This story came out a little while ago, but I’m just seeing it now. A 27-year-old nurse named Alison McCarthy posted to TikTok that she only washes her hair twice a week, which sounds completely reasonable as long as she’s washing her body more often than that. The thing is, McCarthy only showers once or twice a week too. After her first video went viral McCarthy posted another one defending herself, describing her dirty week and claiming that she doesn’t smell bad because she changes her clothes and wears deodorant. She also gave an interview to the Daily Mail in which she said “everyone’s body is different” and that “I know some people who never have to wear deodorant and don’t smell.”
A Boston healthcare worker caused an online uproar when she revealed she only showers twice a week. Alison McCarthy, 27, shared her hygiene habits via a TikTok post and seemed surprised when the reaction was overwhelmingly negative (although she says a lot of people sent her private messages to say they, too, don’t shower every day).
“I didn’t realize so many people would have such a strong opinion about it,” McCarthy says. Here’s how McCarthy responded to the criticism and her reason for only showering twice a week.
In her video, McCarthy explains her unique approach to cleanliness. “So I’ve recently found out that I’m a gross human being,” she says. “This is because most girls, when they say that they wash their hair twice a week, they literally mean wash their hair – and they shower every day. I only shower like, once or twice a week.”
McCarthy goes on to explain her hygiene philosophy. “I’ve gone five days without showering before,” she says. “Because if I’m getting in the shower, I’m going to wash my hair. Why would I get in the shower and not wash my hair? But I don’t want to wash my hair every day. So I’ve had to start saying that I ‘wash my hair’ twice a week (I only shower twice a week).”
The reaction to McCarthy’s shower secrets was swift and merciless. “Girl A SHOWER CAP,” said one commenter. “The comments saying showering is exhausting 😅 grab a loofah add some soap and scrub it’s less than 5 mins, without hair washing 😅 laawwddd,” said another. “She literally has NO excuse for not showering, she has a skin care routine, gym routine, works as a NURSE,” said another.
McCarthy told the Daily Mail she was taken aback at the strong reaction to her video. “Yes, very surprised, I didn’t have that many followers when I posted it so I wasn’t expecting that many people to see it or comment on it,” she says.
“Everyone’s body is different too. I know some people who never have to wear deodorant and don’t smell. I didn’t realize so many people would have such a strong opinion about it. I had a lot of people reach out and message me privately and tell me that they were happy that I spoke about it and that they weren’t alone. I was happy that I could make others not feel so ashamed or bad about themselves.”
McCarthy says she wishes people would be more kind. “I would say, be a little more compassionate to people. You have no idea what someone is going through and how an “easy” everyday task for you may not be for someone else. Often not showering is linked to depression or mental illness and it’s hard to even take care of yourself,” she says.
“Also everyone’s body is different too. I know some people who never have to wear deodorant and don’t smell. There were people saying they have skin conditions such as eczema and showering everyday dries their skin out. Just be a little kinder and understanding, don’t just assume certain things about someone.”
Maybe McCarthy doesn’t objectively smell bad due to deodorant, which I doubt, but she’s telling us that she works in a physically demanding job in a hospital with sick people and only showers twice a week – at most? Plus the commenters are pointing out that she works out since she posts about going to the gym. This reminds me so much of the great “celebrities who don’t bathe themselves or their children” debate of the summer of 2021. (Sign up for our mailing list and get the top 8 stories about celebrity bathing habits.)
The arguments McCarthy is using are some of the same that we received – in hate mail. “I don’t smell,” “there are people who don’t need to bathe,” “the body adjusts,” “have compassion for people.” They’re also the same arguments the nasty celebrities used. People who suffer from depression are often not able to perform basic tasks like showering. We are not making light of that and this is not about that, she’s bragging about the fact that she doesn’t shower and is doubling down. Also, not to get too graphic but if you’re having sexual relations with someone and only showering twice a week you’re at increased risk for a UTI and other infections – or passing those to your partner. As people countered in the comments, there are shower caps! I usually shower twice a day and use a shower cap when I don’t want to get my hair wet. I wash my legs every time too!
Here are the videos and she’s using an asinine voice filter.
@abmccarthy5757 Am I gross yes or no #washingmyhair #hairwashday #showerthoughts #fyp #viral ♬ original sound – Allison
@abmccarthy5757 I said what I said #fyp #viral #showerthoughts #showertiktok #idontshower #sensitiveskin ♬ original sound – Allison
I just hope that people who don’t shower everyday at least use a bidet or wash their privates. I can understand not scrubbing head to toe (I scrub everyday and personally I shower morning and evening as I hate the public transport grossness) but I do not understand how someone can poop and not wash. Or wee for days and only be using paper. Of course I understand if one is depressed or there are other mental health issues, but otherwise, how can you even feel comfortable when you are all musky down there? Honest question.
