That’s what I thought, hence I mentioned the bowl of water. Which was heated with wood or coal which had to be carried manually… in buckets… Imagine that :-)
I imagine they mean without a cloth, poof, or loofa. As a kid I would put body wash in my hand, lather, and rub it over my body. But it tended to use up soap quickly so either I had to add more soap part way through or the things I washed last didn’t get washed well. Which is why I switched to a poof.
I have some stupid questions from someone who rolls barehanded…
How do you get the soap to lather well when using a wash cloth? I tried it once but it didn’t work all that well.
Are you supposed to use a new washcloth every time you shower? If yes, how many washcloths do you go through a week and how much does this add to your laundry bulk. If no, aren’t you kind of grossed out by a used, wet, bacteria filled rag being rubbed all over you?
I once saw a post from someone not understanding how bare handers could possibly get clean from only using their hands. But…it’s not like you use a washcloth when you wash your hands and no one is grossed out by that. Why are people then randomly grossed out when you apply that to showering? The action of soap with mechanical disruption, be it with your bare hands or a washcloth, does well to remove grime and bacteria.
To the OP, I lather in my hands with a bar of soap and then wash my body with my sudsy hands…going back to the bar of soap and even “washing my hands” often enough when necessary.
How do you get the soap to lather well when using a wash cloth? I tried it once but it didn’t work all that well.
It lathers better than soap/hands for me.
Are you supposed to use a new washcloth every time you shower? If yes, how many washcloths do you go through a week and how much does this add to your laundry bulk.
Not I. I change mine weekly. Even if I did daily, they’re tiny, so 7 would be about the same mass as a shirt.
If no, aren’t you kind of grossed out by a used, wet, bacteria filled rag being rubbed all over you?
Not anymore than rubbing a used, wet, bacteria filled bar of soap being rubbed all over you. Or used, wet, bacteria filled hands.
I use an exfoliating washcloth like this. It lathers really well. Scrubs off the dead skin and it’s long so you can scratch your back. It air dries fast.
First time I heard of that. What is the advantage they have compared to just using your hands, besides the lathering abilities mentioned in one of the replies to this comment which is something I never had a problem with?
I do this too, but I use the moves I learned during my breakdancing days to spin on my head and evenly distribute a layer of suds all over my body. It’s super efficient!
I mean, yeah?? I just put the soap wherever it needs to go??
The soap isn’t dirty folks. Half of the time all I’m showering off is sweat and dead skin cells anyways. And if any bugger dares reply to this with some clever comment about taint smears, I’ll inform you beforehand I do not speak with bidet-less miscreants.
Same here, I use a washcloth. When I was single, I always used just soap but then I got marries and the wifey forced me to use a washcloth. I’m divorced now and continue with the washcloth ritual.
I answered the wrong thread, maybe I’m getting drunk?
I used to wear mittens in the shower but I changed to fingerless gloves around 2014 when it became the new trend. You gotta know how to stay cool despite standing in a hot shower. Go with the flow.
I remember watching a black comedian many years ago and his bit started “Why don’t white people use washcloths?”, and it got me thinking. I started using washcloths and noticed I came away cleaner, soap on a hand doesn’t cut the skin oils and dirt like soap and gentle abrasion can. I also noticed, because I’m hairy, that I get lots of ingrown hairs, especially on my legs. Switched to one of those “poofs” and now I vigorously scrub my hairy bits and no ingrown hairs. Exfoliating helps.
Use a washcloth and don’t forget to brush your tongue, you filthy animal.
How do you clean your ears, bellybutton, toes? And hopefully in that order. Some stuff needs extra attention, and some people have different skin types than you. Go scrub out your toes.
I actively try not to get soap in my ears because it will clog them up. I use an “ear syringe” to occasionally rinse out my ears with slightly preessurized water only.
I don’t exactly have motor oil all over my body or anything when I shower.
Then you’re not doing it right! I know the vegan motor oil is supposedly the best for your skin but I prefer the synthetic stuff. The process is Exon, Exoff.
Huh… I’m a huge proponent of brushing your tongue (it doesn’t take much, just a brush with a scraper on the back makes a big difference). I’ve never really tried washcloths, but now I’m going to give them a shot
On the flip side, my skin is weird. I get hives for literally no reason, I tried one of those plastic poofs and it makes me itch like crazy.
A lot of mouth bacteria lives on your tongue. Any dentist will tell you that cleaning your tongue is an important part of oral hygiene, even though it’s often overlooked. Doing it really helps with keeping bad breath under control and generally healthier teeth.
The Asian body scrubbers are next level exfoliation. The best part is they dry super fast and are washable. I used to use the poofs but they retained so much dang water and weren’t washable.
It’s like interdimensional cable but for internet forums. In my version of reality, we get completely naked when taking a shower, not just our hands. We have these kind of lay-down-showers called baths too, but that’s a whole other thing. Also, the chemical element with atomic mass 207.2 g.mol ^ -1, which may seem like a useful building material, especially for shower pipes, is actually dangerous to life that is based on the chemical element 12.011 g.mol ^ -1. Figured I should include that in case OP’s reality hasn’t figured that out yet. In exchange, consider sharing something dangerous your reality has discovered that might not be obvious to us yet.
I use it since it brings better cleaning results. There are also environmental reasons not to pack everything like shampoo into plastic. A soap bar comes with just a bit of paper around.
Me too. I kinda do it in parts. Like arms, torso, legs and fave. Then lastly is use a nail cleaning brush to scrub my butt. I like to think I have the cleanest butt in town.
I actually wasn’t aware of soap bars before today. I only see those for hands, not the whole body. Reading these comments, I’m not sure if it’s more of a generational or cultural difference.
Anywhere skin-on-skin contact occurs (butt, balls, armpits), I use a small amount of benzoyl peroxide facewash. It kills the bacteria responsible for BO and for 24-48 hours body odor is impossible.
You apply it, wait 5 minutes and rinse well. If you don’t rinse well you can bleach your towel or clothes.
As far as body soap goes, I use a a fragrance free body wash with salicylic acid. Heavy mechanical exfoliation is not necessary when using a chemical exfoliant. Also, loofas are just a bunch of plastic waste.
After the shower, I use a lightweight gel moisturizer with cerimides. I use a thicker moisturizer on my hands and weenis.
That’s just the body. I–of course–have a completely seperate routine for my face.
I prefer a washcloth for my face. Don’t know why, other than better friction. It feels like my skin is getting cleaner, and washing the soap off is easier with a washcloth.
That said, most of the time I’m too lazy to take the extra time.
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