Is it common for Americans to use a wash cloth for showering? Or what do you usually use to shower?
Posted by SignificantStyle4958@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 903 comments
bygtopp@reddit
120 grit sand paper
U-Conn@reddit
That’s the biggest difference between American and Australians. Americans use sandpaper as a washcloth, Australians use it as toilet paper.
ChessieChesapeake@reddit
Now I have a vision of Paul Hogan saying, “That’s not toilet paper. This is toilet paper.”, while holding up a sheet of 120 grit.
LieutenantStar2@reddit
60 grit
alady12@reddit
It's for washing off your backside.
-joker-joker-joker-@reddit
Now we're talking
ThisDerpForSale@reddit
Oi, I see you've played toilety-papery before!
Deer_like_me@reddit
Can’t go wrong with a knifey- spoony
Ok-Fondant-8436@reddit
Settled. We all dumb.
CoachOpen1977@reddit
“That’ll get ya clean, brother!”
failureofsocietyy@reddit
my ex from auatralia only used to use her hands and was mind blown when i told her us americans use a washcloth / loofah
goddessofgoo@reddit
Only because you don't know how to use the 3 sea shells
Healthy_Effort1415@reddit
Very few will get this. John Spartan would be proud.
SHAsyhl@reddit
They never explained, so he just #%@$.
Curmudgy@reddit
That’s because they don’t have Toxicodendron radicans growing among all their other poisonous life.
Drew707@reddit
I love how the distribution of that is like everywhere east of the Rockies and Arizona.
This is why California has an ag check. Poison Oak is enough.
MakeStupidHurtAgain@reddit
I was gonna say, we have enough to deal with with Toxicodendron pubescens. You keep your filthy Toxicodendron radicans and, while we’re at it, Toxicodendron vernix away from these fair golden acres.
NessunoUNo@reddit
Bidet mate
name_checks_out86@reddit
I use extra soft toilet paper and water. Ain’t gonna be rough on my anus
VinRow@reddit
https://youtu.be/baAaidzTZ-M?si=3qBHWv-kMDR9SQrg
LovingPeppy@reddit
🤣🤣🤣
Moln0015@reddit
Child's play. I use i wire wheel.
bygtopp@reddit
That’s why you been digging to get the wire spurs out like you been using a BBQ brush
december14th2015@reddit
🇺🇸🦅👖
Haifisch2112@reddit
40 grit on my crack
Entiox@reddit
I just use a sandblaster as a bidet.
Training_Salad_5301@reddit
Make sure its got an intermittent loose ground connection to know you're alive.
NoseDesperate6952@reddit
🤣
sparrow_42@reddit
Now That’s What I Call Hygiene
SilentRaindrops@reddit
I'm a bit more delicate down there so I only use the water power washer.
Greenearthgirl87@reddit
Yikes! That made my but pucker a little
Lugbor@reddit
Can't afford the bat with barbed wire for that, huh? I get it, the economy's not great right now, but it's an upgrade you really need to consider.
Haifisch2112@reddit
That's a great idea. I'm sure it's much easier using the long handle.
big-dal-tex@reddit
I use an exfoliating cloth that feels similar
AluminumCansAndYarn@reddit
Honestly, I use a Korean exfoliating cloth thingy before I use my African net sponge and the Korean cloth thingy feels like sandpaper but god does it get the dead skin off. Mind you, o don't do this daily. But I did today and the dead skin just pills up and rolls and it's so gross and satisfying at the same time.
LankyJeep@reddit
Pfft weak, I’m using 80 grit to really remove that dirt and grime
Glittering_Chance_42@reddit
Bah, I put a treadmill in the bathroom and sit my ass on that. Does the work for me
cindyb0202@reddit
Yes
Modern_Leper93@reddit
I like to do a stage down and start 120 and work my way to 240.
specialpb@reddit
Wet dry I hope.
Nippon-Gakki@reddit
Sand blasting nozzle right next to the shower head. Have to clean those hard to reach places.
IthurielSpear@reddit
Me too!!!
likemy10thaccount@reddit
120?! That ain't getting the poop off me.
railmanmatt@reddit
Weak. I use 80 grit.
Queer_Advocate@reddit
With a belt sander ofc, don't be a low class person and do it by hand.
Seriously OP, I just shower with my hand + body wash.
bygtopp@reddit
Belt sander is equal to a bidet.
Queer_Advocate@reddit
100%
Tillandsi@reddit
Ok Chuck Norris
bygtopp@reddit
Rough and rough and doesn’t take shit from no one
Chance_Ad_2132@reddit
I straight up use a knife to remove the outermost layer of my skin every Sunday so I can remain pure.
CrabbyUnderARock@reddit
I always shower with a wash cloth. I don’t feel truly clean if I don’t use one.
payasopeludo@reddit
Not using a washcloth is like putting toothpaste on your finger and rubbing it on your teeth. It's not just the soap that cleans you, it's the soap and the friction combined. Who tf doesn't use a wash cloth or scrubber or loofah or anything?
Glittering-Barber497@reddit
You really don't think there's any friction going on when washing yourself off with your hands? Do you wash your hands with a wash cloth or loofah?
Froggirl26@reddit
You wash your hands like 50 times a day, so it's not necessary, but I do use a fingernail brush when I wash my hands, I have one in the shower, and at every sink at home and at work.
tinksalt@reddit
Right? I have young kids and when teaching them to wash their hands, I teach them to scrub and tell them the soap isn’t magic, it just collects the dirt that you have to scrub off. These people using only their hands to wash their entire body are covered in dirt. Ain’t no way they scrub every inch with enough vigor to actually get clean.
spud4@reddit
Not a kid rarely covered in dirt. Feel perfectly clean when I get out.
HidingInTrees2245@reddit
Also, a washcloth’s friction gets more dead skin cells off. It leaves less dead skin to feed the bacteria that causes body odor.
rosewalker42@reddit
Wait so do you use a washcloth every time you wash your hands?
HidingInTrees2245@reddit
Do you wash every inch of your body for 20 seconds same as your hands?
Ricky_spanish_again@reddit
Soap bonds to dirt on one end and bonds to water on the other. You don’t need a washcloth unless you have shit stuck on your body. Maybe you do.
HidingInTrees2245@reddit
Same. My hands just don’t do the job.
Pale_Row1166@reddit
The alternative is not hands, it’s a shower puff
Filing_chapter11@reddit
But with hands/shower puff how do you reach in between your shoulder blades?
HidingInTrees2245@reddit
I throw one end over a shoulder, grab the other end, and pull it back and forth.
Filing_chapter11@reddit
I’m asking about people who use their hands I already use a washcloth for this reason
Pale_Row1166@reddit
With your arms and hands
Filing_chapter11@reddit
Ok then I guess my shoulders just aren’t flexible enough to contort my arms at the angle I’d need in order to get that exact spot. Even if I just had an itch there I’d need someone else to scratch it for me
Pale_Row1166@reddit
I can reach. Can you put both hands behind your back, one from over, one from under, and then clasp your fingers? If not, work on it. We need to stay limber as we age.
Filing_chapter11@reddit
No lol I used to be extremely flexible and still couldn’t do it then either. I have thoracic scoliosis though so that’s probably why. I would end up dislocating a shoulder 😭
HidingInTrees2245@reddit
A shower puff is better than nothing. But I like being able to use a clean washcloth each day.