Just coming to say this. You can’t be pooping all week and not wash. I just don’t see it. In the OP’s case though, she’s absolutely disgusting and a health hazard. Yes, some people can and must only shower once/twice a week (skin issues, depression etc), but this woman works in a disease factory and works out. She’s not only stinking up the world, she’s probably spreading diseases far and wide. And yes, if she’s also having intercourse – the combination of all those things? Blech!
Working as a nurse means she’s almost certainly also exposed to feces from multiple patients daily and increasing their risk to infection from exposure to everything she is carrying on her unwashed skin
You all realize that hospital staff use disinfectant constantly on the body parts that comes in contact with patients and usually wear gloves when treating patients? She’s not taking care of her patients with her possibly unwashed behind and even if she were she’d have to disinfect it first. So this outrage is more than just a bit silly.
Yes this, plus add in sexual activity and sweating when you work out, it gets smelly in places and only soap and water will do the trick lol
People are experiencing life differently. I have a disease that impairs my ability to sweat (Sjogren’s). I have never really understood the need to shower daily because I don’t need to and actually struggle with dryness (hair, skin, internally, everything). I don’t stink and come from folks who would tell me if I did. And if you’re eating well enough to have walk-aways, then one’s bits don’t get that gross that quickly. All that said, I do pits n’ bits every few days even after exercising and full showers probably twice a week. Not everyone’s bodies are the same.
@Sarita, that’s my concern: her patients.
Some patients may already have had issues because of her habits. She may wash her hands, wear gloves, change her clothes, but there is no way to be absolutely sure that she isn’t spreading germs and disease between patients or bringing in germs from other places.
Her lifestyle while not working doesn’t matter, but she needs to shower before going to work everyday for patients. If she chooses to keep germs from the hospital on her person during her personal time, that’s her business, but she is in the healthcare industry.
I wonder what her boss and coworkers think of this. Her behavior seems dangerous to her patients.
This
So many people in this comment section are so caught up in their feelings because they don’t bathe regularly that they forget that she is a Nurse and that is why people have such a strong reaction because she is putting other people’s health at risk.
When I worked in the hospital I showered after every shift.
I’m a nurse who used to work in a hospital and this is disgusting. Especially if she is working 12 hour shifts. Do you know how much bodily fluid you are exposed to?? Blood, urine, feces, vomit, etc. I guarantee you she smells and the patients and her coworkers know it. I worked at the health department in the STD clinic. I was constantly having to educate young women about hygiene. And she works out too??? Gross! I truly don’t understand these young women who want to brag about not bathing.
If you work in healthcare you should shower daily to remove all the germs from your skin and hair. Can you imagine not washing your private part for days! gross.
Oh for god’s sake. Just do what’s comfortable unless it affects your health or other people. If you don’t smell, fine. But I know people who are proud to only wash their hair once a week or every ten days and while it’s not greasy, it does smell funky. Sorry. I love a nice (quick) shower to wake up or before bed. It’s just a nice feeling, it relaxes me, I like the ritual. I shower every day and my skin is perfectly healthy. Also, I love how derms tell you shower less and then your GP goes “you should work out more if possible”. I can’t go for a damn run and not shower??? Whatever. Just please, if you live in a city and take public transportation, make sure you don’t reek if at all possible. Thanks.
Wow, she works at a hospital and does this? 🤢🤢
Right? Not only is she bringing home and spreading germs and whatnot around her house, she’s dirty from her home life and bringing that around patients. I don’t understand how she can’t see how dangerous that is.
I will only shower once a day because of eczema but best believe if I even visit a hospital I’m showering and changing clothes at first opportunity, even if it messes up my routine. Wtf.
I used to teach kindergarten. You better believe the first thing I did when I got home was shower! I can’t imagine working around sick people all day and only feeling the need to shower once or twice a week, and yes, wash the entire undercarriage! So, she comes home from the gym and just changes her clothes, but lets the funk stay on her body??? She must be nose blind to her own stench, because no way does she not smell!
I agree that we need to be compassionate to people suffering from MIs or executive functioning issues, and even skin conditions, but that isn’t what’s going on here. I just don’t understand why she even disclosed how gross she is! Is this the stankiest, most bizarre flex ever?
If I worked in healthcare I would be showering after work every day. EVERY DAY.
I work at a desk, either in my office or my house, and I can’t skip more than a day. I can’t imagine going into work after 3-4 days with no shower!
