Environmental scientists are urging people to turn off their shower while lathering shampoo, arguing that small behavioural changes could be just as effective as water-saving technology in tackling England’s looming water crisis.
A new paper published in the Journal of Environmental Management recommends a “single, efficient pause while lathering” as one of the most practical steps households can take. By 2055, experts predict England will face a five-billion-litre-a-day water shortfall.
Co-author Dr Pablo Pereira-Doel, from the University of Surrey, said the biggest drivers of water use are not who someone is or where they live, but what they actually do in the shower. He said small routines such as applying shampoo twice or letting the water run while lathering can extend shower time far more than people realise.
How the study was conducted
To reach their conclusions, the researchers monitored 319 households across Germany by installing smart sensors in bathrooms that recorded exactly how people showered. Over a 40-day period, the devices captured 8,550 individual showers, measuring duration, water pauses and environmental conditions. Time-stamped surveys were also collected after participants washed their hair.
On average, participants spent four minutes and 48 seconds in the shower, with almost two-thirds keeping their shower to five minutes or less. However, around one in seven showers lasted longer than eight minutes.
More than half of shampoo showers involved no pause in the water flow at all, suggesting many people simply leave the shower running while they lather their hair.
Key findings
The study found that people who shampooed their hair twice spent around 27 per cent longer in the shower than those who washed it just once. Water hardness also played a role: showers in softer water areas lasted about 23 per cent longer than those in hard water regions, possibly because softer water produces richer lather and a more comfortable experience. Younger and middle-aged adults generally lingered longer than people aged over 50.
Showers account for up to 45 per cent of indoor household water use, the team noted.
Nudges and smart devices
Alongside the pause recommendation, the researchers suggest that smart devices providing real-time feedback and redesigned haircare products could encourage shorter showers. A separate study published earlier this year suggested that Britons install shower meters featuring a timer triggered as soon as the water is turned on.
PhD student Sofie Voss, also from the University of Surrey, said most people do not consciously track how long they have been in the shower, and that real-time feedback interrupts what she called autopilot mode. She said it creates a moment of awareness, urging people to notice that time is passing and to decide to stop sooner.
The government is currently aiming to reduce water consumption to 110 litres per person per day by 2050. Showering typically uses six to 15 litres per minute, and with the average Briton spending 6.7 minutes washing, a single shower can consume around 100 litres. One study found that installing shower timers reduced time spent under the water by 26 per cent.
A separate survey of 100 water professionals across 60 UK organisations identified fixing in-home leaks, showering and flushing the toilet as the three most important areas in which people could save water.
