How showering with a friend can help the planet

What if you got into the habit of showering with your partner, or even with your roommate, in order to help save the planet?

This is a very serious idea, promoted not just by the most committed of environmental activists. In fact, a national day in the United States is even dedicated to shower sharing! So, who’s ready to take the plunge?

Since the fall of last year, the world’s politicians have been sharing their advice on how to save energy.

World leaders on showering

France’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, famously promoted the roll-neck or turtleneck sweater, for example, while the country’s Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, donned her trusty down jacket.

But one particularly interesting tip came from Simonetta Sommaruga, the former head of Switzerland’s Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, who, in September, advocated showering two at a time, to mitigate possible heating shortages.

And the Swiss minister’s idea did not go unnoticed. It was even picked up by the international media! Given that taking a shower uses between 15 and 20 litres of water per minute (depending on the flow rate of the shower head), sharing your shower with someone else on a daily basis could, in theory, cut water costs in half… Provided, of course, that you spend the same amount of time in the shower as you would if you were showering alone!

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According to several experts, the ideal duration of a shower — allowing for proper hygiene (and a moment of relaxation) without consuming excessive amounts of water — is around five minutes.

Already encouraged in 1985

For several years, even decades, the solution of sharing a shower has been favoured by committed ecologists. And Switzerland seems to be particularly fond of the idea. In 1985 (almost 40 years before Simonetta Sommaruga), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy recommended taking baths in pairs.

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Meanwhile, in the United States, there’s even a national day specially dedicated to this eco-friendly trick! Dubbed “National Shower with a Friend Day,” the idea was originally devised by New Wave Enviro, a company located in Colorado, specializing in the sale of shower heads.

The company mainly started the initiative as a marketing stunt in 2014 to promote a new shower head designed to filter out chlorine particles that get into shower water. Almost 10 years later, “National Shower with a Friend Day” is still celebrated annually in the country, every February 5.

And, even if it wasn’t initially about showering with someone else to be more eco-friendly — the friend in question being none other than the shower head — the tradition has nevertheless been perpetuated, and the idea of adopting a greener approach to getting clean has appealed to many.

The shower has long been considered an ally in preserving the planet’s resources and saving energy. The “unwashed” are even taking the somewhat radical step of washing only a few times a week or month… or even not at all for some!

The idea of washing together also brings to mind another well-known green habit, peeing in the shower.

But the prospect of combining the two might gross out your shower buddy!