She lacks so much basic knowledge about microbiology that that alone should be disqualifying for a nurse. She’s literally around thousands of uncommon dangerous pathogens everyday and doesn’t think at least daily showers are necessary. She’s a danger to her patients and the people she encounters outside. Don’t tell me “the skin can fight pathogens”. That isn’t a catchall, many things either sail on through or just cultivate on oil films on the surface, waiting for a more fertile or vulnerable environment to present itself, which it will when she has to handle, say, an immunocompromised person with an open cut. And voila, she’s fatally sickened someone who would have otherwise gone home. Sack her *ss
Thank you! My brother is a surgeon and spends 10-15 minutes scrubbing and prepping before surgery. Nurses and other staff in his hospital follow very strict hygiene protocols for the reasons you’ve stated above. I am at a loss how this woman is not only ignorant but stupid enough to post her willful irresponsibility and idiocy on line. It bears repeating, she should be fired.
I guess I just don’t understand why? I’m in a freaking wheelchair at the moment (have a neurological condition that is wonderfully improved but I still get dizzy sometimes) so I got a shower handle and a shower seat and showering is not only great for my neuropathy as well, but does wonders for my mental health. I had to go a few months where I could only shower with assistance getting in and out of the shower, now I don’t need help, and it’s the best feeling in the world. So think of people that would love to shower every day. Think of people in countries that don’t have access to safe water always that would do anything to shower. To me this is entitled and pretentious. Not to mention gross. Maybe she takes a wash cloth to wash her privates and as someone commented above, washes skin, but my gosh isn’t it just easier to shower? I will never understand why an average healthy person, let alone someone in a medical profession, wouldn’t shower daily if they can. Wouldn’t even surprise me if she lost her job over this. If I had to go to her hospital or facility wherever she works, I would specifically ask for her not to be one of my providers.
I am sorry your are going through that kind of situation. I also shower to change my mood, it always helps to feel clean and fresh, specially when it comes to mental health. I grew up poor in Mexico and I always managed to clean myself even with just one bucket of water. Saying that you don’t take showers because you don’t need it and because you don’t smell bad it sounds, like you said, crazy entitled.
I come here every morning–right after my shower!
I wonder what her home looks (and smells) like.
Showers don’t particularly impact the microflora of the skin too much unless you’re actually over washing, ironically. They mainly just remove sweat and dirt, while bacteria levels rebound easily after the wash (and a fair amount of that bacteria is protective).
I’d assume she’s doing daily washes with a rag or baby wipes, which should honestly be fine if she’s washing her hands after attending patients. Hands are the biggest contact contamination point, so as long as those are scrubbed vigorously every day, her patients are fine.
(Now, if she’s not doing basic washes between those showers, that’s gross to me.)
So, she is okay with spreading that to patients, who have weak to no immune system. Yeah, her patients need to be investigated and families need to sue.
I used to think it was so gross when people only washed their hair once or twice a week. I’m in my mid-thirties and I got put on a prescription medication for hormonal acne last year and now I wash my hair every four days. I can’t wash it more frequently or it dries out my scalp. I just laugh at my ignorance before. Of course I had to wash it every or every other day, I was like a teenager producing excessive amounts of oil.
That being said, everybody goes to the bathroom and sweats at least a little bit, so showering really should be more frequent.
I’m mostly surprised she doesn’t feel the urge to shower after getting home from being a nurse. For me, it’s a feeling more than an actual need to shower more frequently. I feel like working at a hospital would be similar to coming home from the airport or something, I’d just want to clean it all off of me.
I just saw she goes to the gym too?! I haven’t been working out, but I’d have to wash my body and my hair after I went to the gym. Is she just going home sweaty and letting it dry? How is she defending that?
Longtime RN CRNP chiming in….my goal was always to have a neutral scent, meaning as clean as possible without any fragrance of any kind, hair, body, breath.
Sick people do not want to smell b.o. perfume, hairspray etc.
I’m a full time mom of two kids and I can honestly say I only find the time to jump in the shower once or twice a week once everyone has gone to bed. 😩
Same here. Mom of little kids, all with varying degrees of special needs and also working. No nanny or maid here. I shower when I can which isn’t every day. The people on here that have the time to shower twice a day blow my mind. We’re clearly living different lives!
Yep, a lot of people showing off their privilege. I worked in a position for a while dealing with poverty where some of my client base did not even have running water in their homes. They relied on the kindness of friends and family to take a shower and sometimes that was only once a week. This kind of talk about “if you don’t shower every day you are dirty” is what’s offensive and causes unnecessary shame and distress to people that don’t have that luxury.
