Baths and Showers

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Something I've read about and heard from other Aspies is that baths and showers aren't popular. It seems particularly prevailent in the pre-puberty sort of age group, and after that, nearly everyone seems to just begrudgingly have regular baths or showers...

My question is this: WHY is it that you/other Aspies you know don't like baths or showers?

I ask because it's never been a thing for me... I loved baths when I was a kid, and now I like showers. Is it some sort of sensory thing? I know socialising isn't really a favourite activity for many of us, but surely washing isn't being avoided just to repel company?

I'm afraid I just don't get it. So... can anyone explain it to me?

I've always been a water baby. When I was a kid, my mom couldnt get me out of the tub. She figured out if she told me when my fingers got pruney it was time to get out, then I would without complaint. I love baths, soaking with my head under water, where everything's quieter.

That's strange... I am the exact opposite. If I don't have a daily shower, I get irritable.

Rather than having sensory issues with the shower, I have sensory issues with greasy hair. If I have greasy hair, I can barely think straight. I start freaking out and being afraid that I will accidentally touch my hair and discover how greasy it is.

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Last edited by nat4200 on 21 Apr 2012, 2:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

Both my sons have aspergers. They are aged 13 and 14 and it's a battle to get either of them to have a bath or shower. I can't understand it so would be very interested if someone could explain what the problem is.

I shower daily unless I dont have anywhere to go now a days... but in the past I didn't.

When I didn't the problem was all the steps that my brain turned it into: making a point of finding clothes for after, having a clean towel, warming up the water, getting undressed, getting into the shower without getting water all over the floor, wash body, hair, awkward places, get water in my eyes and go through the point where its difficult to breathe and wash face... the stuff after was the biggest hassle: drying off body and hair so as not to make a mess in the bathroom, getting dressed and not being dissapointed with clothing choice and having to find other clothes... shaving, hair grooming, etc... cleaning up mess made in the bathroom...

I used to make it into this much bigger thing than it was...

Now a days I take my shower in the morning after I've been awake for a little bit and checked my emails and a few things... it's a part of a morning routine that includes taking care of all of that stuff as a single process... as a result I dont think of those individual steps so it's not a lot of work or a little work... its just part of the morning.

anyway... yeah I used to be a pretty smelly person... its one of the things that has had a pretty profound effect on my confidence and point of view of the world... but not much that I can do to take it back now.

I actually use the showering process as my standard for creating new daily things that need to get done to assist myself with executive dysfunction. Most dont stick, but at least they are a start.

Anyway, I am not sure if it is the same for everyone especially because I am not entirely sure that its ASD that caused me to have the issue specifically, other than part of why all those steps seemed like too much is because in the past I thought of the payoff as not significant enough to warrant the effort... still not sure if that counts.

I couldn't stand not bathing or showering everyday I couldn't function if I'm not clean.

It just seems like too much to bother with.

Not everyone needs to shower and wash their hair every day, especially if you aren't oily or don't do anything to make you sweat.

It's too much like multi-tasking. Actually, that's exactly what it is. I think a lot of people just "get in the shower" without any awareness of the steps involved - they've got it on automatic. But it never became automatic for me. And I can't tell you how many times I've missed a step - got out of shower with soap on underarms, for example. Or cream rinse still in hair.

Also - it's so loud!

When I feel the water, I'm thinking, "Get offa me!"

Take a bath instead? Tempting, but I can't get up without help. lol - should I ask the neighbours?

I enjoy taking baths and showers. I like to be clean.

Did they always have problems with baths or showers? It could be a teenage thing. I hated and would refuse to take showers or baths as a teenager, but as an adult, standing under hot water is one of my favourite sensory things. I hated the feeling of being wet, disliked all the effort involved, but that changed eventually. I still dislike making the effort and dealing with it in the morning, so I shower at night before bed.

I'm a Aspie and I enjoy having baths.

Most of the problems I've heard about are sensory.

Personally, I'm one of those people who has issues. I can't use soap, it makes my skin incredibly unhappy and dry if I try to, so I must use body wash that isn't actually soap. The scents of shampoo will make me feel nauseous even without me putting it on my head.

While I love water, getting dressed while my skin is still slightly wet is quite problematic for me. I can't wear clothing for a half hour after getting out of the shower (assuming I didn't let my hair get wet).

For some people, the water hitting their skin is directly painful.

Not everyone on the spectrum will have issues like this, but difficulty with washing oneself is rather normal for people with more severe sensory issues.

My failures are down to routine, if there were 8 days in a week it might be simpler. If we are guaranteed to be offensively stinky after only 1 day, then the routine is obvious. The problem with bathing is there is no deadline and so it's easy to put it off another day, mañana mañana.

I don't much like getting in (wet) or out (cold and scratchy). The act itself is enjoyable. I wash my hair disgustingly infrequently (every 6 weeks is typical).

Like everything I'm either bathing everyday or when I remember (2-3 times a month). Same applies to shaving, teeth or pretty much anything else really.

Jason

When I was a teenager, I was reluctant to shower because it's so time-consuming (half an hour) and takes effort. I rarely ever showered unless my mom told me to.

But as an adult, my attitude towards showering has changed. I have simply made it a part of my nightly routine and I sometimes actually look forward to it, as the sensation of water on my skin is probably the most soothing sensory thing for me. Besides, I now realize that I don't have much choice in not showering because my hair gets greasy very easily and I sweat a lot. Although I admit that I usually don't bother with other grooming habits like brushing my teeth or shaving, at least no one can complain that I'm not clean.

I also loved baths when I was younger. Showers used to be an issue for me because I hated the sensation of the water hitting my skin. But when I moved into my first own apartment, which didn't have a bathtub, I had to get used to showering. I bought a showerhead with different settings, and found that a wide-angle, low-pressure "rain" of water works fine for me.