If your water bill makes your eyes bulge out of your skull like a shocked cartoon character, the way you shampoo your hair might have something to do with it.
According to researchers from the University of Surrey, whose findings were published in the Journal of Environmental Management, the biggest factor behind how much water you use in the shower is your weird little shower rituals you’ve convinced yourself are essential to making you sensible before other humans.
The researchers analyzed more than 8,550 showers (or “showering events” as the researchers say in the study’s abstract) taken by 319 households in Germany using smart bathroom sensors and post-shower surveys. They found that people are wasting water because they really shampoo the heck out of their hair.
Shampooing two or more times, as some beauty influencers recommend, made showers take 27 percent longer than just shampooing once. Sometimes people try to mitigate all that water waste by turning it off as they lather and then turning it on again to rinse it out. The researchers found that this made showers last about 20 percent longer than those who never paused the shower.
The Shower Habit That Could Be Driving Up Your Water Use
It also found that people under 50 generally showered longer than older adults. Also, homes with softer water had longer showers. Probably because soft water creates a richer soapy lather, and because it feels so luxurious that standing there pretending you’re being interviewed on a red carpet pairs perfectly with really scrubbing in that conditioner to make sure it does its job.
Researchers say that showers make up about a quarter to almost half of all indoor water use, meaning that if you’re looking for a way to conserve water, the shower would probably be the first place to make some cutbacks. The researchers say that sure, you can opt for low-flow showerheads, but the best thing to do is just cut back on the time you spend washing your hair.
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