The Dirty Truth About How Often Kids (and Adults) Need to Bathe

I know many families that include baths as part of their nightly bedtime routines. I always figured this would be the case in my household, but once I became a mom I realized that I didn’t have time to bathe my baby each day. Additionally, her pediatrician recommended that we bathe her no more than twice a week because she had eczema.

Now that I have three kids, I have even less time available for baths! Is it okay that I don’t bathe them daily? Is three times a week sufficient? How often do kids—and adults—need to bathe in order to be healthy?

Health or aesthetics?

According to Dr. Scott A. Norton, the Chief of Dermatology at Children’s National Health System, there “is no scientific or biological answer to how often you should bathe your child” (source). Though our modern societal norm is to bathe kids daily, there is no scientific evidence that this is needed to be healthy. In fact, Dr. Elaine Larson, the associate dean for research at Columbia University School of Nursing and an infectious disease expert, indicates that individuals “think they’re showering for hygiene or to be cleaner, but bacteriologically, that’s not the case” (source). In other words, bathing provides more aesthetic benefits than health ones.

Expert recommendations

Given I don’t bathe my children each day, this information is encouraging. Though daily baths may be unnecessary, no one is advocating that we skip baths entirely. According to the experts (source, source, and source), how often is often enough?

For babies, toddlers, and preschoolers

• Daily baths aren’t necessary.
• 1-3 full-body baths per week should be sufficient.
• Caregivers should clean the diaper area, hands, and the folds of the neck and armpits as needed.

For kids aged 6-11 years

• Daily baths aren’t necessary.
• 1-3 full-body baths per week should be sufficient. However, kids should bathe when dirty, so a greater number of baths may be needed if a child has been playing in the mud, swimming in a pool, getting sweaty from playing outdoors in the heat, etc.
• Hands should be washed as needed.

For tweens and teens

• Daily showers or baths may become necessary because of the changes teens undergo during puberty (such as having a lot more oil on their skin). However, 2-3 showers or baths per week may be sufficient for some teens. Additional showers will be necessary for teens after playing sports or sweating heavily.
• Hands should be washed as needed.
• Teens should wash their faces twice each day to remove oil and dirt.

Adults

• Daily showers or baths generally aren’t necessary. However, if an adult works in an occupation or participates in recreational activities that cause him or her to become dirty or sweaty, then daily showers or baths will likely be needed. For adults who don’t become dirty or sweaty while at work or play, 2-3 showers or baths per week should be sufficient.
• Hands should be washed as needed.

These bathing guidelines are in regards to hygiene, not aesthetics. Individuals may not need to bathe more often than noted here, but they may want to. This is fine—no one is saying that you can’t bathe more often if you’d like to. Please note that if you have any skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, infections, etc.) you should follow your doctor’s recommendations for bathing frequency.

Is it possible to bathe too often?

Most people won’t suffer ill effects from daily bathing, but it is good to remember that you can actually harm your skin by showering too much. Bathing removes natural oils from the skin and it may also disrupt the skin’s population of immune system-supporting bacteria. Thus, bathing too often (or taking really long showers or baths) may increase your risk for infections and cause itching, dry skin, and flare-ups of conditions like eczema and psoriasis (source and source). If you want to shower daily, some experts recommend that you avoid lathering your whole body with soap during each shower. They recommend soaping your whole body just once or twice a week and focusing the soap on smelly areas (armpits, groin, bottom, etc.) during your showers on the other days.

Environmental considerations

Another important thing to consider is how bathing impacts the environment. Showering accounts for roughly 17% of the water used in homes (source). The average American family uses about 40 gallons of water each day in the shower! Think of how much water could be saved by taking shorter showers or showering fewer days each week.

Final thoughts

Bathing is a very personal thing and there are many reasons people take showers and baths. The most obvious is hygiene, of course, but people bathe for other reasons including relaxation and the practice of their religious beliefs. I have no idea how often you should bathe; this will depend on a number of factors including your work activities, recreational activities, and health conditions. However, it is great to know that daily bathing isn’t necessary to be healthy.

Time to come clean! Do you bathe your kids daily? Do you bathe daily? How do you decide what is best for you and your family?

Shared at the following:

Encouraging Hearts and Home, Over the Moon, and Busy Monday.