As the weather gets colder the amount of time the average Brit spends on their personal hygiene has a knock-on effect. A study of 2,000 adults by Geberit AquaClean revealed major differences in personal hygiene routines in the winter compared to the summer months, with many Brits (33 percent) halving the amount of time they spend in the bathroom during the colder weather.
Half an hour a day is the average amount of time spent on personal hygiene in the United Kingdom, however more than a quarter admit to reducing this during the winter.
It’s not just less time that is spent on personal hygiene but less money too. The average monthly spend on personal hygiene products in the U.K. is £29.57, but 18 percent of Brits reduce their spending in this area over the course of the winter months. While 3 percent of people will spend more than £100 on personal hygiene products per month, 9 percent admit to spending less than £5 per month.
Part of the reason for this seasonal difference is of course that people in Northern Europe get less hot and sweaty during the winter months, meaning they feel clean for longer (57 percent of respondents cited this as a reason for their change in hygiene habits in the winter), but many Brits admit that it’s simply too cold to shower so frequently in winter.
In fact, 34 percent admitted to bathing or showering less frequently in the winter months, with a quarter of adults preferring to spend more time in bed as the cold dark days of winter leave them feeling more tired.
For women in particular, personal pampering such as leg shaving and looking after their feet is deemed unnecessary once the summer is over and it’s time to cover up. Some 65 percent of women shave less their legs less frequently in the winter and 56 percent stated that their feet are somewhat neglected in the colder months.
Raffaela De Vittorio, Marketing Director for Geberit AquaClean, which conducted the study, said: “We all know that personal hygiene is an important part of our daily routine; from showering to brushing our teeth we spend a significant part of our time in the bathroom focused on personal cleanliness.
“However during the winter months, many of us would rather grab some extra time under a warm duvet than in the bathroom, which is where the latest shower toilet technology really comes into its own. Gently cleaning you with warm water after each use, the Geberit AquaClean shower toilet ensures healthy personal hygiene levels are maintained whatever the weather.
“Maintaining personal hygiene, particularly intimate personal hygiene, is important no matter what the weather or season, this is especially true in areas of the world where the weather is hot most of the time such as in Southeast Asia.”
While 15 percent of Brits would consider installing a shower toilet, currently just 6 percent of the survey’s respondents enjoy the benefits of using one, with the most popular way of cleaning after using the toilet being with wet wipes (40 percent), closely followed by showering (19 percent).
However taking a shower can be a time consuming task, particularly when compared to using a shower toilet, which cleans with water to leave the user feeling fresh and clean all day long, in next to no time.
This is also a good water-saving alternative too, with the latest shower toilet from Geberit, the AquaClean Mera, using just 0.9 litres of water per wash, which is minimal in comparison to showering or bathing.
Despite people taking less time to clean themselves during the winter months, a staggering 10 percent of adults admit that they don’t change their underwear every day, with 1 percent even owning up to doing so less than once a week.
“While it’s true that our bodies actually require more personal hygiene maintenance in the summer months, we should maintain steady hygiene habits throughout the year,” continued Raffaela.
“The research shows that despite the average Brit spending less time in the bathroom during the winter months, their desire to feel fresh and clean is just as strong as it is in the summer and with such a high percentage of people admitting to not changing their underwear regularly, a shower toilet ensures that personal hygiene levels are maintained no matter what the season is.”
Source: www.geberit-aquaclean.co.uk