How to Take a Shower

Reviewed by Barbie Ritzman

Last Updated: September 25, 2024 Fact Checked

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Showering is an activity that millions of people make a part of their daily routine. It's a fast, effective and refreshing way to get clean. If you have played a sport or worked out, you should shower that day. Do you want to learn how to take a shower? Read on! Alternatively, if you want to not so subtly encourage someone else to take a shower, send them this article!

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Getting Ready to Shower

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1
Undress. Place your dirty clothes in a laundry basket. Put your clean clothes or pajamas in a safe place where they won't get wet from the shower water.
- Take off your glasses and take out any contacts.
- Take off your watches, necklaces, and/or any other accessories.
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Get the water temperature right. Turn on the water and let it run until it is warm. Check the position of the shower head, to be sure that the water is spraying down rather than out of the shower. However, make sure it is not too hot. Your wrist is a more accurate gauge of temperature than your fingers, so use your wrist to determine if the temperature is actually comfortable.^{[1]
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- Consider taking the occasional cold or cool shower, especially when it is hot and humid out or after working out vigorously.
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If you jump in too quickly, you risk slipping and falling, so it's worthwhile to step in slowly.

Water-Saving Tip: Consider entering the shower before you perfect the temperature, even if it's still too cool. You can continue to adjust the water temperature while you shower. Just make sure it isn't freezing cold or scalding hot before you enter it!

Part 2

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Getting Yourself Clean

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Slowly turn around a couple of times under the spray to let the water cover your entire body. Be sure to get everything wet even your privates. If you are washing your hair, ensure your entire head and hair are completely wet. Rinsing off loose dirt and dust is the first step to getting clean—and getting wet, particularly with warm water, helps your muscles relax.^{[2]
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into your hair. Work the lather gently down to your scalp, making sure all the strands of your hair are sudsy to their ends. You don't have to use too much shampoo—if you do you might run out quickly and it can strip your hair of healthy levels of natural oils. Just a quarter-sized puddle of shampoo on your palm will do the trick. Always remember to start with a small amount, and add more if you need it.^{[3]
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Tip: Wash your hair every other day rather than every single day. Different hair types need different types of moisture—the more moisture your hair needs, the less you need to shampoo.^{[4]
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Thoroughly rinse all of the shampoo out of your hair. You don't want your hair to dry with soap residue in it.^{[5]
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- To check that there isn't any more shampoo still in your hair, wet it and then squeeze your hair and watch the color of the water that runs out. If you still see a little bit of shampoo in it, keep rinsing and repeat!
- Always rinse your hair with warm water, which helps open the cuticles up. This allows your hair to really soak in your conditioner.
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Apply conditioner to your hair. In addition to simply cleaning, putting your preferred conditioner in your hair can improve the look, feel, and health of your hair. Conditioner does not lather, so work it in from scalp to ends until you feel a layer of slickness all over your hair. Check your conditioner's instructions. Many recommend leaving the conditioner in for several minutes before rinsing it. Others are actually meant to be applied after getting out of the shower.^{[6]
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- Some people prefer to use a combination shampoo and conditioner that doesn't require a separate step to apply.
- Rinse out your conditioner with cold water to seal your cuticles up and maintain all of that hydration.
5
Wash your face. Wet your face and apply a small amount of facial cleanser or exfoliating scrub to your face with your fingers or a washcloth. Gently rub the cleanser around your face for at least 30 seconds, getting your cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead, and potentially your neck and upper back if you experience acne breakouts there. Make sure you avoid getting any into your eyes. Especially if you use an anti-acne wash, leave it on your face for at least 30 seconds so it can seep into your pores. Then rinse the washcloth and your face thoroughly.^{[7]
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- You can use basic soap instead of a special face cleanser. This is better than not washing your face, but overuse of the wrong kind of soap on your face can dry out and irritate your skin.
Apply your bar soap or body wash to your washcloth, loofah (shower poof), body sponge, or just your hands. Now, clean your entire body. Start at your neck and shoulders and work your way down. Be sure to wash under your arms and in your private parts, if you are a girl you’ll need to wash your boobs. on your back. Wash your genitals and bottom last. Remember to wash behind the ears, back of the neck, and in between each toe.^{[8]
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Turn around under the water and rub your body with your hands to get off lingering soap and loosened grime. Run your hands through your hair and make sure all the soap is rinsed out. If there are any areas you have missed, wash them now.

