The shower has turned into a sanctuary for Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, it’s the only time of the day when they have any alone time.
According to new research commissioned by Sydney Water, Sydneysiders spend an average of nine minutes in the shower, as reported by 10 daily.
Of the 1000 people surveyed, 27% admitted to showering in order to avoid run-ins with their family or housemates, while 44% said they used their time in the shower to think about life decisions. Roughly 20% use the alone time to plan for a work meeting or prepare for a difficult conversation.
42% of people listen to music while in the shower, while 14% use the time to watch TV and 10% listen to podcasts.
The weirdest data found was the 12% of folks who FaceTime their family while in the shower. Not sure how that works, but apparently it’s happening.
Unsursinrpingly, 54% of respondents said they treat the shower as a sanctuary. When life feels overwhelming, or you feel a little off-kilter, a warm shower does have magical powers to make you feel better.
Sydney Water general manager Maryanne Graham highlighted that many Sydneysiders were using the shower for this reason “during this stressful time”.
While this data is extremely interesting, it also shows that Aussies are having pretty long showers. In response, Sydney Water has launched Water Wise Coach, a survey that gives you a water score — depending on how well you save water — as well as handy tips and tricks on how to be more water-wise.
“The Coach will tell you every minute in the shower uses 10 litres of water and when people turn the shower on and walk away to do something else, even more water is being wasted,” Graham said in a statement.
“As we’re only beginning to recover from the worst drought in our history, it’s important we don’t forget these recent events and keep making healthy water habits part of our everyday lives.”
These habits include taking four-minute showers, turning off the tap while you brush your teeth or shave and waiting until your dishwasher and washing machine is full before turning it on.