in the water and steam. If you have one, shaving in the shower can be both convenient and a nice excuse to stay under the hot water a little longer.
  3. Shave your bikini area or male private parts if you wish. Some men and women also use the shower to trim or shave unwanted hair from around their genitals and bikini area. Be careful, though, and make sure your shower offers you a good place to stand and enough lighting to see clearly what you are doing.
  4. Brush your teeth. As weird as it sounds, brushing your teeth in the shower is actually very useful. You can brush your tongue and not be afraid of getting toothpaste in your hair or on your clothes.

Finishing Up

  1. Give yourself a final rinse. This is important so no soap is left on your body. Make sure that there is no conditioner left in your hair before moving to the next step.
    • If you are brave enough, turn the water on a cold setting for 3 seconds and let the cold water run over your face to close your pores and give your hair a natural shine.
  2. Turn off the water. Make sure it is turned off tightly so you don't waste any valuable water. Prepare to leave the shower stall and gather any belongings you brought with you into the stall.
  3. Exit the shower. Step out carefully, as slipping on the floor in a bathroom can be dangerous.
  4. Dry off with a towel. Standing on the rug or mat, grab your towel from nearby. Gently dry your head, face, torso, abdominal area, pelvic region, legs, your private areas, and feet with a towel. If you have done this carefully, the only water should be on the shower mat or rug, not on the rest of the floor. When drying your face, remember to pat it gently with the towel rather than rub it.
  5. Apply any other hygiene products. Now is a good time to put on deodorant, lotion, aftershave, hair styling products that need to be applied when wet, or anything else you may need to put on that you can't put on when clothes cover your body.
  6. Put your clean clothes on. Start with your clean undergarment, then put on the rest of your clothes. You are now fully showered and ready for bed or to face the start of your day.