Part 3

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Shaving and Brushing Teeth

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Shave your legs and underarms if you like. Many people shave their hair that grows on their legs and in their armpits and find the shower to be the ideal time for this occasional task.^{[9]
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- Shaving legs and armpits is very common for girls and women in some countries, but you can be clean without it. Ultimately it's a personal decision, so speak to a woman you trust if you're not sure what to do, and also consider the customs of your culture. Exfoliating legs with a body scrub helps remove dead skin for a cleaner shave.
- Wet and lather shaving cream or conditioner on your legs.
- Using a razor, shave upward, against the grain of your hair. Start with your ankles and work your way up. Don't forget the tops of your feet at the end.
- Shave slowly to avoid cutting yourself, especially your knees and the back of your legs because you might hit a bump and cut yourself.
- For your underarms, lather shaving cream or conditioner on your underarms and shave (slowly) upward and downward—underarm hair grows in both directions.
Some people prefer to do their shaving in the shower as well. For this you need a shower mirror—one designed not to fog up in the water and steam. If you have one, shaving in the shower can be both convenient and a nice excuse to stay under the hot water a little longer.^{[10]
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Some people also use the shower to trim or shave unwanted hair from around their genitals and bikini area. Be careful, though, and make sure your shower offers you a good place to stand and enough lighting to see clearly what you are doing.
As weird as it sounds, brushing your teeth in the shower is actually very useful. You can brush your tongue and not be afraid of getting toothpaste in your hair or on your clothes.^{[11]
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Part 4

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Finishing Up

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This is important so no soap is left on your body. Make sure that there is no conditioner left in your hair before moving to the next step.
Make sure it is turned off tightly so you don't waste any valuable water. Prepare to leave the shower stall and gather any belongings you brought with you into the stall.
To avoid slipping, make sure you have a shower mat in place to provide extra grip and prevent accidents.
Standing on the rug or mat, grab your towel from nearby. Gently dry your head, face, torso, abdominal area, pelvic region, legs, your private areas, and feet with a towel. If you have done this carefully, the only water should be on the shower mat or rug, not on the rest of the floor. When drying your face, remember to pat it gently with the towel rather than rub it.
Now is a good time to put on deodorant, lotion, aftershave, hair styling products that need to be applied when wet, or anything else you may need to put on that you can't put on when clothes cover your body.
Start with your clean undergarment, then put on the rest of your clothes. You are now fully showered and ready for bed or to face the start of your day.

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Shower or bath?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Most of the time, the shower is your best choice because it's faster, cheaper (unless you take really long showers, less water is used) and often cleaner (no bath grime). However, there's nothing like a lovely warm bath with bubbles to help you to relax and feel good. If you're concerned about bath grime, use a handheld shower to wash yourself down once standing up from the bath.

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Should you wash your back, even though it can be tricky?

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Yes. Leaving your back unwashed can lead to a build up of dirt. Not only will this look bad on any open back tops, but this can lead to breaking out (bacne). Consider using a back scrubbing brush if you're finding it hard to reach all of your back, or a twisted hand towel to roll up and down the back.

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Where should I apply lotion after a shower?

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Anywhere you feel is necessary. Usually, it is best to apply lotion to areas that usually have dry or irritable skin. It is healthy and soothing to do so.

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Tips

Brush your hair before you shower. Humans lose a bit of hair every day, and brushing before you shower will get much of it out without clogging up your shower drain.

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If you shaved while in the shower, pat dry your skin rather than rubbing it. It will reduce skin irritation and damage.

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Don't brush your hair when you get out of the shower because it is the most prone to breakage when it is wet.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you find that after washing your hair it's still greasy, try washing it with shampoo twice. Apply shampoo, rinse it out, then apply a smaller amount of shamppo again, and rinse it. Try to keep the shampoo away from the ends of your hair since this can damage the ends.
Don't wrap your hair up tightly in a towel or dry it with a hairdryer every time you take a shower. This can damage your hair. While it is ok to do this once or twice a week, try to gently dry your hair with a towel, as this does not cause so much damage.
When you put on your conditioner and it is sitting for a few seconds before you rinse, use a hairbrush to brush your hair. When you are done, your hair feels so smooth (although, there may be a bit more hair down the drain afterward).
If you are going to shower before bed, use a lavender body wash or something without perfume. It will help you relax. If you take a shower in the morning, you can use a shower cream with bright smells like citrus.
I like to dry off with a towel inside of the shower rather than doing it out on the mat. Loose water will go where it belongs, and you stay warm for longer!

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Warnings

If you are a woman, be careful washing your private parts. It's okay if a little soap gets inside your body, but anything more than a minimal amount will damage the tissue.

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Make sure that none of the shampoo/soap gets in your eyes. This can cause them to sting.

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Do not use any electrical appliances in the shower! This includes hair dryers, cell phones, radios: anything with a power cord or battery should never be used in the bath or shower.

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Locking the door provides privacy, but consider that if you fall in the shower or get hurt, a locked door will delay emergency services from reaching you. If you live with people whom you trust, consider not locking the door. If you feel you need to lock the door, you can keep the key in a place outside that is easy to reach.

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Consider getting a rubber or heavy-duty plastic shower mat with suction cups on the bottom. The traction of the rubber will help prevent slipping in the shower and injuring yourself, and the suction cups help prevent the mat from moving in the shower. However, the mat can grow mold underneath it from the damp environment, so be sure it is kept clean and dry.

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Do not start the water until any pets are clear of the shower. Cats sometimes like to sit in the shower stall, so look before starting the water.

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