June 20, 2016

From bath selfies to cleaning the tub in the nude, consumers revealed various rituals and habits involved in their bath and shower experiences when American Standard surveyed 1,200 people nationwide between the ages of 18 to 65, yielding intriguing findings on what occurs behind the shower or bath curtain.

The study revealed 57 percent more shower users than bathers admitted to taking selfies in the shower more than once a week. Also, 53 percent of consumers favor “tinkle time” by admitting to peeing in the shower. Furthermore, cleaning the shower naked is common as almost half of those who shower surveyed say they have done it. Forty-one percent more women than men say they clean the shower naked.

“Today we are in an age of either being connected 24/7 or constantly multitasking as part of an on-the-go lifestyle,” said Jeannette Long, vice president, brand marketing, LIXIL Water Technology Americas, the business group under which American Standard operates. “We wanted to examine how much more multifaceted the bathing experience actually is in order to ensure that we’re consistently providing products that help make consumers’ lives easier.”

Key bathing and showering findings include:

• Eighty-nine percent more shower users say they sing in the shower than bathers. Forty-four percent more women than men say they sing in the shower.
• Almost one in four respondents admitted to occasionally sneaking a try of products in the bathroom that belonged to someone else.
• Consumers favor using bath soaking time as “smartphone time.” Survey respondents admitted to checking emails/texts on their cell phone while bathing. In fact, one in seven bathers said they’ve actually participated in a teleconference or work phone call from the tub.
• Almost 26 percent of bathers said they cannot really go to sleep at night until they’ve had a bath to unwind.
• Seventy-three percent of shower users and 65 percent of bathers say they have forgotten to take an outside item, such as a bath mitt, after getting into the shower or bath.

Additional findings indicated that candles are the most common item in the bath area that are not used for bathing. Clean hair is still important — shampoo is the most customary item in both the bath and shower (70 percent for those who take a bath and 86 percent for those who shower).

“Regardless of one’s bathing ritual, the bottom line is consumers want plumbing products that will enhance their overall experience,” said Maha El Kharbotly, chief marketing officer, LIXIL Water Technology Americas. “American Standard has led the way in developing innovative faucets and fixtures that offer consumers a lifetime of exceptional performance, combined with unforgettable relaxation and enjoyment that ultimately improves their quality of life.”

For more details on the survey results and activities, visit the interactive Art of Bathing website.