Taking a Navy Shower
Turn on the water and fully wet your body, face, and hair. Step into the shower and quickly get yourself fully wet. Use your hands or a washcloth to fully douse your body before turning off the water. Let the water warm up for a few seconds first if you like. It’s a myth that navy or military personnel have to take cold showers, although some choose to for muscle recovery or alertness after a workout or training. If you plan on scrubbing with a loofah or washcloth, get that fully wet too. If you’re trying navy showers for the environment, collect cool water in a bucket while the shower heats up to water plants or even shave with.
Turn off the water and lather up with shampoo and soap. Perform this while your shower is off by using a loofah, washcloth, or your hands. Some showerheads even have a switch that lets you turn the water on and off without adjusting the temperature knob or handle. Scrub yourself firmly since you won’t have the benefit of running water and its additional cleansing power. Wash quickly, especially if you have an inefficient water heater. Waiting too long can let the water cool down.
Turn the water back on to rinse out your shampoo and soap. Now that you've finished washing yourself thoroughly, rinse yourself off with a short blast from the shower. Once you’re rinsed off, you’re done with your navy shower!
Repeat to use conditioner or other extra products if needed. If you need to apply extra products after your rinse, turn the water off again and lather up. When you're finished applying your conditioner, turn the water back on and quickly rinse off again to finish showering.
How long does a navy shower take?
Navy showers use 90 seconds of running water, plus scrubbing time. Experienced navy showerers can clean up in under 2–3 minutes total, while others who take a bit more time can shower in 5 or 6 minutes (or less). If you’re looking to save time when you’re getting ready, this is the method for you! Turning the water on and getting wet takes about 30 seconds. Turning the water back on and rinsing off can take about 60 seconds or less. The biggest variable in how long the total shower takes is how long you spend scrubbing and how many products you need to use.
How much water do navy showers use?
Navy showers only use about 3.5 gallons (13.2 liters) of water or so. A modern, standard showerhead uses about 2.5 gallons of water per minute (gpm). If you multiply that by the approximate 90 seconds of running water that navy showers use, you end up using about 3.75 gallons (14.2 liters) of water (depending on how long you actually have the water on for). History fact: Navy showers originated on naval ships, where officers and crew have to conserve and use clean water as efficiently as possible.
Normal showers in the US can use up to 37 gallons (140 liters) or more! Modern showerheads (from 1994 onward) are required to use 2.5 gpm of water or less, meaning an 8- to 15-minute shower uses 20–37 gallons (75.7–140 liters). Older showerheads may use up to 6–8 gpm of water, meaning a 15-minute shower with one of these can use 90–120 gallons (340.7–454.2 liters). So, switching to navy showers (even if it’s just now and then) can save a ton of water, as well as lower your energy costs. Water heating takes up 15–25% of energy in most US homes.
Finding Your Shower Water Usage
Measure the flow rate of your shower in gallons per minute (gpm). Place a 1-gallon bucket under your showerhead and gauge the length of time it takes for the bucket to fill. This will give you your approximate gallons per minute. For example, if it takes 20 seconds for the bucket to fill, your flow rate is about 3 gallons per minute. The goal of a navy shower is to reduce the amount of water you use to about 3 gallons (11.4 liters). To reach this goal, you must first understand your average water consumption. A standard modern showerhead uses 2.5 gpm, so if you don’t have a bucket on hand, use this value to get an estimate.
Multiply your gpm by the number of minutes you take to shower. Say you typically take 10 minutes to shower and your gpm is 3. Since 10x3=30, your average shower uses about 30 gallons of water. The typical flow rate of a shower is approximately four gallons per minute. If you have difficulty measuring your flow rate for some reason, use this number to predict the total gallons used.
Install a WaterSense showerhead or flow restrictor to lower your gpm. Showerheads with the “WaterSense” label are legally required to use no more than 2 gpm while still providing a quality shower and are easy to install. Or, install a flow restrictor with your current showerhead to lower its gpm manually.
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