Yes, some people chose not to have kids and can therefore shower as often as they want. That’s not a crime. Being a single parent must be hard as hell and the possibility/risk of that happening was just one reason why I never wanted children. But I really dislike this condescension from some parents “Oh you have SO much time!” Yes, I do. I love it.
I come from a home of 3 kids and 2 working parents and you better believe everyone showered.
My hair is really dry so I shampoo only every 4 days. I
A spritz of dry shampoo takes out odor. I bathe every 2 days if I’m not sweating. I don’t stink.
Put them in the playpen outside the bathroom with a few toys and jump in the shower for 5 minutes. My goodness.
Obviously you don’t have special needs kids. They aren’t play pen age. Thanks for the snarky comment though.
Unless your child needs to be in your lap all day, you can shower. Really.
Wow, mommy shaming and body shaming in the same comments! Great job! Did you guys just miss where AMD said her kids are not babies and are special needs? This total inability to be empathetic to someone else’s situation is what’s gross here. And also kind of situation normal for this site.
Sally, your experience isn’t universal. That’s great you’re able to do that. Please make space for people having different challenges and limiting factors.
I have a special needs child and you can’t just put them in a playpen. There are severe cases. I shower daily but if I had more than one and severe it would be difficult so I’m not going to judge. Your remark for a special needs mother is mean and unnecessary. You have no idea of the daily struggles we go through.
Single mom here. And when I was a nurse in a hospital working directly with patients, and my son was little, I absolutely made sure I showered after work. Again, working with body fluids, patients of varying degrees of mentation and cleanliness themselves, plus the infectious disease aspect of it. It was about me feeling clean (and also part of my decompressing ritual, literally washing the hospital off me) but also making sure I didn’t bring anything like MRSA or VRE or c. Diff home to him. WHen I wasn’t working, and now that I work in a non patient care capacity, I’m not as fastidious (but still clean, including my legs lol)
If she eats in a restaurant that serves fried food, that odor can stick to your hair. If she goes somewhere with cigarette smokers, that will cling to her hair as well. And I hope she changes her panties after the gym, otherwise she could get a yeast infection.
who goes anywhere with cigarette smokers these days? goodness, the concern. she is a grown ass woman who can take care of herself.
I live in the desert. I have always had dry skin and hair, even before I moved here. if I showered every day I would be sooooo ashy. my hair would be frizzy and dandruffy. and everyone’s body IS different. I know it’s fun to judge strangers on the internet in the guise of concern, but this obsession with other people’s personal hygiene is ridiculous. she never said she doesn’t scrub up at work!
now, would I make a tiktok proclaiming my bathing habits to the world? no, I would not. but ffs, people are dying, Kim! this debate is up there with pineapple on pizza.
I went to Academy last month for new shoes & a man was smoking outside the door and blew his smoke on me when I walked in. And I could smell it on my hair. I have to admit to being a tiny bit envious of people with dry skin and hair. My skin & hair are so oily, I can’t go a day without a shower.
I dont shower as often as some people around here would deem “hygienic,” as in not daily, like every other day basically. I also work from home. When I was working in office I did shower ever day. I normally don’t judge on this topic but whether a nurse smells clean or not isn’t the point, nurses MUST be clean daily. The unwashed celebs of the world don’t bother me but a nurse?! Yeah, not a job where this kind of thing is debatable.
I absolutely hate the idea of getting into bed dirty so I shower every night without fail. It also calms me! I also wash my hands and I wash my feet if they’ve been in stinky shoes all day as soon as I get home. I think what’s interesting to me is — I love cleaning with water and being in water. A shower feels like a REWARD—I look forward to it! How can someone not love the sensation of warm water on their back are you okay hunny 😂
For me it’s all the shaving and foot filing and hair masking. And if I’m in there I feel like I have to do it because I’m in there, lol. But I still do it daily even though the thought tires me!
It’s her body. She probably knows what works best for it. What a weird thing to get national news coverage for.
Her only mistake was posting about it on social media.
Was it a mistake or a deliberate act to draw attention to herself? Her first tiktok phrases the question as “am i gross”? Seems to me she wanted this type of attention and she got it.
Agreed. I grew up in drought and my parents literally prevented me from showering every day growing up (I note the shower was in their bedroom area). It doesn’t kill you to not shower every single day. People do not notice, including my mother, Ms. Sensitive Nose, who cannot restrain herself from bitching about the pettiest of things. If THAT one doesn’t complain about showering….
