How to shower when there's no shower around?
February 11, 2009 7:08 PM   Subscribe

How can one bathe at a gym where no shower is available?

I've recently discovered that my schedule is vastly happier if I go to the gym in the morning before work.

Sadly, my gym doesn't have a shower, and the gym is too far away from home to return there to shower and then head to work. (It's not an issue of ick factor or whatever -- the gym is in a not-very converted warehouse that barely has four walls, and literally the only running water is in a bathroom without a ceiling).

My plan so far has been to wait to stop sweating, strip down, do my best with baby wipes (a favorite of bicycle commuters), then change into work clothes, and shower once I get home. While this works to some degree, I can't help but feel this still isn't optimal, cleanliness-wise.

So, dear AskMe, is there anything I'm missing? (no pun intended)
posted by oostevo to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (14 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
No, not really - it sounds like your options are a tart's wash (pits, crotch, feet and hands - with baby wipes or the sink and paper towels) or nothing, and my preference is with the tart's wash. Maybe some of that dry shampoo, if you're really prone to sweating, and perfume.
posted by goo at 7:15 PM on February 11, 2009


You could bring a moist handtowel in a ziploc bag from home. Then you could finish in key areas with a baby wipe and antiperspirant/deodorant. Maybe some Bond's powder too?
posted by barnone at 7:27 PM on February 11, 2009


Tart's wash = PTA bath, (pussy, tits and armpits. smile....
posted by raildr at 7:35 PM on February 11, 2009


Response by poster: Totally offtopic, but interesting nonetheless:

37 minutes after posting this question, this page is now the number 1 search result for "tart's wash".

You scare me sometimes, Google ...

posted by oostevo at 7:42 PM on February 11, 2009 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Bring a couple of handtowels/wash-cloths and a chamois each day? Wet and wring out the first two in the bathroom sink, lock yourself in a toilet cubicle and use one wash-cloth to put soap on, one to take soap off, then dry off with the chamois? You might be able to do a better job that way of actual cleaning, plus you can run warm water on the wash-cloths which I reckon would make me feel more, psychologically, like I'd had a real shower.
posted by springbound at 8:16 PM on February 11, 2009


Best answer: Shower before you leave for the gym, then do your washup routine after.

It's amazing how well that works--much better than if you start out without showering.
posted by flug at 8:17 PM on February 11, 2009


Yeah, shower first and you will feel a lot less nasty. Sweating when you start off clean isn't nearly so bad as sweating when you haven't showered in 24 hours.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:26 PM on February 11, 2009


Find a gym with a shower?

If you're making it a priority to work out every morning, you might as well make it easier on yourself. You'll also have fewer reasons to quit doing it when your motivation is low.
posted by Relic at 8:27 PM on February 11, 2009


Best answer: Rocket Shower Spray Cleaner--http://10nine8.net/
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:17 PM on February 11, 2009


Is there a crappy globo-gym somewhere in the vicinity of either your (good) gym or work? Because memberships are frequently like 20$/month. Might be worth it just to show up, shower, and change clothes.
posted by ctmf at 9:47 PM on February 11, 2009


Best answer: When I was a kid with an eczema problem, one doctor I visited recommended that I basically wash with cetaphil for a few days between baths/showers. My recollection is that this was surprisingly effective if a bit weird...
posted by weston at 12:16 AM on February 12, 2009


Find a gym with a shower?

Seriously, just find a proper gym which has a shower.
posted by dmt at 2:36 AM on February 12, 2009


Best answer: Sponge bath. A bottle of water (from the sink is fine), a sponge, lock yourself in a bathroom stall, take off your shirt and do upper body wipe. First wet, then sorta dry to clean it off, then as dry as you can squeeze the sponge out to dry off. Repeat for lower areas. You can usually squeeze out the sponge in a way that is unobvious. Wash out the sponge between runs. Bum Bath. About all I had for a year.
posted by zengargoyle at 4:34 AM on February 12, 2009


Seriously, just find a proper gym which has a shower.

Really. Only vaguely related, a question of mine from 2006; after reading it you'll understand why I call your place the Tossers Gym.

And this is the first time I've ever heard anyone use the verb "bathe" to describe the act of showering.

posted by Rash at 6:11 PM on February 12, 2009


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