The Pros and Cons of Peeing in the Shower (& Why It's Not as Gross as You Think)
It’s a safe space here: You can totally admit that you’ve peed in the shower before, even if it was an accident and just kind of, well, slipped out. Sure, peeing in the shower isn’t something that usually comes up in dinner conversation or over brunch with friends, but anyone who’s human has likely let pee freely flow while bathing at least once in our lives. What if we told you that you could actually go pee in the shower, and not feel ashamed about that fact, from an ecological or health perspective?
That’s right: It turns out that peeing in the shower is not only pretty convenient, but it’s actually environmentally responsible too. The University of East Anglia in Norwich, England even created a “Go with the Flow” campaign that went mainstream in 2014 after two students estimated that peeing in the shower could save the campus 187 million gallons of water a year. So yes, it’s a way to help soothe some of that eco-anxiety, but keep in mind that if you’re showering in a communal space like a dorm or gym, peeing in there might not be the most sanitary idea.
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When it comes to your health — is it actually OK for your bladder and pelvic floor if you pee in the shower? — things are slightly more complicated, as you’ll see ahead. The good news? Peeing in the shower is still acceptable for the most part, as long as you don’t make a habit of it. We’ll tell you why below.
Pro: It’s good for the environment (and your wallet).
University of East Anglia’s experiment estimated that the new program would save the university over $230,000 a year in water costs. Your personal savings might not be that impressive (although who knows how much you pee), but who wouldn’t love to lighten up their utility bill by a few bucks each month?
On top of that, you’ll be helping environment. According to administrators at University of East Anglia, if the school’s 15,000 students peed in the shower for a year, the school “would save enough water to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool 26 times over.” Plus, that would mean that there would be less toilet paper waste in the sewage system, and therefore less cleanup needed.
Pro: It might be more hygienic than toilet paper.
Many public health officials have long wondered how toilet paper ended up as the cleanest standard for bathroom clean up. Dry paper just kind of smears things around and for people with vulvas, not wiping carefully enough can introduce infection-causing bacteria into the urethra, potentially causing a urinary tract infection. That problem doesn’t exist of course in the shower, where clean water rinses everything down and out. Just be mindful not to get pee on your feet or legs or in open cuts, where bacteria from the urine could potentially be introduced.
Con: You might get too used to peeing in the shower.
If you regularly pee in the shower, you might accidentally train your brain to only pee in the shower, pelvic floor physical therapist Rachel Gelman tells SheKnows. “This could trickle (pun intended) over to the brain hearing the sound of any running water and saying ‘oh it’s time to pee,'” she explains.
The good news is that if this happens to you, it’s not a permanent issue. “The brain and bladder are adaptable so a person can re-train them to no longer associate running water with peeing,” Gelman says, “but ideally we want to avoid that pattern to begin with.” (If you do need to re-train your bladder in this way, Gelman recommends seeing a pelvic floor specialist!)
Pro: It’s cleaner for your restroom, theoretically.
Peeing while sitting or standing near a toilet seat can cause drips, leaks or “mist” on the toilet seat. Add toilet paper to the mix and, well, that’s how you end up with gas station restrooms. There’s a reason that many countries outside America use bidets, toilet-like devices that squirt water for effective bottom cleaning.
Con: Standing can feel awkward.
This one is most relatable to those of us with vulvas, who aren’t used to peeing while standing — it just might feel weird to do it. “For some people, it can be difficult to relax enough in a standing position, and this can limit how well the bladder can empty,” Gelman explains.
Pro: It can help you relax.
Urogynecologist Dr. Karyn Eilber of the Down There Doctors tells SheKnows that this is one of the less obvious benefits of peeing in the shower. “For people who have difficulty urinating either due to increased overall pelvic floor muscle tone (dysfunctional voiding) or can’t relax their sphincter muscle (bladder outlet obstruction),” she says, “the warm water from the shower can relax muscles to help make peeing easier.”
Gelman agrees. “If someone is struggling to pee and they are having difficulty starting their stream, peeing in the shower may be a solution to get things flowing,” she says. “Ideally, I would recommend listening to running water while on the toilet, but if it happens while in the shower that may be the solution.”
So yes, it is OK to pee in the shower every once in a while, although we don’t recommend making a habit of it. That said, if you’re going to pee in the shower or if it accidentally slips out, make sure you give your shower a very regular spritz with an all-purpose cleaner afterward to banish bacteria. And remember, you can try this at home, but not at the gym — and wash your legs afterward too!
A version of this article was published in 2020.
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