I also note that as the droughts get worse, people may literally be prevented from showering daily in the future, just saying. You can use deodorant, change clothes, sponge bath yourself, massage your head while shampooing so your hair gets less dirty. You’ll live.
I do note that a nurse who works out a lot, well, might want to shower more because of germ issues, especially these days, but I doubt her coworkers keel over from the BO either.
Wait, folks in the comments are actually calling for her to be fired? In this economy? And with a nursing shortage? Y’all are judgemental as hell lol
Yes, she would be fired in this economy and nursing shortage, she working in a hospital with disease, germs COVID around sick and vulnerable people.
People saying Nurses should be requested to be bathed before they start a new shift is being judgmental I’ll be that.
You need to leave this woman alone. She’s not hurting anyone by not showering every day. Grow up
@tanesha86
No, you need to grow up clearly you don’t bathe regularly and you feel personally attached. She works in a HOSPITAL around all the things I listed above and it’s unhygienic for her not to bathe daily after working in that environment while around sick and vulnerable people.
@ tanesha86
No, you need to grow up clearly you don’t bathe regularly and you feel personally attached. She works in a HOSPITAL around all the things I listed above and it’s unhygienic for her not to bathe daily after working in that environment around sick and vulnerable people.
“Feel personally attacked“
I read this as “nurse showers twice a DAY” and I was like, what the outrage even about? water ressources ? lol
My dad is a doctor and showers twice a day because: 1. the hospital is such in a bad conditions that it’s either super hot or freezing there so it increases its sweating (in France) 2. he feels gross after a day of 11 hours of work standing and running around (trying) to save lives. And I didn’t understand it a few years ago, now I do (silly teen I was). More power to her if she doesn’t feel gross after touching and being near so many (sick) people …
Oh dear lord, what a thing to freak out over. I bet the people she knows had no idea (as in, she doesn’t smell and it’s fine). All this is teaching me is to not tell people how often I shower because – yikes.
Trust me, she has a scent and not a good one. I have sat next to women on the train whose vaginal smells arise from between their legs to punish me. It is disgusting and to be honest offensive. It is one thing if it is a homeless person, but they are not. They will not shower but spray perfume to “cover” their scent, which makes it worse. I don’t want to hear busy mom and all that. I have 2 kids myself and work a 9 to 5, come home and cook for my kids and husband and still manage to run my ass into the shower twice day. They are not long luxurious showers, but some water, and soap on a wash cloth a quick scrub and rinse does the trick. I am not putting depression or other health issues into the mix, but for folks who are not suffering from a condition that impacts a shower regimen, you are just plain nasty.
While I do take issue that one can work in a hospital and work out at the gym and still be “fresh” and “clean” whilst only showering once or twice a week, I also take issue with those who bash her.
Most dermatologists will tell you that all the skincare products you use don’t really replenish the natural oils that you have just scrubbed away. Dry skin and hair respond better to less washing, less shampooing, and “products” can leave behind residues that are messier than the natural ones.
It IS possible to be clean without a daily shower, in fact a large portion of the world’s population don’t have enough clean water to DRINK every day, let alone shower.
Personally, I find that showering every day-especially in winter-dries my skin out way too much. And I haven’t washed my hair in nearly 6 months. Am I clean-yes. Do I smell-not really. only like myself.
Thank you so much for bringing up the dry skin issue. I’m reading these comments and am just blown away by the level of passionate micromanagement. Not going into detail about my own hygiene regimen, other than to say that no one has ever pulled me aside in a professional situation to tell me I needed to adjust my personal grooming habits. Different situations (work settings, workout routines, life stages) and differing body types mean adjusting your clean routine to meet your current needs. And with that said, Happy 2023 to all. I’m off to the shower (really!).
Honestly I agree with her! No offense celebitchy, but you’re on one extreme end of the spectrum which probably makes this grosser to you! Showering 2x a day to me is wild! And honestly the reasons she gives ARE valid even if people don’t like them. I shower every 2 days, and I can count on one hand the number of times in my entire life I’ve used soap or body wash in the shower (my parents never taught me to use it for some reason). Ive also had phases where I showered every day, vs every 3 / 4 days, vs a few times when I’ve gone 7-10 days without showering (camping etc), and honestly It’s all the same.
I don’t bathe every day. No big deal. I don’t go for more than two (or three) days, of course, but am not maniacal about it. If i have sex or exercise, of course I’ll shower after. But if i’m sitting in front of the computer all day and staying in the house, I don’t get very dirty.
I brush my teeth religiously, wash my face daily, wash my hands constantly, wash my hair probably twice a week.
And as for people discussing washing after pooping — I guess we poop differently. I rarely have “residue”, and if I do, I use a wet wipe or bathe.
