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.
In British English, bath can be used as a noun and as a verb. As a noun, you use it in the expression to 'have a bath'. American say 'take a bath' Britons and Americans pronounce BATH differently. Watch the video to hear their pronunciations.
A full bath uses up to 80 litres of water whereas a five minute power shower uses about 75 litres. So, provided you don't take too long under the shower, water can still be saved. Remember to turn off the tap while you are actually brushing your teeth. A running tap uses 6 litres of water per minute.
And, while most of us prefer a daily shower to a regular bath, the tub is still an essential feature in most UK bathrooms.
81% of America's Largest Cities Prefer the Bath
And, since the first installations were in the homes of the wealthy, the tub soon became a status symbol for the aspirational classes. It is now the most popular 'proper wash' format in 81 out of America's 100 biggest cities.
According to research by Kantar Worldpanel, Brazil is the country that takes the most showers globally, with people showering an average of 14 times each week.
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.
It is common in Britain to shower once or sometimes twice a day, the report states. For many, this has "become such a normal routine that it is socially and physically uncomfortable to wash any less often". Dale Southerton, Professor of Sociology of Consumption at the University of Bristol, is one of the co-authors.
Guess: The "standard" size was spec'ed a century or so ago, when people were generally smaller, and plentiful warm or hot water (the bigger the tub, the more you need) was generally far less available. And houses & bathrooms were generally smaller, too.
In Britain, it's more common to call a bathtub simply a bath.
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.
Having two baths each week will cost £157.04 per year, compared to only £101.92 if you stick to showering.
An ordinary electrically heated shower puts out four litres per minute. So a 19-minute shower is just more than a bath. If you have a power shower, flow rates could be doubled and you'd need just 10 minutes.
The Loo. Loo is an informal yet polite British term for toilet. The word “loo” has interesting origins and can be traced back to Medieval Europe, when chamber pots had to be emptied from bedroom windows onto the street below.
- Plenty of Room for Mess (and Countertop Storage)
Kids stuff tends to spread over the bathroom counter. With a small counter, this overflows pretty fast. A dual-sink design almost always comes with extra counter space, which also means extra space for drawers, shelves, and racks for storage.
"Approximately two-thirds of Americans shower daily. In Australia it's over 80%. But in China, about half of people report bathing only twice a week," according to Harvard Health Publishing.
Before the mid-nineteenth century, Americans seldom bathed for personal cleanliness. Many considered bathing to be unhealthy, believing it removed a “protective” layer of oil and dirt and exposed the body to unclean water and dangerous “miasmas,” or diseased air.
Experts claim the reasons are multifaceted and range from the continuing cost of living crisis to changing social habits since the pandemic. In short, we simply don't care.
Generally, she says "you should be showering, bathing or cleansing yourself every two to three days." Though, if you're working out or engaging in an activity where you are sweating a lot, you may have to shower more often. The biggest problem that may stem from not showering enough? The stink.
61% of women and 35% of men in Russia shower daily. 30% of Aussie men are happy to go to work each day without a shower (the sweat!?) 99% of Brazilians shower every week (serious levels of cleanliness) 2% of South Africans quite like sharing their shower with someone else, if you know what I mean.
Some people find it more hygienic to have a shower, rather than sitting in bathwater. But a hot bath can also be excellent for reducing stress and soaking aching muscles. So, it's ultimately down to personal preference.
If you live in a newly built area or the location attracts mostly younger buyers, the current market may favor showers over bathtubs. However, keep in mind the area may not always attract youthful homebuyers, and having a shower instead of a bathtub could bring down your property's value.