Quirky-Invite7664@reddit
Me too!
bmsa131@reddit
50/50. I don’t think using it or not using it is an American thing
im-dramatic@reddit
It’s cultural. Black people use wash clothes and if you don’t, you get judged lol. So it’s definitely a big deal in the black community.
Froggirl26@reddit
White person here, I use a washcloth, a loofah, and an exfoliating glove. I have only met one person my entire life that didn't use a washcloth, he was from Jordan
Hoobi_Goobi@reddit
I have come across a lot of black creators on social media making videos that claim white people don't use washcloths or scrub themselves for some reason. Scrubbing yourself in the shower is not a cultural thing, it's basic hygiene across the board for everyone.
im-dramatic@reddit
The topic is wash cloths. Not scrubbing.
Hoobi_Goobi@reddit
I’m not being defensive, and I didnt say anything about you. I was saying that those are the responses you’re getting because it’s common for people to say that while specifically saying that white people don’t for some reason
im-dramatic@reddit
But it is culture. Some white people do and some don’t (50/50). For black people there’s a small group that don’t. So I think it is very cultural. I will agree that a lot of people think white people are dirty due to their showering habits, but I don’t think that way.
kethry_80@reddit
My family is as white as white can get, and we always used washcloths when we used bar soap. Now we use liquid soap and nylon poofs. I only use just hands and soap if I am washing my face.
Several_Ad_6576@reddit
So you don’t use a washcloth is what you are saying.
kethry_80@reddit
We still have washcloths as well. Washcloths are definitely preferable for us to bare hands + soap.
Playful_Dust9381@reddit
I used to use a nylon poof. Then I got a weird skin fungus. (Long time ago, back when wide leg pants were popular the last time…)
I washed it with my linens weekly, but I never realized that they never really dry, especially if you shower twice a day like I do. (South. Humid. Sticky. Gross.) Took my dermatologist a while to help me solve that one. Now it’s a clean washcloth every shower!
jennyrules@reddit
A nylon poof? Are you people unfamiliar with the term "loofah"?
Playful_Dust9381@reddit
A loofah is - by definition - a natural sponge made from dried plant similar to a cucumber.
That is not the same as a nylon poof. I guess people don’t know the difference.
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
I use a clean washcloth for every shower too and I'm also in the humid south.
Playful_Dust9381@reddit
Sweaty southerners unite!
HeidiWoodSprite@reddit
I use a washcloth made of the same material as a nylon poof, but it's just a flat square, with a loop to hang it dry. I toss it in the wash machine occasionally, and air dry it.
cappotto-marrone@reddit
I’m 68 and am glow in the dark white. We always used washcloths growing up. It’s my preference.
My husband likes the little nylon poof things. We switch them up and wash often.
I save my old wash cloths for trips to countries where they are not usually in the hotels. I leave them behind.
Several_Ad_6576@reddit
I am 53 year old, pasty white male and have not used a washcloth for bathing since I was 3 years old.
Playful_Dust9381@reddit
Same! But on a one month trip to the UK, we ran out… but found some for 1£ each at a Boots pharmacy. We bought all 6 they had. 😆
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
Thanks for the tip. You can usually find Boots everywhere in the UK. It's so difficult to find washcloths and ice there.
WillGrahamsass@reddit
You wash your ass with nylon? Who are you Chuck Norris?
HrhEverythingElse@reddit
Washcloth is still far superior to the poufs
Browsing4Advice@reddit
I’m not sure if this is true, so please let me know. You basically need a washcloth if you don’t shower daily and I think black people don’t shower daily because it will dry out their skin, so it makes sense.
im-dramatic@reddit
LOL yea this is absolutely not true. Thats another no no in the black community. We shower everyday and moisturize a lot.
CaptainPunisher@reddit
I don't want nuts and butts on my soap. A washcloth prevents this. See Joey and Chandler
Bird_Gazer@reddit
It’s soap. It’s self-cleaning.
WorkingItOutSomeday@reddit
This! Im white and use a cloth but did so as a kid because my Italian cousin made fun of me for not. As an adult, my black wife (now ex) was surprised I used a cloth. My white gf that it was weird that I used one and didnt know how to use it.
im-dramatic@reddit
I use one but my husband doesn’t (he’s white). We started sending my son to my family’s house for the summers and now he screams from the bathroom when he’s missing a washcloth “I need my butt towel!!” 🤣 My parents are converting him.
WorkingItOutSomeday@reddit
No wonder black people think we smell like dog or hotdog water
WorkingItOutSomeday@reddit
Dead!
im-dramatic@reddit
This is hilarious 😆
Tejanisima@reddit
I didn't even know about that until it was referenced in an SNL sketch with Ego Nwodim and John Mulaney! (would link to it, but it's not on YouTube anymore for some reason — was the "family reunion" sequel to The Cha Cha Slide sketch)
assholetax21@reddit
White person here. I use a clean washcloth every shower and think everyone should. 😁
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
Me too!
turnbackb42L8@reddit
I remember seeing that on Chappelle’s Trading Spouses sketch when he talks about how he learned white people don’t use washcloths…lol
Unlikely-Low-8132@reddit
It's not just Black People - Japanese use wash cloths.
rainbud22@reddit
Don’t they also use brushes?
Browsing4Advice@reddit
I’ve seen a lot of videos about Americans complaining because hotels overseas don’t have washcloths and they make it seem like washcloths are an American thing.
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
I use washcloths and travel frequently and it bothers me but what can you do? I don't like the hard beds either...
Browsing4Advice@reddit
Hard beds? I can’t handle them. I’ve stayed in decent hotels in the US and had to put all the pillows in a row on the bed so that I wasn’t in pain and could fall asleep.
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
I try to stay with Marriott/Sheraton brand. The Sheraton was the first to do heavenly beds with the Westin hotels. I love them and the feather beds and pillows and just comfort. It would be a place to request no feather if you are allergic but I love it.
Browsing4Advice@reddit
The pillow thing happened at a Sheraton in Myrtle Beach.
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
It's a thing for this American. It you stay at an American brand hotel often they will have one overseas. Typically you get 3 here.
Chronic_Iconic_Lady@reddit
Apparently some people think using a washcloth is for "the poors" and the rich use loofahs. Having tried both, a good bar soap and my hands are fine.
KingDarius89@reddit
Meh. I use body wash and a loofah.
castlenutjob@reddit
I suck dick. 🤷♂️
sgtm7@reddit
I use body wash and a wash cloth.
realnewsediter@reddit
It's hard to clean your backside with a loofah, and kinda gross. You can launder the cloth.
pacifistpotatoes@reddit
I can clean my backside just fine with a loofah, what you doing over there mate?
KingDarius89@reddit
I have two. One for that, one for everything else. I also change them fairly frequently.
realnewsediter@reddit
Thanks for explaining. I can go along with that plan
midzo@reddit
I throw my loofah in the wash, as well.
Queer_Advocate@reddit
My dermatologist banned yesterday loofah from the house. I'm sad. I used natural ones I loved that were scrubby and threw em away weekly.
Mr_Kittlesworth@reddit
The rich mostly just use their hands or a loofah. Using wash cloths is definitely lower middle class or lower class coded.
nettap@reddit
I don’t think this is true. Loofahs were not even available when I was growing up - they became popular when I was in college (the nylon ones). I think washcloths are regional and have to do if you come from somewhere that had a lot of farming.
nettap@reddit
This is so mot true and is hilarious.
SANtoDEN@reddit
Wait, really?? I have never heard this or thought about this.
