Hello! I am going to tell you about the pros and cons of showering vs baths, the scientific way. Then, I will show you what our Lakeside community said and why. 

Shower pros:

• Warm showers remove toxins. 

• Cold showers stimulate the body and help burn fat.

• They can boost your immune system. 

  • Studies in 2016 found that people starting with a warm shower and gradually reducing the temperature had fewer sick days.

  • People starting with a warm shower and getting colder also had less depression, as the cooling process stimulates the body and releases endorphins, which are chemicals that make you very happy.

• Showers make your skin glow by promoting blood circulation. This process is known as vasoconstriction 

• Less water is used than in a bath. (You heard that right, citizens of America. Lower water bills!!!!)

• Less energy is used for the water heater (Lower gas bills too! Yay!!!!)

• Hot showers help sleep.

Bath pros:

• Baths can be used to treat irritation and itching.

• Oatmeal baths (1 cup powdered oatmeal in the bath) can treat irritation.

• Aromatherapy (and really any other bath) can be used for calming the mind and relaxing.

• Baths can help soothe colds and the flu.

• They can soothe muscles, sores, or arthritic pain.

• They can relieve sinus pressure.

• Hot baths improve sleep. 

  • Just like in the shower, when your body is heated, it cools down rapidly. Being cool improves your sleep. 

• They are safer for children because they can’t slip.

Shower cons:

• Sealing leaks is harder in a shower.

• It is harder to bathe young kids in a shower.

• You have to stand.

• Your bathroom is a sauna post-shower.

Bath cons

• Baths take up more space.

• Young kids spill water on the floor. (Believe me. I have a young brother.)

• They require more water, which means higher water and gas bills. I bet your parents prefer you to take a shower.

• Young kids can drown (as a 7th grader pointed out).

• It takes longer. 

• The elderly will have trouble. Also, most baths aren’t big enough. Not the one in my house, at least.

• As many of you pointed out, you are sitting in your own gunk. 

According to my survey in the Daily, our community is mostly going for showers. Out of the 39 responses I got, 18 percent argued for baths because they let you relax more. Nearly everyone who voted for baths pointed out that you can lie down in baths.

There were a lot more votes for showers. 82 percent!!!!! Some reasons were that showers never cool down (unless the person before you uses all the hot water), you aren’t sitting in your gunk, they are quicker, and you will drown in a bath, to name a few. (To be fair, I doubt drowning is a problem for middle schoolers.)

Regardless of which way you prefer, though, the consensus is that you should wash yourself semi-regularly.