Tips

  • Dry down: Hair, face, chest/shoulders, middle, private parts, legs. That way you won't drip on places you already dried, and you won't have to go over the same area twice.
  • Skin on the sole of the feet is softened during warm showers; dead skin can be removed easily by exfoliating.
  • Keep shampoo and shower gel on for 20-30 seconds before rinsing for product formula to react and work best (clean better).
  • Shampoo is for the scalp. Conditioner is for the rest of your hair--especially the ends. Apply the conditioner as if you are making a pony tail.
  • Keep any mobile devices in the shower on the counter covered under a cloth to avoid them getting damaged!
  • Brush your hair in the shower after you use all your hair products.
  • Make sure you have a mat beside the shower. A mat, or at least a towel on the floor, will help make sure you don't slip and hurt yourself when step out.
  • When using conditioner, leave it on for about 2-5 min (or longer) for smoother, silkier hair. You can apply body wash and shave while conditioner is in your hair.
  • Squeeze out all extra water from your hair and don't rub it; that will only damage your hair.
  • If you do not wish to wash your hair or get it wet, wear a shower cap.
  • Flip your hair upside down to wash your roots at the bottom of your head (you can also gently massage your neck while washing your hair ).
  • Make sure to keep your mouth closed, as you don't want to get your shampoo or face wash in your mouth!
  • Use a wide-toothed comb while brushing your hair after showering to reduce breakage.
  • You can also use sugar to exfoliate the dead skin off your body. You will be soft and may taste sweet.
  • You can't completely dry your hair with a towel, but you can speed up the process. Get it dry enough that it doesn't drip, and let air drying do the rest.
  • If you shaved while in the shower, pat dry your skin rather than rubbing it. It will reduce skin irritation and damage.
  • Don't brush your hair when you get out of the shower because it is the most prone to breakage when it is wet.
  • When you are drying your hair with a towel, pat it, don't rub it. Rubbing it can actually damage your hair.
  • After you get out of the shower, make sure to apply moisturizer for your body and your lips. You can use lip balm if you need to.
  • When you are done, wrap your hair up in a towel to avoid soaking the floor.
  • Dry your body well and Do not rub with the towel too hard.
  • Combing your hair with a wide-toothed comb or your fingers after applying conditioner helps get rid of any tangles.
  • Do not scrub your face to hard it creates pimpled.
  • If you are worried about getting shampoo in your eyes while rinsing out the suds, keep a washcloth nearby in the shower and close your eyes while rinsing. When you are done rinsing, get the washcloth and gently rub your eyes to make sure no soap or shampoo got in your face. Open your eyes carefully. Or, while the shampoo is in your hair, make sure to keep your head tilted upwards towards the ceiling, so that it is less likely for shampoo to get into your eyes.
  • For people that are shaving there lower private spot make sure that nothing is sticking out.
  • If you are male, and uncircumcised (check with a doctor or parent), make sure that you clean under your foreskin, so as to avoid infection.
  • You can use a "Wet Brush" in the shower after you condition your hair. It will make it easier to brush once you are out of the shower.
  • Brush your hair before and after your shower for a healthier, softer look.
  • After shaving, use moisturizer on your legs. It will help with irritation.
  • Make sure that before you switch the shower on you have checked to see that everything you need is in the shower so you don't have to come out to get them.
  • Brush your hair. Humans lose a bit of hair every day, and brushing before you shower will get much of it out without clogging up your shower drain.
  • Use warm water while washing your face. This will open pores and pimples so you can wash most of the bacteria out. At the end of your shower, rinse your face with cold water. This will close your pores and pimples so bacteria can't enter them. Don't use too much cold water though, or you may get a cold.
  • Be careful not to make a mess by getting soap or shampoo outside the shower.
  • At the very end of your shower, turn on the cold water for ten seconds or more (if you can resist) to soften up your hair and make it easier to comb.
  • Another way to check if you still have shampoo or conditioner is to run a brush through your hair and if it is white or whatever color your head soap is, keep rinsing. If it is clean, you're done!
  • You can listen to some music using your phone or radio, but make sure it is safely out of reach from any water and that it's protected from water or anything that can damage it!
  • If you take a shower before bedtime, take a shower gel with the smell lavender. It will make you more relaxed than a shower gel with smells of fruit.
  • When washing your face, use cold(er) water, because using hot water opens your pores and keeps them open for about 2-3 hours, so dirt can get in them and cause acne. Using cold water opens them while washing.
  • Always turn off the water when using hair and body products since you don't use the water at that moment, you will save lots of water and probably some money, too!
  • Don't use hot water. Even though it may feel amazing, it would strip the natural oils from your skin and hair. Using warm-cold water would keep you skin and hair in tact throughout your luscious shower.
  • Dry off your hair with a towel, you can blow your hair dry if you want to or let it air dry.
  • You can take your phone in the shower if you put it in a Ziploc bag. Just make sure it's sealed all the way, and try not to get it soaked.
  • If you wear your contacts in the shower, you will not be able to take them out without damaging your eyes.

Warnings

  • Consider getting a rubber or heavy-duty plastic shower mat with suction cups on the bottom. The traction of the rubber will help prevent slipping in the shower and injuring yourself, and the suction cups help prevent the mat from moving in the shower. However, the mat can grow mold underneath it from the damp environment, so be sure it is kept clean and dry.
  • Make sure that none of the shampoo/soap gets in your eyes. This can cause them to sting.
  • Do not start the water until any pets are clear of the shower. Cats sometimes like to sit in the shower stall, so look before starting the water.
  • If you are a woman, be careful washing your private parts. It's okay if a little soap gets inside your body, but anything more than a minimal amount will damage the tissue.
  • Do not use any electrical appliances in the shower! This includes hair dryers, cell phones, radios: anything with a power cord or battery should never be used in the bath or shower.
  • Locking the door provides privacy, but consider that if you fall in the shower or get hurt, a locked door will delay emergency services from reaching you. If you live with people whom you trust, consider not locking the door. If you feel you need to lock the door, you can keep the key in a place outside that is easy to reach.

Things You'll Need

  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Soap
  • Facial soap
  • Washcloth
  • Body sponge, brush or loofah (optional)
  • Towel
  • Bath mat
  • A shower
  • Clean clothes
  • Bathrobe (optional)
  • Water
  • A comb or brush (optional)
  • Body lotion (optional)
  • Razor (optional)
  • Deodorant
  • Toothbrush (optional)
  • Body moisturizer (optional)
  • Sandals

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Sources and Citations

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