Agreeable-Sun368@reddit
Yes, and I think it's related to a few things:
Prestigious_Bat7322@reddit
Your APUSH teacher liked having you in class.
Agreeable-Sun368@reddit
lmao I hope he did; he wrote me a rec letter. Now I'm a humanities teacher myself.
Prestigious_Bat7322@reddit
And no doubt a good one.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
If I'm going to exfoliate, there's much better things to use than a washcloth. A loofah exfoliates better. I generally think they're gross. I'd rather have a washcloth because I wash it every time. But also the rich people I know also use washcloths. So this is strange to me.
Lisserbee26@reddit
You see this is funny to me. In my experience rich people are not doing heavy manual labor and get by with whatever suds of choice they are using. People with physically intensive jobs and the poor in general use a washcloth.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
I don't do heavy manual labor and always use a wash cloth. My husband does heavy manual labor and doesn't.
sgtm7@reddit
I use body wash with a wash cloth.
Playful_Dust9381@reddit
Love the background info! I would also add how uncommon it is to have a hand sprayer in US showers. I haaaate that when traveling within the US. Hand sprayers make you feel so much cleaner than soap/loofah/washcloth alone. We use a combo - our bougie side gets a European-style hand sprayer and our middle class side gets a washcloth (which then goes in its own little laundry basket in the bathroom - washcloths are single use around here - I want clean, dry one when I wash my face, not one that’s been up my crack in the past 24 hours.)
dobie_dobes@reddit
Kudos to you on explaining this really well.
Curmudgy@reddit
I’m not poor, but I switched to bar soap to avoid unnecessary plastics. And I use washcloths because they’re easier to wash regularly than something like a loofah, though I might change that as my arm flexibility diminishes with age.
Manderthal13@reddit
Long handle scrubby brush.
Agreeable-Sun368@reddit
Oh, for sure this is more historical precedent than current reasons. Bar soap is still cheaper today but only marginally...you can get like Dial bodywash from the drug store for a similar price as a cheap bar of soap. Personally, I use bar soap, which I lather on my hands. I don't use any washcloth or loofah...just hands. I just don't need to exfoliate at all, and I didn't grow up doing it, so it feels unnecessary.
realnewsediter@reddit
Ridiculous. That means the rich have dirty asses.
Mr_Kittlesworth@reddit
If you don’t have a wash cloth, say, at a hotel, you don’t clean your ass?
realnewsediter@reddit
K ... You're unevolved, using your hand or a piece of plastic, EWW, so not sure why I'm replying. Every hotel supplies wash cloths above 1 star in the US. If i travel internationally and there is any uncertainty i pack my own and toss them out or launder them.
Mr_Kittlesworth@reddit
Wash cloths, themselves, are far more likely to carry germs and dirt.
Unless you’re a coal miner or oilfield worker you absolutely don’t need a wash cloth to get clean.
OK_Stop_Already@reddit
i would not agree with that at all. Never heard of it being 'coded' anything. In fact, most people i know think using only your hands and soap without a cloth or some kind of scrubbing implement is 'crusty'.
Neferknitti@reddit
How do the Richie riches wash their ears?
FeralGiraffeAttack@reddit
How do you exfoliate?
Sugah-mama21@reddit
I never have in my life.
FeralGiraffeAttack@reddit
Eww
Sugah-mama21@reddit
Exfoliation is not a strict biological necessity for everyone, as the skin naturally sheds cells every ~28 days.
I do not have oily skin and it is highly recommended that I don't because of extreme eczema. So please save your 'ew'
FeralGiraffeAttack@reddit
You’re not a strict biological necessity
Texan_Greyback@reddit
Scratchy towel. I hate the soft ones.
Lcdmt3@reddit
Who says you need to? Why possibly disrupt the moisture barrier
Accomplished-Car4069@reddit
you should probably scrub any dead skin off
RightYouAreKen1@reddit
A lot of it falls off on it's own. That's what a lot of the dust in your house is.
katarh@reddit
y'all don't get ashy legs?
rbroccoli@reddit
Exfoliating too often can cause ashiness since it strips aways skin oils that serve the purpose of protecting the skin, and since it abrades the surface, will cause dead/dry skin to develop more rapidly.
For example, razor burn is the result of the exfoliating effect of the blade crossing your skin. Generally, healthy skin will release the dead skin effectively through a combination of dust and simply washing with soap and rinsing with water
PeppyQuotient57@reddit
Never
WhatABeautifulMess@reddit
can't be ashy if your skin is too pale for contrast
bmsa131@reddit
Not really. I shave my legs in the shower so that must exfoliate.
Accomplished-Car4069@reddit
not enough of it evidently
No-Anteater1688@reddit
Bath brush.
Flaming_Moose205@reddit
Callused hands are nature’s exfoliation.
HuckleberryHappy6524@reddit
This man blue collars.
Queer_Advocate@reddit
Blue collars during the week, popped collars on the weekends.
Chronic_Iconic_Lady@reddit
My soap has sulfer in it for a gentle chemical exfoliation, but generally you don't need to.
bmsa131@reddit
I use nothing!!!
jigokubi@reddit
Not even water?
Realistic_Point_9906@reddit
I suspect they meant no washcloth, loofah or nylon poof. Just soap and water (with hands).
Realistic_Point_9906@reddit
I suspect they meant no washcloth, loofah or nylon poof. Just soap and water (with hands).
Blue_Star_Child@reddit
Never bathed a day in my life.
eirissazun@reddit
Sand.
KingDarius89@reddit
insert Anakin's "I Hate Sand" gif
dillyofapickle42@reddit
I'm dry clean only....which means I'm dirty.
SaintCambria@reddit
He used to be dirty; he still is, but he used to be, too.
KittenPurrs@reddit
Oh, hey, Mitch!
BlueFuzzyCrocs@reddit
I like a bar soap that has a little grit mixed in
Realistic_Point_9906@reddit
My supermarket has its own store brand of oatmeal soap with that grit for exfoliating. I love it!
NoseDesperate6952@reddit
Me too! I use the white scrubby Squatch bar soap. I like to raid my husband’s guy products sometimes.
BlueFuzzyCrocs@reddit
That's the brand I use too. I like how they have multiple textures available for people that like more or less grit too
SubstanceNo1544@reddit
Your hands dont exfoliate the dead skin off. Should definitely use a washcloth or loofah
SubstanceNo1544@reddit
Downvoted for having good hygene.. what a world 2026 is... smh.
Feisty_Water_3164@reddit
But you can wash the cloth.
1EMurph1@reddit
Wtf is a loofah ??
Outside_Narwhal3784@reddit
Been bathing with bar soap and my hands for roughly 37 years. Seems to do the trick, I don’t get any complaints about my hygiene and I’m rarely sick.
Ill-Lou-Malnati@reddit
During the week, its prison showers. Wash my hair, hit the stinky bits with some Irish Spring. If I’m going out, body wash and a wash cloth.
Accomplished-Car4069@reddit
i never understood that, because loofahs are pretty cheap
dillyofapickle42@reddit
Maybe because they're not quite as reusable as a wash cloth....in that you can wash and reuse a washcloth for years but loofahs generally get thrown away and replaced every few months.
SomebodyElseAsWell@reddit
If you're talking about plastic loofahs, you can throw them in the washing machine. If you're talking about real organic loofahs, then yes they can wear out fast.
theimmortalgoon@reddit
I have no idea how to do it without a bar of soap.