I suppose some people must leak more than others (sweat, discharge, whatever). And of course if you were raised to think of your body as dirty, then you will be hyper aware of bathing.
Funny, my wax lady jokes about people who literally go in with poop in their ass. It is usually those who think that they are clean down there.
*Michael Scott ‘Nooooo’ gif*
Please can we stop discussing this. As a society. I’m begging.
Maybe I’m becoming an old biddy at 40 but in the year of our Lord 2023 I do not want to hear anything else about the bathing habits or open relationships of complete strangers.
I shouldn’t click on these articles because I do not want to know but I can’t look away because the OPINIONS are wow.
Agreed. But here I am, for the comments.
I only shower twice a week. But I bidet my butt every time I got to the toilet. However, I also work from home, in front of a computer, in air conditioning. I’m not getting dirty or sweaty. I’m not dealing with other people, who I could get germs from, or give germs to.
If I’m outside and I sweat, then I’ll definitely shower more often. However, if I wash too often, my skin gets bad, itchy, blistered. I need my skins natural moisture. Hand cream doesn’t replace my skin’s natural moisture. I also don’t use soap. I’m shampooing my hair at the same time, and all that shampoo is running all over my body, so I just wash my body with the shampoo that’s washed out of my hair.
Everyone is different. But showering 2 times a day seems excessive and drying to the skin. I feel like the nurse isn’t doing anything wrong as long as she’s washing her hands frequently while tending to patients. Now if she only washed once a month, that would be different.
I’m a twice-a-weeker as well. I have such dry skin & hair that any more often than that is too much. If I’ve done something gross or stinky, I’ll definitely shower after but I try to stick to the 2 per week routine. I’m also neurodivergent so showering is a very difficult, stressful task for me. Although I’m not defending someone who works with bodily fluids and humans not being clean, there is nothing wrong with not showering every single day for lots of people.
I wish I could post the meme of “white people shit” as my comment.
Not showering is white people shit. As a poc I have been very aware since I was a kid how important good hygiene is. You want to avoid people calling you names like “the stinky brown girl in the class room”.
Is very strange how I have seen these post since 2021, starting with the some celebrities, and how come we don’t see post of poc saying “nah, I don’t shower myself or my kids in days”?
You know why, and I do as well. We don’t have the privilege, and are taught that all through childhood.
I’d love to know why some white people think this is a thing to brag about
like I have the privilege to stink at work and know nothing will happen?
Derms don’t advise soaping the whole body more than once a day and even 1x a day is too much for folks w/eczema or dry skin. I have both, shower every other day when quietly staying home all day, and use baby wipes every time I use toilet. In hot weather, I quickly “rinse” in a shower 1 or 2x day to cool off. ( I’m also allergic to chlorine & chloramine, common basic additions to muni water supplies. I have a special filter on my home shower & using the shower at the gym isn’t an option.)
When I worked in the hospital as a nurse, I was glad for my screened in porch. I’d pull the shades and strip down to my underwear (not including socks) and throw everything in a hamper I kept there for that purpose. I wiped down my shoes all over with a sanitizing wipe. Then to the shower I went. After. Every. Shift.
It’s not just about what you produce (oils, sweat, etc) but what you get on you from patients and coworkers. Plus what you’re exposed to: MRSA, c.Diff, ESBL, VRE…..
Now that I work in an office with minimal patient contact I don’t always do that (only when I have to go out onto a facility floor)
All my dad’s sisters were nurses for more than 20 years and I remember that when they would come back home they would not kiss or hug anyone until they took a shower. I just cannot phantom the amount of germs and body fluids you are exposed to when working as a nurse.
My best friends husband is a nurse practitioner. The first thing he does when he gets home is put his clothes in the laundry and jump in the shower. And good for him.
I’m not a huge bather (face everyday but body/hair 3-4 times a week) but I work from home and come into contact with very few people. Working in health care is entirely a different matter imo.
For all the people saying it’s not a big deal she’s a nurse working around Blood, urine, feces, and vomit, not to mention COVID and going to the gym and only bathing 2 days out of the week. Who knows about her bedroom activities and you see nothing wrong? I can see why Covid is still around.
When I used to work in the city taking public transportation especially when it’s crowded and you are close together you can smell all the people who say they don’t smell.
Man, that’s gross.
I am sure everyone’s body is different. Hormones play a big part. I know now that’ve I’ve gotten a little older I don’t need to shower or wash my hair as often, especially in winter. I can even skip one day of showering sometimes when it’s cold outside and I haven’t exercised or been out. But in summer I take a quick but thorough shower two times a day, sometimes three.
