Mom's Confession About How Often She Showers a Week Has Internet Torn: 'Grim'

A mother's confession that she does not shower every day has sparked a heated debate online, with commenters expressing their support or disgust at the statement.

In what turned out to be a controversial upload shared on Mumsnet, a mother admitted to usually showering just three times a week.

Poster grosstonotshower shared the message in the AIBU [Am I being unreasonable] page on Wednesday with the caption: "How often should I shower?"

It read: "OK, so I'm having a few drinks with friends last night. We are all female—a mix of parents and nonparents. One friend mentions she is struggling to find time for a shower every day since she had her baby.

"I said: 'Well I don't shower every day without a young baby.' All of my friends looked at me in horror. Apparently even the ones with kids shower daily.

"Full disclosure I have two dd [dear daughters]. One under five and I work part time. I shower on work days plus one extra day so usually three times a week. My days off usually consist of playing at home, walking dog, school run and maybe park."

The post continued: "I would shower extra if exercising/ having sex/ on period etc. I bath my dc [darling children] three times a week. My oh [other half] works out every weekday so he does shower more than me. AIBD [Am I being disgusting]."

Since being uploaded, the comment has engrossed users who fiercely debated with one another about how often they should shower.

As of Thursday morning, the post has gone on to attract more than 810 replies in the comments section.

A Mumsnet user posted: "Personally I think three times a week is pretty grim, sorry. I am a shower every day person. I can't get going in the morning without one to be honest."

Another added: "Sorry, I'm a shower every day person too. There might occasionally be a day where I don't have a shower but that would be the exception rather than the rule."

But others were more sympathetic to the poster and shared supportive comments with the mother.

One commenter said: "That's absolutely fine. If you don't smell then there is no need to shower. The only thing I would say is you need to wash with water after a poo, period etc."

A fourth commented: "There is nothing wrong with showering three times a week if you don't need a shower on the in-between days."

The health care website WebMD recommends showering yourself "enough to keep yourself clean (and not too smelly), but not so much that you dry out your skin and strip off its natural protective layer."

People who don't shower enough can experience clogged pores and a buildup of bacteria that causes acne as well as strong body odor.

WebMD said, however, that washing too much could lead to itchy skin and cracks to form in the skin that allows germs and allergens to get through, resulting in infections.