It’s been at least 4,800 years since the Babylonians were using fats and wood ash for cleaning.
I’m very suspicious that Procter and Gamble came up with something better that we need to use for our own benefit.
Chronic_Iconic_Lady@reddit
Don't you know that they have found the problem that you are secretly a stinky stinky person and everything think you are but won't tell you. Quick buy our product before you become a social pariah! (I am not kidding about how they marketed cleaning products)
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
So do you put the bar of soap directly on your ass and then reuse it again on your face?? Are you putting your hand in your ass to wash it??
IthurielSpear@reddit
I’m poor so I grow my own loofah and I also sell it to the riches
Specialist_Stop8572@reddit
Eww
NotUntilTheFishJumps@reddit
What's hilarious is that I have found that a nice loofa can cost the same as a nice washcloth lol
Trondiginus@reddit
Isn't that just a Tom Segura podcast rage bait bit?
Gloomy-Albatross-843@reddit
Who decided that?
ArkansasTravelier@reddit
Ok Tom Segura fan/ hater lol
10ioio@reddit
I feel like it's sort of a white vs black thing in the US tbh.
I feel like white people use loofahs (maybe due to oilier skin that requires exfoliation) while black people use washcloths. Not 100% true, but I have heard people say this before.
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
White here and use washcloths. Loofahs are way too scratchy.
hypo-osmotic@reddit
Some conversations I've seen on the internet suggest that they're less common in Europe. Not sure where we rank compared to the rest of the world
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
You don't get washcloths in European, Caribbean or South American hotels. I need a washcloth.
SnooChipmunks2079@reddit
When I was in Barcelona, my only European trip, the hotel not having any was a bit confusing to me.
Mousearella@reddit
I only heard of it because of social media.
hx87@reddit
Washcloths with car soap, plastic loofahs with liquid body wash.
sageamericanidiot@reddit
Um yes, wash clothes are common. So are body sponges and loofahs.
LinuxLinus@reddit
Why?
boarhowl@reddit
You're supposed to hang them to dry like a towel and then wash them regularly
LinuxLinus@reddit
Sure. But why bother with them? They don't get you cleaner than soap, water, and your hands, and they accumulate dirt and mold very quickly.
K_N0RRIS@reddit
So you just dig in your butt with your raw fingers to clean it? Or do you like, let the soap lather just get inbetween there and rinse it out as best you can?
hx87@reddit
With a narrow jet of water coming out of a handheld showerhead I'm not sure you can get any "better" rinsing.
DrGlennWellnessMD@reddit
Dude you're not supposed to be soaping all up in your orifices, washcloth or no
K_N0RRIS@reddit
dude. shit literally comes out my butthole. I'm sure soap is safe.
hx87@reddit
Menstrual fluid and vaginal discharge come out of vaginas, and yet getting soap in there is a terrible idea.
Real_James_Bond007@reddit
Pump of soap on hand. Scrub booty crack with hand. Wash hand.
K_N0RRIS@reddit
what about the first 1/2 inch or so inside your booty your booty where the bad smells come from? Just the butt crack?
ClearlyADuck@reddit
I don't see why you can't use your hands? Soap on hands, hands go to butthole, rub the outside (obviously do not put soap inside), rinse?
Linzabee@reddit
They exfoliate your skin better
Lcdmt3@reddit
Your body is naturally made to shed dead cells. You can also use a body scrub, and your hands
Interesting_Bunch323@reddit
No, they don’t accumulate dirt and mold very quickly. I live in Houston, a.k.a. the humidity.Capital of large cities in the United States, and I’ve used washcloths all of my 57 years. You use it, you ring it out, and you hang it up, and 24 hours later it’s completely dry. It then goes in the laundry hamper to be washed in the near future
WabbitFire@reddit
I ain't got time for that, man.
K_N0RRIS@reddit
Thats why you do laundry. You can change out your washcloths as frequently as you like. I have a closet full of wash rags and towels for that purpose.
How do you clean your asshole?
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
Are you one of those "touching your own butt makes you gay" people? I'm a loofa person myself but on the rare occasion I don't have it with me, yeah, I soap up my hands and clean my ass.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
No I'm a don't touch your ass without using antibacterial soap afterwards because I take a shower and then make breakfast and I'm not trying to give everybody e coli.
Overall_Occasion_175@reddit
Regular soap is just as effective as antibacterial.
WabbitFire@reddit
How do you clean your asshole with a rag, and then still use it?
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
I don't. I then wash it in a disinfecting cycle in the washing machine
Horzzo@reddit
Of course. Ass first then face.
Lower_Neck_1432@reddit
This reminds me of the Friends episode where Joey and Chandler were arguing about the washrag...what's the first thing you wash and the last thing I wash?
ghoulthebraineater@reddit
Personally I only use a wash cloth for my ass. My loofah is for the rest of my body. The wash cloth gets tossed into the laundry after use.
GieMomma@reddit
😂 it's the last thing I wash!
GieMomma@reddit
THANK YOU!! If you haven't scrubbed it, it's not clean! Also, I don't want another person just rubbing the bar of soap on their asshole and then leaving that soap for me. Y'all "hands" people, please get a washcloth!!
Dyl6886@reddit
You don’t have to directly rub the bar of soap all over your body, you know? Get it wet and rub your hands together to sud up, you put the bar down, and then use your hands.
Typically the privates and rear would be the last thing you’d wash but you still just get more soap from the bar with your other hand, and wash your hands. Job done.
For the record I use liquid soap now but was raised with bar soap and never once used a loofah or washcloth unless special circumstances or a brief period when we had rags specifically for your face.
fakehighschoolgf@reddit
I use liquid soap. Not an issue.
Lower_Neck_1432@reddit
Same way a bidet does...point the shower wand at your bunghole and cheeks and spray.
LinuxLinus@reddit
Congratulations.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
Body wash is not the same thing as hand soap. But you can always use your washcloth once and then put it in the washer.
Asleep-Letterhead-16@reddit
they don’t accumulate much mold at all, where did you keep yours?
NoCheetoinChief@reddit
My washer and dryer take care of that issue.
Stefferdiddle@reddit
A wash cloth can add a degree of exfoliation. Unless you like scaly skin. But a Japanese Bath Towel or an African Net Sponge are the superior bath implement.
cybrcyn@reddit
No they don’t. You use a washcloth cloth once and then wash it.
jbcsee@reddit
Wash cloths do a better job and you are supposed to change them after every use.
That said, I'm too lazy, so I use soap, water and hands as well.
Meowmeowmeow31@reddit
Dermatologists tell you to avoid washcloths and loofahs if you have psoriasis or eczema.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
Or you know you could just not scrub with a washcloth and dab and not touch your bare ass with your hands and then make breakfast.
Blossom73@reddit
You're right. My daughter had bad eczema as a toddler, and her pediatrician told me the same.
Illustrious-Shirt569@reddit
Why? I never have.
Mental_Freedom_1648@reddit
Exfoliation.
Illustrious-Shirt569@reddit
I exfoliate in other ways. I wash my body with my hands. I and my healthy skin have survived half a century of this method so far.
Mental_Freedom_1648@reddit
Shower practices don't generally kill, so I'm not surprised you're still alive, but you asked why and exfoliation is an answer.
Illustrious-Shirt569@reddit
That’s certainly a totally valid answer as to why people do it, but I don’t think that it being one method of exfoliating is a reason that everyone should.
mmmeadi@reddit
No washcloth could ever be softer or less irritating than my own hands.