Twice a week when you work at a hospital? ! Not OK. Not for anyone. How could she have thought people wouldn’t react badly to this revelation?
Im noticing this is a thing with teens and 20s. I know more than several who shower once every week or two and they all smell foul. One used my spare room for a few months so I experienced this up close. The thing is all of them seem immune to the “natural” smells. They insist it’s normal.
Ahhh hell nah.
This is gross af and lazy. Just drag your crusty a$$ to the shower and at least wash your body. The hair is whatever but I think that’s nasty too.
Remember the time before social media 24/7 when you didn’t know the shower schedule of complete and total strangers?
The good old days!
I think she might be nose blind, so she doesn’t think she smells. Oh well, I don’t understand especially now with COVID how you work in a hospital and don’t wash it off of you as soon as you get home. My son works in a hospital and he doesn’t even bring his work clothes home unless he has to wash them.
Why are we discussing this? Unless she is spreading disease or offending friends, coworkers or lovers, who cares? Why does anyone feel the need to post a video of how often they wash? And why does anyone else need to weigh in on that choice?
Kind of odd of you to post this on a gossip site while weighing in and sharing your opinion.
I have a chronic illness and could never manage to shower every day. I just don’t have the “spoons”, like I say. All the energy I have is used to do and keep my job. I manage twice a week, typically. Also depending on pain levels. And washing my hair once. I use an aggressive antiperspirant though, although in every other regard I’m about natural cosmetics.
Btw when my mom was young, my family didn’t have a shower yet (Europe, but in the 50s), so they took a bath once a week and scrubbed themselves with a washcloth in between. Everybody was fine and they didn’t waste so many water resources. Twice a day is a bit irresponsible, really.
Gross.
She works in the healthcare industry around patients, sterilized equipment and does not shower everyday?!? So many questions, does she shower everyday when she’s on her monthly cycle? She doesn’t shower after a workout?
I refuse to make poor hygiene socially acceptable! This is gross. Even if you don’t sweat, there are other bodily fluids and environmental factors that will make you smell. And the fact that she is a nurse…
🍿🍿🍿
I am going to be crucufied here for this. Ask any dermatologist worth their money, she has a point. We’re destroying our skins‘ protection by showering daily. But the cosmetics industry is making a killing selling us lotions and ointments for our skin conditions. So, we are told to do it. Moreover, she doesn’t say she doesn’t wash. I have lived in my first own digs where there was a cold water tap. I warmed some on the stove and used a sponge and soap. A Jug for washing my hair when it needed a wash. I never smelled and, no, my friends and acquaintances weren’t just too polite to mention it.
We’re wasting water, energy, are damaging the environment and doing a disservice to our own health by showering daily.
I get it but if she’s working in a hospital, she should shower every day. She’s a germ transporter.
If you don’t wash you a$$ everyday please just keep it to yourself. I’m sick of folks bragging on social media about their poor hygiene. It seems to be some sort of weird badge of honor. Just stop.
I can tell you as a nurse her work is not OK with her not showering inbetween shifts. It’s usually written into your hiring package because if you don’t shower between shifts you are more likely to spread germs to patients. It’s not rocket science and it’s actually pretty gross depending on what department she works in.
Thank you for bringing this up about the hiring package. I have a close relative that is a nurse and it is required he showers daily before work, scrubs clean, hair clean, nails clean, etc… The staff is not allowed to work if they are not clean. This is a major hospital network. I am saying this girl is an attention seeker or she is trying to get fired. I have a hard time believing her work is ok with this.
I am a twice day shower fan. I need to be clean.
I’m in the science field so I use to work in labs all the time so yea I would shower everyday especially with being exposed to harsh chemicals all the time. She’s a nurse not a remote worker who knows what kind of bacteria she is carrying around. I feel a bit icky now *sigh*.
when did bragging about not washing become bragging rights for some white people?
like I can have a smelly butt but face no repercussions? is that a flex now? I dont get it
If she’s working in a medical setting this is a no.
But maybe we can turn this post into a showering accoutrement recommendation one? LOL.
I can’t live without my Salux cloth personally!
they are nice! and they are on sale on amazon today
Oooh thanks!
Do you buy the three for 9.99 or separately. I love stuff like this.
Occasionally but what I really love the Super Hard version, lol. I need to feel like every cell has been scrubbed off me!
I absolutely love the peppermint scented hand soap and body wash that gets sold during the holidays. I wish I could find it year round. I know there is a peppermint scented bar soap or two but those are too pricey for me.
