Posted on

What is the Ideal Duration for a Shower?

You can use a low flow showerhead, a shower flow controller, an electric shower, and various other products to cut down water use, but if you’re not committed to reducing the time you spend in the shower, you’re always going to be in a position where potentially you’re guilty of wasting water.

A Long Soak

Most of us have used the shower rather than the bath on occasions when we want to enjoy a long soak. That said the average length of a shower is around seven and a half to eight minutes.
Of course, with the average being the middle ground, we can safely assume that many people are taking shorter showers, while some will exceed the average and shower for as long as 15 – 20 minutes, on a regular basis in some cases.

How does the Average Measure Up?

In terms of water usage, the average length of a shower actually leads to excessive water use. Naturally, the type of shower you have and your water flow volume are going to have an impact, too, but seven to eight minutes is too long for a shower. If you’re wasting water after this amount of time, consider the savings to be made if you’re in the group taking longer showers!
Remember, too, that by taking a longer shower, not only are you wasting water and so increasing your bill, but you’re also paying for more energy to heat the water. If you’re concerned about your appearance, you should know that regular long, hot showers could damage the skin, too.

How Long Should You Shower For?

If the average shower length is still too long, how quickly should one be taking you? The ideal shower duration to keep water use to a minimum, to keep energy costs down, and to look after your skin, is five minutes. Most shower timers you can find are set to five minutes, while water use indicators will express your time in the shower as the volume of water used in order to keep you aware. There are also some shower timers that will sound an alarm after four minutes, if you wanted to go even further with your water savings, while some allow you to set the time limit yourself, including to a longer period, although doing this would obviously be counterproductive.

There are many great water saving products you can use in your shower. If you are using them, don’t take away the savings they’re giving you by spending longer than you need to in the shower. If you’re not already benefitting from these, it is time to consider buying them while immediately becoming more diligent about the time you spend showering.