QV79Y@reddit
Nope, hands work fine.
swagmaster3k@reddit
I was raised in a loofah household but after learning about how it can hold a lot of bacteria, I’m now a wash cloth girly. They’re not expensive, I buy a new pack a year and throw away those that have gotten a good use out of.
uChoice_Reindeer7903@reddit
After a year? All of mine are almost 15 years old. They seem to get better with age if you ask me.
your_fave_redditor@reddit
Yeah, they likely get softer over the years with all the dander / skin flakes / lint / oils / random other stuff that builds up on them. Almost like a seasoned cast iron pan!
Glad-Cat-1885@reddit
They should get rougher if you’re actually cleaning them and using hot water I have some that are almost as rough as a pumice stone
uChoice_Reindeer7903@reddit
Not the person you’re commenting to, but I don’t wash anything in hot water, never saw the point. But yes, my wash clothes are definitely on the rough side, but not ridiculously rough, they soften up pretty good once they get wet.
hx87@reddit
The only thing I wash in hot water is the washing machine itself.
Gloomy-Albatross-843@reddit
Are you not washing the wash cloth after?
your_fave_redditor@reddit
I thought the “seasoned cast iron pan” part would have indicated sarcasm, but I suppose not clearly enough.
Euphoric-Return1631@reddit
If they get softer you're not washing them on a high enough temperature. I put mine on a boil wash once a week. They only get rougher and rougher. I have one that's 17 years old, I use it to remove paint now because it's too aggressive for body use 😂
strategic_hoarder@reddit
African net towel/exfoliating towel! It's basically an unravelled loofah so you can rinse it and dry it out completely.
maceilean@reddit
I think that's the same or similar to Japanese washcloths, ie Salux. I use one and don't feel clean without it.
Queer_Advocate@reddit
Anyone else just open Amazon looking for these? Just me?
ViperMom149@reddit
I did. 😂
Queer_Advocate@reddit
I definitely did.
loseunclecuntly@reddit
I have one of these (African net towel) and the face cloth sized one. The smaller one drys out fast and is recommended to be used about 3times a week. Exfoliates so well you need to be careful with it. The back towel scrubs just a well.
HyperboleHelper@reddit
I love mine! Plus you can just throw them in the wash just like a wash cloth. I still have wash cloths for when I'm wanting less of a scrub, but these things are amazing.
Interesting_Bunch323@reddit
Am I to believe that you think a washcloth won’t dry out completely? My apologies if I’m assuming too much.
armadilloantics@reddit
Growing up in the south we used washcloths at my grandma's during the summer. No, they never dried fully. Maybe after 36-48 hours, but who is showering that infrequently? It still gives me the heebie jeebies of grabbing the damp cold washcloth and having to get it under the shower to warm up.
ImLittleNana@reddit
Who is reusing a washcloth? Am I to understand that you wash from your face to crack, then the next day or day after use that stiffened butt rag to wash your face?
I use a clean washcloth every day. Sometimes I use more than one if I have cosmetics on.
Washcloths are inexpensive if you aren’t buying 5 star hotel sets.
sgtm7@reddit
Just wash your butt crack first.
witchy12@reddit
Why are you using bodywash to wash your face?
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
I also washed my face with my face wash. And then I also washed some other areas with my face wash that are prone to getting acne. And then I put body wash on the same washcloth and wash everywhere else. And then I put that washcloth in the laundry and get a new one the next day.
ImLittleNana@reddit
I wash my face first in th shower. My face wash is in there.
I wash my body next. I don’t use a special soap just pomegranate. I don’t change the washcloth because I’m fine with any residue of my gentle face wash getting in my body. It does run down my neck an into my body already as so and shampoo are prone to do.
Plopular@reddit
You gotta crack your washcloth like a glowstick to re-activate the bacteria.
Interesting_Bunch323@reddit
No central air and heat?
alabaster_xo@reddit
Bless your heart
Interesting_Bunch323@reddit
I’ve lived in the South all 57 years of my life and we always had AC and heat and our washcloths almost always dried in 24 hours
alabaster_xo@reddit
Growing up in bum-fuddled appalachia, we didn't have central heat & air. Maybe a window unit or a ceiling fan. Mostly open windows and doors to try and catch a breeze.
Interesting_Bunch323@reddit
Ahhh
HidingInTrees2245@reddit
Why wouldn’t you use a freshly clean one each time?
Substantial_Will_514@reddit
Blegh. Fresh wash cloth every shower
nicholas818@reddit
The “southern summer” is key here. In a dry climate they can definitely dry out quicker.
Deep_Downlow@reddit
Eww, a reused washcloth smells of mold and mildew.
HidingInTrees2245@reddit
If you reuse them you’re doing it wrong. You should use a clean one each time.
strategic_hoarder@reddit
No, the loofah. The middle where it's all bunched together stays wet for a long time and it can breed bacteria. Nice warm wet space full of skin flakes with loads of surface area. The net towel rinses out well and dries very quickly.
There are some places with high humidity where if you leave your wet towels in a pile or put them in the hamper while they are wet, they'll grow mold. I was in Savannah, Georgia once and it was so humid that I don't think my hair ever dried all the way. But no, in the general sense, I know a washcloth will dry.
GobbyHopalong@reddit
Loofahs don’t always dry out completely, and the net towel is being compared to it.
Stefferdiddle@reddit
This! Or a Japanese one which is similar. They dry so fast that it makes it easy to pack in my suitcase.
SpecificOpposite5200@reddit
Why throw away? Why not just wash them with the towels?
HidingInTrees2245@reddit
Yep. It’s so simple. A clean one for each shower. No mold problems. I recycle mine into cleaning rags and then the trash.
bluetubeodyssey@reddit
This is also my experience. Loofahs for the first 37 years of my life, then tried hands-only for a while like my husband does, then saw on Reddit that many people use washcloths and switched to that. Love washcloths the best!
K_N0RRIS@reddit
Americans are not all from the same culture so you will not get a single answer.
I do know that its definitely common with black americans and black culture. Some would say mandatory. We almost never shower using soap and bare hands. A lot of us were surprised to hear that other people don't use washcloths. Like, how do you clean in your asshole without a rag or something? You use your bare fingers/fingernails?
PossumJenkinsSoles@reddit
Yes, if I can stick my fingers inside my actual hole to use a diva cup or a tampon without an applicator or a Nuva ring I can assure you my fingers going between my ass cheeks does not bother me. I’ll even go so far as to say I find it odd that people are so afraid of their own fingers being near their buttholes.
And I use a wash cloth, I’m just not baffled by people who don’t.
Hoobi_Goobi@reddit
They aren't saying they are afraid to touch their cracks with their hands, they're saying the crack isn't getting clean if you don't scrub using something with texture.
PossumJenkinsSoles@reddit
So how do you guys wash your hands? You carry around a wash cloth to wash them with?
Hoobi_Goobi@reddit
Hands are being washed consistently throughout the day and don’t build up dead skin that needs to be exfoliated off, or hold stinky bacteria in the same way as your pits and crack
PossumJenkinsSoles@reddit
I don’t know what your butt crack does but mine doesn’t build up dead skin? And even if it did - like …what? Like my feet get lots of dead skin, the thought that a wash cloth takes care of that is silly, it doesn’t - they have to be filed. Am I supposed to file my asshole to have it really clean?