I live in NYC and commute to work, just being on train alone is cause to shower when I get home. I cannot imagine working as a nurse and not showering after my shift. Maybe she is on birth control and does not get a period, because if not, my goodness this woman has to smell profoundly disgusting in her private areas. There is so much wipes can do. I wonder if she is single or does her partner think it is okay. This is why a lot of people have the stereotype that white women are not hygienic. Hopefully when she does shower, she uses a washcloth to get rid of the grime. Bless her heart…..
I live in NYC also, no way am I riding the train and not having a shower at the end of the day , ESPECIALLY in the summer. So gross…..
It depends in which part of the world you live in. I live in Greece and in the summer, with temperatures at 40 degrees celcious, everyone gets sweaty..
So you have to shower at least once a day, if you go out in the street. On top of that, wearing clean clothes and a deodorant is a must
During winter, when the temperature drops at 10 degrees, you could get away with showering every other day.
Today I learn that showering every day is a privilege, but also not showering every day is a privilege. Can the world just stop guilt tripping me? 😀
She says she only showers twice a week but doesn’t say she only washes twice a week. She could be doing a daily tart’s bath or something else. Anyhow who cares? Frankly I think people who are bragging about having to shower twice daily should think a little about the impact this has on the environment. A green planet means sacrifices from everyone. Also I’ve spent a lot of time in the Caribbean where poor people don’t have fancy showers or bathrooms and never has anyone smelled bad.
Please stop My family is from the Caribbeans Barbados and we bath daily it’s hot and you get sweaty.
She’s nose blind to her funk, but I PROMISE you that her patients and fellow nurses smell her musky behind all day.
Look up Amou Haji, an Iranian gentleman (note he had a mental health condition that made him very fearful of washing) who hadn’t washed in something like 60 years, smoked dried animal faeces, and was found to be in perfectly good health in his early 90s by a team of doctors. Then he was guided to wash by some concerned locals, got an infection, and died.
Really you want to go there? Ok look up how many people died of the Black Plague in Europe. Studies show that the plague didn’t come from rats, but from poor hygiene.
The plague, caused by a bacterium called yersenia pestis, is spread by fleas, not rats or poor hygiene.
Sorry, should have contextualised my comment. I meant to give a random, extreme, and weird anecdote of someone not washing (and staying in miraculously good health), not to support this nurse’s stance.
Personally I agree with the posters who are saying at least you need to wash your “important” areas every day and that her profession means daily showering/bathing is essential.
I am a teacher and even if I don’t sweat much, I still shower every day because you’re inside a building all day long filled with bodies and germs!
This isn’t about a person who works at a desk and has no contact with other people. She’s a nurse. I’d be appalled if I was her patient. I am immunocompromised— I don’t want a germy nurse handing me meds or taking my vitals. Gross.
There’s a whole argument about whether wearing scrubs home post-shift risks spreading infectious material in public spaces and into the homes of healthcare staff. Many hospitals prohibit it for that reason. That’s with the assumption that scrubs are worn once and then laundered. Her behavior is unacceptable due to her profession. Her odor is almost certainly noticeable whether anyone has confronted her about it or not.
The cracks, creases and crevices of the body should be cleansed daily. The rest varies widely but there is a simple truth of bacteria and odor that is universal to the human body. Every minute that you are alive your body is engaging in metabolic processes that produce stinky bacteria-laden waste products at roughly the same rate as every other person on Earth. Imagine arguing that everyone’s body is different and some people’s teeth just don’t need to be brushed more than twice a week. Some things really are universal. All that said, the skin has a microbiome and a balanced system just like the gut does. Disrupting it with excessive cleansing can be just as bad as not washing enough.
I think this is really 100% her business and her call. Her body. Her choice. I am a daily shower person, and I personally prefer nice smelling people. However, she says that she doesn’t smell. Who am I to tell her what to do?
I’m sure she smells bad if she’s not washing frequently. She’s not able to objectively judge her own body scent.
Does she wash her hands after going to the bathroom? Or is it discrimination to ask her that because some people in Africa don’t have running water.
What I’m curious to know is if she uses a wash rag whenever she showers? Just showering is not enough if you’re not bothering to use a wash cloth during it.
I don’t understand how folks can shower without using wash clothes to exfoliate the skin and clean their genitals more effectively. Using only your hands to clean your body is not enough IMO. Someone even commented above that they don’t even use soap in the shower, like seriously?! 😳
People in the U.S. and all over the world (not just in Africa) don’t have access to clean, running water and still manage to keep themselves clean. That nurse is privileged enough to have access to hot running water but chooses to not keep herself clean, there’s a difference.