I just knew my nose wasn't playing tricks on me. 60 per cent of German men didn't shower today! No excuse - indoor plumbing is widespread these days!

6 July 2004

OFFENBACH - Six out of 10 men in Germany do not shower daily, but at least those six change their underpants daily, according to a new survey published this week.

That was the national average, with over 70 percent of younger males under age 34 showering and changing knickers daily. But only 16 percent of men over 55 bother to bathe daily or put on fresh underwear.

The figures for German women show a similar age discrepancy, with over 80 percent of younger women bathing and cladding themselves with clean undergarments on a daily basis. But more than 80 percent of women over 55 go more than a day without doing so.

Some five percent of all men and two percent of women in Germany change their knickers just once a week, according to the survey by the Marplan Institute in Offenbach.

Don't you think all such surveys are a bit dodgy?
We British and the Swiss are supposed to be the cleanest people in Europe because we buy the most soap. Nobody knows if we actually use it. British homes are supposed to be the smelliest in Europe. I imagine that nobody has gone around sniffing. It'll either be that we buy the most air freshener or the least.
Personally, if some cheeky monkey with a clipboard asked me how often I bathed or changed my knickers, I'd answer, "Once a year whether I need to or not."

Ick ick..who thinks up these surveys?
Assuming this is true-I think there are quite a few German men posing as workers here at our local hardware store..one needs to be able to hold ones breath for at least 15 minutes to be able to shop there

sylvia-"cheeky monkey" LOL

When we were in South Africa this Spring, a UN study was released that labeled South African men as being the World's Laziest. In Cape Town (and I assume other SA cities) they post the headlines on telephone poles all over the city, so I got a great pic of one that said "SA Men World's Laziest"
Totally cracked me up. Fortunately, all those got replaced the next week when they were named to host the World Cup.

Still, that's probably better than "German Men World's Dirtiest" would be!

... pair this with the dog bile discussion on USA.

If I had daughters (or sons), I'd do as my mother did and her mother before her, that is, teach them how to spot clean without bathing every day.

The American obsession with clean may be directly linked to the "more is better" (waste) mentality that flourishes here. Europeans pay so much more for the very same things we take for granted, ie: gas, electricity, water, etc. I believe it's a parent's responsibility to teach his/her children the benefits of conservation.

My mother (first generation American) and her mother bathed (a full soak) only once a week and both women smelled fresh as can be. They knew how to do it and, they saved water, money, and time in doing so. The best part: their face and body skin was incredible. If only I could show you pictures.

A good dermatologist will tell you, over-bathing is not a good thing. A wash cloth and a bowl of warm, soapy water can do wondrous things.

Based on our experience in Germany, many were not using the wash cloth and bowl of warm, soapy water either.

... not to disagree, but ten hours in the nineties, high humidity, and the thought of those three minutes in a cool shower, environmental shower head spewing forth, .... sorry, no resistance. I make up for it with very dry martinis. I almost blush to mention a minimum of two jockey briefs daily, often three or four. I shower twice a day, naturally. No skin peel in sight so far. Let somebody else be the Mitchum Man!

Well, there is nothing like a nice relaxing bath or a invigorating shower to make one's day.

Don't the Japanese use baths as therapy?

I know I could spot wash but the lure of clean water on my body does it for me like no bowl of water could.

I do like your idea of temporary spot cleaning with a bidet though, NYFS.

<i>The American obsession with clean may be directly linked to the &quot;more is better&quot; (waste) mentality that flourishes here. Europeans pay so much more for the very same things we take for granted, ie: gas, electricity, water, etc. I believe it's a parent's responsibility to teach his/her children the benefits of conservation.</i>

Good point. I'm sure Europeans have long paid a lot more for hot water than we Americans have.

We also all draw our lines in different places when it comes to the scent of people. While I think few people like someone who's truly reeking, some people aren't bothered by a slight bit of <i>au naturel</i> while others absolutely can't stand it.

At the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, family members said they knew they were sitting/standing next to Europeans, i.e., the French, the Germans, before they ever opened their mouth, when they were in close quarters at all.

Years ago,I had a German girlfriend who showered faithfully every morning, but would never use deoderant....... everyone knew it!

Blacktie, stop picking on my dog bile thread!

NYCfoodsnob...&quot; A washcloth and a bowl of warm,soapy water can do wondrous things&quot;

Call me crazy,but that sounds errily similar to a BATH.

There sure isn't anything like a glamorous shower and you should see mine but I don't use it everyday. Mom and Nanna didn't belong to a high-priced health club, either. My generation sure is spoiled. But, even with the pool, sauna, steam, Jacuzzi, et al, I'm very careful not to use soap on my skin. Sorry, folks, I'm just not that dirty. Anyway, exfoliation is cleaner and healthier.

Speaking of BO, I'm sure many of you would be surprised by the list of famous-name models who show up at photo shoots smelling like a construction site. Not all of them are Europeans. Their BO is so pungent the scent would give degas an afro...and, they insist, their boyfriends love the funk. (I've already said too much. Holly is liable to send me her therapy bills.)

I'm sure everyone knows that only in the last 10 years have boutique hotels in Italy been able to offer in-suite bathrooms in almost every room. Prior to the mad rush of the Jubilee Year, shared bathrooms were the norm in the majority of boutique establishments. So this private bath luxury thing is really a modern concept to our Italian friends (if you can call some of those tiny baths luxury).

Capo: So your excuse for poor personal hygiene is conservation.Baloney.

NYCFS, so think exfoliation is cleaner and healthier? What do you mean? I'm not kidding, I don't get it, you mean rubbing with a pumice stone? Please tell me.

Lets face it,you need to wash the feet and perineum to REALLY feel and smell clean. Sponge baths will not suffice.

I'm an American who bathes daily, although I will admit my showers rarely last more than 3-5 minutes.

If I bathed once a week or even every other day, my hair would look like it was part of my scalp! Yuck!

I think most people - European or American shower regularly but many Europeans don't use deodorant. Since Americans do, it just makes our noses a bit sensitive!

<i>Capo: So your excuse for poor personal hygiene is conservation. Baloney.</i>

Nope. What's your excuse for assuming that if people don't use copious amounts of expensive hot water that they somehow don't have good personal hygiene?

Did you read what NYC wrote, &quot;A good dermatologist will tell you, over-bathing is not a good thing. A wash cloth and a bowl of warm, soapy water can do wondrous things.&quot;?

There's a difference between good personal hygiene and obsessing about being clean or not having even a hint of personal scent.

A personal scent.Where I come from it's called body odor and it's is offensive.

OK, got it. If you were the producer you would've named the wonderful movie starring the great Al Pacino, <i>Body Odor of a Woman</i>.