If there’s soap and water and scrubbing it’s probably good enough. Just like your hands. Or if you REALLY cared about your asshole being the cleanest in the land you’d take an alcohol wipe to it all day long.
Hoobi_Goobi@reddit
Uh, nobody is advised to file or put alcohol on their booty hole. But if you are someone who wipes after pooping and doesn’t use a bidet, you should be using something more abrasive than hands on your crack. And hands alone aren’t removing bacteria and deodorant buildup from pits
PossumJenkinsSoles@reddit
I mean we’re not talking about the pits, but if we were I shave mine regularly which probably takes off a good few layers of skin more than washcloth exfoliation. So my pits win cleaner than yours.
I’m sorry I just think this whole thing is hygiene performance theater. Everyone overcompensating about their cleanliness so they can be perceived as The Most Clean person. Everyone who showers with soap and water daily and gets into their crevices with their fingers or cloth or sponge probably has the same amount of minimal skin bacteria.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
Yeah, but the reason I don't use my fingers isn't because I'm afraid of my fingers being near my a** it's that I'm afraid of getting bacteria on my fingers. The last thing I clean would be my ass. Then that goes directly into the hamper. Most body wash is not killing bacteria by chemical it's just scraping it off.
PossumJenkinsSoles@reddit
That’s exactly how soap works. It is killing bacteria. It’s why we wash our hands with just soap and water after using the bathroom. The soap does the work.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
No it's not.
nalonrae@reddit
Soap breaks down the membrane of pathogens and does kill them, but that is secondary to it also lifting them from your skin to be rinsed away.
fern98@reddit
Most soap doesn't kill bacteria. It lubricates the bacteria and they slide off the skin.
idkbutithinkaboutit@reddit
Yeah, that's a hidden angle that most commenters are missing. American puritanical culture and ultra-hygiene culture. "Don't touch yourself 'down there' "
Mental_Freedom_1648@reddit
I remember when this discourse got going and being confused, because surely black people haven't been propping up the American wash cloth market all by ourselves?
Blossom73@reddit
It's social media nonsense designed to rile people up, and it's working, based on that person's comment. White Americans aren't any more of a monolith than black Americans are.
I can't imagine wasting any energy on obsessing over how other people wash themselves in the bath or shower anyway. As long as they're clean, who cares?
Mental_Freedom_1648@reddit
No group is a monolith, but there was only one group who was overwhelmingly in the "hands only" demo.
You're in this topic just like the rest of us. Talking about random unimportant things online is what social media is for.
No_Walk_Town@reddit
That can't be right, because I live in Japan and nobody here uses a wash cloth - and you can actually know that because communal bathing is super common here.
Unless Japanese-Americans are learning to use wash cloths when they get to America, it isn't "only one group" that's hands only.
Mental_Freedom_1648@reddit
I have no idea what Japanese Americans are washing with, since they didn't make themselves represented in the social media discourse, so yes, it is right that there was only one group who was overwhelmingly represented in that group.
No_Walk_Town@reddit
Ok, fair enough. You were very specific about that.
I'm just saying that the Japanese are extremely focused on their own ethnic and cultural superiority, and if they did, in fact, use wash cloths, you would absolutely hear about it, because the internet would be flooded with Japanese ethnonationalists calling people slurs for washing without one at the communal bath.
That has a knock-on effect in America, where Asian diaspora will inject that narrative into American discourse. (And I try to be careful about how I talk about that, because a lot of weebs you encounter online are just Americans trying to find some sense of...I don't know, belonging? in Japanese cartoons - but they're often just reiterating Japanese beliefs of their own racial superiority.)
Anyway, I guess, since we're specifically talking about American online discourse, is that the silence on the topic is, itself, a pretty loud statement.
But, yeah, no, not trying to rant or lecture, I just find the entire conversation a bit befuddling. Because Japanese people constantly push this narrative of their own superiority, so it always gives me a bit of a chuckle when you encounter something they do that people think is utterly disgusting, because it's just such a comical reversal.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
Yeah actually the only person I knew that was grossed out by me using a washcloth was my black friend. But I think it was more about using the hotels. Washcloth. I'm not sure if she brought her own though because I didn't ask her what she used. But I've also seen recently it on a lot of black creators pages and a lot of gross stuff being said in the comments about white people. And man I get it. Black people get the short end of the stick when it comes to being discriminated against for the possibility of looking dirty or smelling or whatever it is. But it turned into something that sounded a whole lot. Like we're very proud of the black tax we have to pay on our grooming. It just means we don't smell like gross outside and it's self-care. But it really seems like a black tax to me.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
All of my white family use washcloths or aloofah. I like loofahs better but they get gross fast and then if you wash them too much they fall apart. Whereas washcloths it's easy to just have enough washcloths to use one or two a day. And you can wash them endlessly for years on end and they are fine. My husband will sometimes use his hand and it grosses me out.
WrennyWrenegade@reddit
I was a white kid raised using washcloths and didn't learn about this "controvesy" until I was in my 30s. You shower with so few people, you never really know what other folks are doing in there.
But surely nobody thinks that every hotel in America provides washcloths in each room just to appeal to their Black clientele, right?
Mental_Freedom_1648@reddit
Exactly. They have to be way more popular than a lot of people were saying.
JONOV@reddit
They haven’t. About 40% of my (caucasian) family use them regularly I guess (of those that have stayed at my house.) I use them if I’m exceptionally dirty like after doing a bunch of yard work, if I’m painting or have been using chemicals or pressure washing. I also use them at hotels if the hotel doesn’t have bar soap, or if I’m out of bar soap an using the Mrs’s body wash.
What I think is interesting is the vocal portion of wash cloth users that are bewildered that people can clean themselves without one.
Mental_Freedom_1648@reddit
It's just a matter of whether you think scrubbing with your hands is enough or not.
realnewsediter@reddit
Bro please clean your butthole lol. When's the last time you got in there.
Genius-Imbecile@reddit
We just might be.
Deep_Downlow@reddit
WARNING GRAPHIC DETAILS AHEAD
I wipe my ass when I shit, usually before I get in the shower. Then I rinse off, spread my cheeks and let that water run down, lather my hands and wash.my head down to my waist. Lather up again, wash my groin and then ass. Then I rinse off the soapy lather. Then I wash my hands and then wash my feet. When Im done with my feet I wash my legs on down. Rinse and then dry myself.
Lower_Neck_1432@reddit
Detachable shower hose and shoot water on it like a bidet.
Ok-Possibility-9826@reddit
This right here. I’ve never been in a Black household, actually, American or not, where I wasn’t offered a washcloth when I stayed over.
SaintsFanPA@reddit
This was a whole thing on the series Woke.
Stefferdiddle@reddit
Why is your asshole not clean before you shower? That’s what bidets or toilet wipes are for.
K_N0RRIS@reddit
Wait, you think youre clean just because you wiped with toilet paper? Does the average american bathroom have a bidet?
Stefferdiddle@reddit
I said toilet wipes as well. You know like Dude wipes? The moist soapy wipes used for that specific purpose?
spacedman_spiff@reddit
You don’t use soap where your waste comes out?
MHW93@reddit
Im white, but cant imagine not using a washcloth to scrub!
Defiant_Finger4011@reddit
Hands, but if I’m feeling particularly dirty from the days activities or need to exfoliate I use a wash cloth. I stopped using the plastic loofah things and refuse to spend money on real loofah.
