Unfortunately, unless you're taking 20-minute showers—more on that later—baths just can't measure up in terms of water usage. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons.
A standard showerhead flows at a rate of 2.5 gallons per minute . This means that a ten-minute shower only uses 25 gallons of water. A full bath can use up to 50 gallons of water . Using these numbers, a shower will use less water in most cases.
Showers are often be better for the environment by using less water than the average bath. While a bath can hold up to 80 litres, a typical eight minute electric shower will use 62 litres. And for those of us who spend less than five minutes in the shower, it's under 40 litres!
A bath costs more. Generally, taking a shower uses less water than a full bath. A standard showerhead flows at a rate of 2.5 gallons per minute. This means that a ten minute shower only uses 25 gallons of water. A full bath can use up to 70 gallons of water.
A bath costs more. Generally, taking a shower uses less water than a full bath. A standard showerhead flows at a rate of 2.5 gallons per minute. This means that a ten minute shower only uses 25 gallons of water. A full bath can use up to 70 gallons of water.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons. You might argue that very few people fill the tub to the top, but a simple calculation shows that either way, baths use more water.
Real estate professionals typically suggest that homeowners have at least one bathtub in the home for the highest resale value: a recent study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) found that over 50 percent of home buyers prefer a master bath with a bathtub and a shower as opposed to just a shower stall.
The single, 10-minute long shower will cost you $0.46 or $168.93 if you repeat it daily for a full year.
Showers may be better at cleaning you than a bath can be, but that does not mean that a beautiful bath time isn't good for you too. Baths can help to exfoliate your skin, stimulate your nervous system and are great at helping you to relax.
“Bathing every day is not necessary, and in fact, in some cases can be damaging to the skin.” “While there are not specific rules on bathing, I generally tell my patients that visible soiling should be washed from the skin,” he added.
Daily showers can strip your skin of these essential oils, potentially leading to dryness, itchiness and irritation - especially in the colder winter months. By showering less often, you give your skin a chance to maintain its natural balance and stay healthier.
Take short showers rather than a bath or reduce the number of baths you take each month. A four minute shower uses about 8 gallons of water, while a full bath uses about 50 gallons of water. If you bathe, fill bathtub ½ full. You can save 18 to 25 gallons per bath.
There is a concern among people that taking a bath in a bathtub is dirtier than a clean shower. This is not necessarily true. Without proper maintenance, film-like bacteria and germs can be formed over the bathtub's surface; when it reacts with the bather skin, it can cause rashes and skin blemishes.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health.
Rinse off the Residue: While a bath can be incredibly soothing and refreshing, it's important to acknowledge that the water you soaked in might contain bath oils, soap residue, or dead skin cells. Taking a quick shower afterward ensures you rinse off any lingering substances, leaving you feeling fresh and clean.
Aside from the considerable ick factor, experts say that the microbes that hang around bathtubs probably won't make most people sick. They will become highly diluted once the tub is filled with water, and “even if bacteria is present, the immune system in healthy people will fight it off,” said A.
What makes an optimal shower then? Ideally, it should be about 5 to 7 minutes and no longer than 15 minutes, says Yousuf Mohammed, PhD, a senior research fellow in dermatology at the Frazer Institute of the University of Queensland in Australia.
Showers make up a huge share of water and energy consumption. In fact, showering for one minute consumes more energy than using the lights in a 3-person household for an entire day.
Furthermore, based on Department of Energy data, they calculated that the standard 1.6 gallon toilet costs 1.3 cents to flush. Since people flush about five times every day, the estimated cost of flushing the toilet is $24 per person per year.
Many younger homeowners are opting for shower-only bathrooms, valuing the time and space savings over the option to soak in a tub. Additionally, the trend toward smaller, more urban homes with limited bathroom space means that showers often win out.
Are Showers More Popular Than Baths? The UK is Officially A Shower Nation. According to our recent survey, in 2024 the UK is officially a shower nation after almost 3 in 5 Brits (59%) revealed they prefer taking a shower over having a bath, with some more strongly than others.
A typical filled bathtub uses about 36 gallons on average according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Older showers may use as many as five gallons of water every minute.
The total running time of this kind of shower can last less than two minutes – using an initial thirty seconds or so to get wet, followed by shutting off the water, using soap and shampoo and lathering, then rinsing for a minute or less.
On average, approximately 70 percent of that water is used indoors, with the bathroom being the largest consumer (a toilet alone can use 27 percent!).