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DCL
I wrote an article this week called, "You Bathe Too Much." The article dealt with the fact that the majority of people bathe and shower 5-7 times a week mainly for aesthetic and social reasons. Healthwise, you can get away with showering once a week. Anyways, Planet Green posted this article on their Facebook page.
The Facebook comments on the article were none too friendly. One commenter accused Planet Green of trying to take away showers. (How can a basic cable TV channel and website take away anything but the entertainment services which are provided at a very small cost to the consumer?) Other commenters were just as livid.
No one wants to take away cleanliness or hygiene. The article simply stated that bathing and showering every day was unnecessary from a health-and-cleanliness standpoint. We are simply providing you a way to save water. Seven, ten-minute showers a week use 175 gallons of water. If you don't shower everyday, you'll save water.
I live in California, a state that is lacking water badly. Sooner or later, California citizens are going to have to make water cutbacks and probably reduce the way and the frequency in which they shower. As the population grows worldwide, we are running out of water all over the place. It's just plain smart to find ways to save water.
I come to you with a new proposition. Instead of measuring your showers by the day, measure them by the gallon. The average shower uses about 2.5 gallons a minute. A ten minute shower uses 25 gallons. It is altogether possible to keep yourself clean on only 50 gallons of water. Four five-minute showers a week can provide you with adequate cleanliness for only 50 gallons of water. If you employ water-saving techniques, like bathing in grey water or installing a low-flow showerhead, you can reach the fifty gallon mark without much fuss. And you won't even have to change your lifestyle that much.