Aggravating_Fishy_98@reddit
I use exfoliating gloves
ColoAstro@reddit
Washcloth on the face, loofa for everything else.
apleasantpeninsula@reddit
raised to, now don't
failureofsocietyy@reddit
my ex from auatralia only used to use her hands and was mind blown when i told her us americans use a washcloth / loofah
NxxMo@reddit
african net sponge or hard exfoliating gloves.
reluctant_cynic@reddit
I use the Japanese nylon scrub towels. I can actually get my back with these whereas with poofs my arms don’t twist that way
Recent-Influence-965@reddit
So how do you use the 3 shells ?
NeptuneEclipse@reddit
Soap and hands for me
HappyCamper2121@reddit
Hands down, the best method!
ViperMom149@reddit
My fiancé is a soap hands guy and I use two loofahs.
metricnv@reddit
Nothing wrong with that.
Borrowing-air@reddit
but it doesn’t exfoliate dead skin
Double-Award-4190@reddit
No, not personally. When showering communally you will probably notice ¼ of us use cloths.
Ol_Man_J@reddit
I don't. I use a loofah or just my hands.
loftychicago@reddit
By loofah, I'm guessing you mean a little net poofy scrubber?
jennyrules@reddit
You're guessing? It's literally called a loofah sponge! How am I in a thread full of Americans and no one is familiar with this outrageously common term?
loftychicago@reddit
But it's not a loofah. A loofah is a plant that, when dried, can be used to scrub your skin.
Ol_Man_J@reddit
Yeah, I'm finding out that someone will correct me because if it's not from the loof region of france it's just a sparkling sponge or some shit
AluminumCansAndYarn@reddit
Loofah is actually a plant that is dried out and cut into rounds and is used as a natural sponge. It's like luffa or loofah. I personally dont like the plant loofah because I feel like it deteriorates quickly when introduced to water but people use them.
However, a loofah is more commonly known as a net spongey thing made out of plastic or other such materials.
eyetracker@reddit
Yeah it's a big long squash. It dries and skeletonizes, then you can slice it up. Really cool if you can see a crop where half are on their way to sponge and half recognizable as a gourd.
OtisSpunkmey3r@reddit
I literally laughed out loud. Well said good sir.
technically_spirited@reddit
😂😂
version13@reddit
“My name is Loofah, I live on the bathroom floor…”
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
A good bar of soap and my hands is all I need. A washcloth gets dirty. My hands can be washed, at the end of the shower.
mjc500@reddit
I genuinely don’t see the appeal of loofahs and washcloths. I’ve tried them out just to see what the fuss is about but it seems pointless. I understand Europeans calling us out for not using the metric system, or not incorporating tax into shelf price tags, or various other things… but this I genuinely don’t get.
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
I appreciate your comment. But loofahs are actually really pleasant. I don't think they get us much cleaner, but if you've time for a long shower, they do feel good.
livinlavidanacho@reddit
Loofahs often harbor dirt and molds, so using one may even make you dirtier.
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
Sounds about right. My bar of soap and my hands are good enough for me.
slutty_lifeguard@reddit
People have been having a lot of luck with African net sponges to combat that specific challenge of loofahs. They look like unravelled loofahs, so they can completely dry out. They can be washed with your towels, so they can be used over and over again instead of replaced as often as loofahs are. From personal experience, they're also very nice to reach your whole back without needing a separate tool.
Pro tip: you should aim to get a genuine one with little knots through it rather than one that looks like a cut piece of mesh.
Examples:
Mesh (non-preferred, don't get): https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-African-Exfoliating-Scrubber-Smoother/dp/B09HH8R1T8/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=3BQCEM01N7V3C&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eDxBSwNaiBwbNtBcbafMFOt0xNH-3yFhgllyAUsyAFSSa-dh3ENYw4Uf3BtjM7jXcli8V15Xx2BDXswY79PLxcPcNb9qXZ7cjf7tkZgFc7RYeBCPUPvpNZlj94GEEO5eUDwdkcgIUKDaV2Y27whVZPfsu2PdRPpMrMasZmrkHXwb1VxGZXdCla2msHUpZUFdk3Y8vtYTNRvIaJbuBwMgsQ.FZ1-rvFWjZN6uA-LAoXifHUw5_QG_NmdbWesVltGpYU&dib_tag=se&keywords=african+net+sponge&qid=1775905334&sprefix=African+net+sponge%2Caps%2C283&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1
Knotted (preferred, do get!): https://www.amazon.com/SPMKTBOZAI-Authentic-Exfoliating-Exfoliator-Accessories/dp/B0D7MD8K8Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_5_sspa?crid=3BQCEM01N7V3C&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.eDxBSwNaiBwbNtBcbafMFOt0xNH-3yFhgllyAUsyAFSSa-dh3ENYw4Uf3BtjM7jXcli8V15Xx2BDXswY79PLxcPcNb9qXZ7cjf7tkZgFc7RYeBCPUPvpNZlj94GEEO5eUDwdkcgIUKDaV2Y27whVZPfsu2PdRPpMrMasZmrkHXwb1VxGZXdCla2msHUpZUFdk3Y8vtYTNRvIaJbuBwMgsQ.FZ1-rvFWjZN6uA-LAoXifHUw5_QG_NmdbWesVltGpYU&dib_tag=se&keywords=african+net+sponge&qid=1775905334&sprefix=African+net+sponge%2Caps%2C283&sr=8-5-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1
DogsBikesAndMovies@reddit
That's a great reply. I'm 50 years old, so I'm kinda stuck in my ways. I'll stick with my bar of soap and bare hands, but perhaps what you have mentioned will do other people good. Cheers!
SunHitsTheSky@reddit
Exfoliation
rammaunna@reddit
Exactly. Hands don’t work for that.
Correct_Raisin4332@reddit
Same hands or loofah on a stick to get my back.
I also have a detachable shower head to hose off the undercarriage before and after washing with soap.
metricnv@reddit
Same same.
Ense_Lucis@reddit
Sorry, I was still stuck on the "sandpaper as tp" thread above you. I was so confused lmao
rdubmu@reddit
Same
Puzzled-River-5899@reddit
Use cotton washclothes not plastic poofs. Plastic poofs = micro plastics in your water and in your body
Yamtaggler@reddit
I don't know, I use one but I don't watch other Americans shower very often.
Rum_Running_Sailor@reddit
I wouldn't say it's common, but it is done. Most Americans just use soap and their hands. Keep in mind there's a massive bar soap and body wash industry in America so we have lots of options.
ForeverExplore15@reddit
My father never uses a washcloth. I do, but very occasionally. My mother and sister use a new one every time they shower. It depends on the person.
Awdayshus@reddit
I use one of those poufs that I don't know the proper name for so I always have trouble adding to a pickup order when it's time for a new one.
I just checked, and apparently no one knows what they're called. The names are like "shower sponge loofah pouf," probably so people find them no matter what they search for.
castlenutjob@reddit
Bullets
RobotShlomo@reddit
I can only speak from experience that I primarily use a wash cloth to either stand on so I don't slip and fall, or I put it on the sink when I'm shaving to put my razor on. The latter because I use a safety razor, and I don't want to bang it on the sink.
la-wolfe@reddit
I use an African net sponge. I heavily prefer it over washclothes, which is what I used before.
Punkinpry427@reddit
I use scrubby gloves from Dollar Tree
Various-Try-1208@reddit
Yes. We use washcloths unless using something else like a loofa.
