Baths versus showers - stats and facts

Any 21st century western world citizen is bound to have an opinion on the age old debate: baths or showers, which is better? To help clear up the deliberation once and for all, we’ve trawled meticulously through the facts and figures to bring you a complete overview of the upsides and downsides that each cleaning process presents.

Hygiene:

According to a recent article published on Oprah.com, the bathtub and shower are two of the top ten dirtiest places in the average home. In fact, while conducting research in US households, NSF revealed that 26% of baths and showers were harbouring harmful bacteria called staphylococci, which can cause of skin lesions and urinary tract infections. Clearly it pays to be hygienic when it comes to keeping your bathing areas clean! With this in mind, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of bath and shower hygiene:

Baths

Pros: As bathtubs comprise of one singular smooth surface, there are minimal areas in which bacteria can hide. This means that a regular scrub will ensure that your bath stays clean, safe and bacteria free.

Cons: Baths can accumulate a build-up of dirt and scum that creates a nasty looking ring around the tub. If left to amass, this can house germs and bacteria that are difficult to remove. Even worse, if you run a bath with a dirty ring in place, you will essentially be bathing in harmful bacteria.

Showers

Pros: The flat, smooth surface of shower designs makes them wonderfully simple to clean. This can also be done whilst showering which encourages people to give their shower areas a more regular scrub.

Cons: Showers often involve tiles which can be difficult to clean and result in a build-up of grime in between the cracks. Thankfully, the problem can be easily solved with one of Mira’s fantastic shower wall panels. Using patented Mira flight technology, the innovative design of the shower wall panels act as a stylish substitute for tiles and are amazingly hygienic and easy to clean. Some models even feature the company’s trademark BioCote which is proven to reduce bacteria and mould growth by up to 99.9%

Efficiency:

Baths

Pros: Baths are great for kids and make the evening cleaning process much easier. Water can also be re-used which means one bath is capable of cleaning several bodies.

Cons: One of the major downsides of baths is the time it takes to fill the tub. As far as water usage goes, baths are also notorious for using around 50% more water than the average shower.

Showers

Pros: Showers are a quick, easy and effective way to wash away dirt and grime. Research from WaterWise UK indicated that over 85% of British households feature a shower which is testament to their efficiency and practicality.

Cons: On the downside, statistics from utility companies have indicated that power showers can use significantly more water than it takes to run a bath.  The good news is that installing a water saving shower head can help solve this problem and ensure that your high powered shower is not jeopardising your water saving efforts.

Relaxation:

As well as functioning as a personal cleaning system, the bathroom is also considered a haven for unwinding and indulging in much needed personal time. For this reason, relaxation is an important aspect to consider in the great baths versus showers debate.

Baths

Pros: There is something special about lighting a candle, pouring in some bubble bath and having a nice long soak in the tub. This is a ritual that Brits across the country love to indulge in.

Cons: Unfortunately, baths can often involve pre and post bath showering sessions in order to avoid soaking in your own grime and leaving the bath covered in dirt. For some, this might render the bathing process significantly less relaxing.

Showers

Pros: After a long day on your feet, it is pure bliss to come home and stand under a steaming hot shower that washes all the dirt away.

Cons: The obvious downside of a shower is the need for a horizontal position. If you’re tired and exhausted, this could be the last thing you feel like doing.
So there you have it! Hopefully after reading a few of these little facts, you’ve come up with your own opinion on the nationwide debate. There are upsides and downsides to both baths and showers, but at the end of the day, we feel that showers reign supreme thanks to their efficiency, practicality and hygiene.