The odds of taking a shower

What are the odds you took a shower today?

The majority of American adults ( 1 in 1.59 , or 63%) shower at least once a day. And that doesn't count baths.

People love their showers. Fifty percent of mothers admit they use the shower as an escape. And a full 25% of the population admits to occasionally breaking into song. Some people like to daydream, but there are also the Type A's who insist on being productive even under the suds. Forty-eight percent of men and 64% of women compile their to-do lists while showering.

People in the Northeast out-shower those in other parts of the country. Men are more likely ( 1 in 1.43 , or 70%) than women ( 1 in 1.75 or 57%) to take a daily shower, but women stay in a tad longer. The average shower for a man lasts 12 minutes; add two more minutes for a woman (it's the hair!).

Like all human endeavors, showers have been studied and analyzed for their positive and negative qualities, and all is not perfect in the world of tiles and towels. Sixty percent of Americans share their shower space with a spouse or significant other, and, according to surveys, they're not happy about it. Men are troubled by the clutter of their partners' shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and shaving accoutrements. Women are bugged by men who don't wipe down the shower when they're done. And both genders are offenders when it comes to their number one shared exasperation: a partner leaving hair in the drain or on the soap.

Despite the complaints, lots of people would like to avoid the job of cleaning the shower stall. In fact, there are some pretty miserable things people would rather do than clean a shower. Forty-five percent of people would rather pay their bills.

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