How Long You Should Actually be Showering

The average American spends about 16 minutes in the shower.

If your shower doubles as your personal spa, thinking room and private concert venue, experts have some disappointing news…you probably don’t need to be in there nearly that long.

The average American spends about 16 minutes in the shower, but one environmental scientist says just three minutes is enough to get your body clean. Add about two more minutes if it’s a hair-washing day. People tend to linger longer for relaxation, warmth and self-care…and evening and weekend showers are especially likely to turn into extended stays. The expert also says most of us don’t need to shampoo twice, so apparently the instructions on the bottle have been stealing both our time and our hot water.