GarneNilbog@reddit
Washcloths, luffas. Luffas come natural or plastic. I like washcloths for my face and a luffa or whatever for everywhere else. Im growing my own luffa gourds this season to see if I can make my own lol
shirlxyz@reddit
Body wash with a body puff
argella1300@reddit
I use a brush with a long handle. Great for reaching that awkward spot in the middle of my back
Semirhage527@reddit
I use a Korean bath cloth, my husband uses a regular bath cloth. I discovered the Korean style at the spa and loved it
fadedtimes@reddit
I would never use one. Just seems like a bacteria or mold magnet
PuzzledPhilosopher25@reddit
I use a bedsheet. Clean those and myself at the same time.
Qedtanya13@reddit
A poof/loofah
cassbaggie@reddit
Scrub gloves, poof, loofah, brush. Depends on the vibe.
Username_Here5@reddit
I use a bar of soap, loofa’s are bacterial breeding grounds and horrible for the environment
OpaqueCrystalBall@reddit
Loofah is a plant, but I imagine you're thinking of shower pouf.
Metal_Rider@reddit
Yeah, so many of these answers say they use a loofah that it has to be a lot of them misnaming a pouf.
Tempest_in_a_TARDIS@reddit
In the US at least, plastic shower poufs are regularly called loofahs, even by the stores selling them like here and here.
Just like many of us say champagne when it's not from Champagne, or silverware when it's not made of actual silver.
Metal_Rider@reddit
That’s interesting. I clicked your link and see Walmart calling a pouf a loofah, but they also call a loofah a loofah. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Natural-Exfoliating-Loofah-Sponge-Biodegradable-Organic-Luffa-Sponges-Egyptian-Real-Loofa-Body-Back-Scrubber-Bath-Shower-Puff-Bathing-Spa-Massaging-D/1021431700?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=103110750&sourceid=dsn_gdn_0c92c416-dbd6-42ec-845c-ecf69af2153d&veh=dsn&wmlspartner=dsn_gdn_0c92c416-dbd6-42ec-845c-ecf69af2153d&cn=0042_fy27_mp_mpa_lo_int_dis_pmax-p13n&wl9=pla&wl11=online&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23148469844&gbraid=0AAAAADmfBIqNxcQ0nSSVyOMJBJj4PZ4Kh&gclid=CjwKCAjw4ufOBhBkEiwAfuC7-SJkm5Fvkmj8g7eGF4D2wJXs_Q24K4tN14k7vT7slPPg6DM85R2ogRoCB1wQAvD_BwE
insomebodyelseslake@reddit
There are shower loofahs for sale that are made from the plant.
wiserTyou@reddit
I prefer to use a ficus.
DawaLhamo@reddit
Holly.
Username_Here5@reddit
SHOWER POUF….my bad, I thought they were interchangeable
NormalObligation59@reddit
Almost all black Americans do. White Americans are split, I would say a slight majority do not - they use their hands. The argument for washcloths is that they scrub more and exfoliate so you’re actually scrubbing dead skin and stuff off better. The argument against is that washcloths can breed bacteria, and your freshly cleaned hands are the cleanest tool. Also people have different opinions on how often you should exfoliate.
confusedrabbit247@reddit
No, that's what rubber ducks are for. Somebody tell Arthur Weasley!
700867@reddit
Liquid body wash and hands only. No prob.
moosieq@reddit
Shower pouf
supern8ural@reddit
I use a Japanese washcloth, can't imagine anything else. They're amazing. Salux is the brand I can usually find.
DontReportMe7565@reddit
I use my hand.
TheGreatHogdini@reddit
Warsh Cloth
realvctmsdntdrnkmlk@reddit
Wash cloths. Rough ones. And I frequently wash them on the nuclear setting. Some of my bathing habits might be a little pathological. But, I get really irritable if I haven’t bathed the way I need to. No wash cloth means I’m still dirty.
Last-Radish-9684@reddit
I'm partial to a cotton terry washcloth rather than a pouf or sponge. I am, however, old and set in my ways. 73F
C8H10N4O2_snob@reddit
I use exfoliating gloves for everything, and then my bits get a second pass with a washcloth.
These-Ad5332@reddit
Washcloths and loofahs are the most popular.
cuccumella@reddit
I don't feel clean enough with a washcloth. I use a boar bristle scrub brush on most of my body, and what's essentially a shower pouf but made with natural fibers for delicate areas
Devee@reddit
I use a bar of soap
Dense_Amphibian_9595@reddit
Just nothing except my hands
barr65@reddit
Water
Nathan-Nice@reddit
I never use a wash cloth. I like loofahs because they dry out better between uses.
coffeebuzzbuzzz@reddit
Growing up we used wash cloths. I use a nylon shower pouf as an adult. It creates lather better.
hideNseekKatt@reddit
I use different things for different areas. I use a soft terrycloth mitt for my face and neck. A body brush for my back, torso, and legs, a wash cloth for my bits and butt, a foot brush and a pumus stone for my feet. Then I use a Turkish kese for all over body exfoliation. Yes, I know it is a lot.
RavenRead@reddit
Yep. Gross not to
ForestFreakPNW@reddit
Sometimes I use a washcloth, other times a mesh scrubbie... And occasionally I like a bath brush. 😊
FireBallXLV@reddit
What an odd question Now I am wondering what people use in the rest of the World .
PrimroseSteps@reddit
I usually use a wash cloth for my face and a loofah for the rest of my body
pattiwhack5678@reddit
Hand
Toasted_chef1965@reddit
You youngins might be mentally challenged… we use water n soap. Cloth or sandpaper. Now fuck off and warsh those cornflake smelling toes!
OhHeyJeannette@reddit
White people don’t use wash cloths ….only black and Hispanic folks do.
BlissCrafter@reddit
Until maybe the last 2-3 years I never heard of someone not using a washcloth. So yes it’s common for people to use them.
fook75@reddit
Bar soap- Terry wash cloth
Liquid body wash- shower poof
StoriesandStones@reddit
I have scrubby gloves
justdisa@reddit
I also have scrubby gloves! Best thing ever.
FroznAlskn@reddit
Once I went to gloves I could never go back.
L5A5K7@reddit
Yes, I love my scrubby gloves. I wash them by hand in the shower after every use. Before I had them, I used a wash cloth.
Cold_Barber_4761@reddit
Same.
I love them so much!
katarh@reddit
I too use the scrubby gloves! They scrub better than a wash cloth. They dry faster and better than a loofah or a plastic shower scrubby. You can even run through through the gentle cycle in the washing machine. Its the best of all possible worlds.
Tankieforever@reddit
I personally like the pouches made of washclothesque material you can slip a bar of soap into and then use to lather up
SendHelp9417@reddit
I use a silicone body scrubber. It doesn’t grow mold and it doesn’t require regular washing so it’s a win-win
Chemical_Enthusiasm4@reddit
I us a Korean washcloth. About 4 feet long and scratchy- I can scrunch it up or stretch it to scrub by back. It dries out almost immediately so I just toss it in the wash every week
WinterRevolutionary6@reddit
I use a African exfoliating net
kalelopaka@reddit
I use a Salux exfoliating cloth and a washcloth for my face, neck etc.
tea-wallah@reddit
Grew up using wash cloths for showers, baths, and face washing. I’ve been using a loofah or scrubby thing since the liquid soaps came out in the 80s. I still use a washcloth on my face sometimes. I also keep one near the bathroom sink for drying water splashes.
HeatherM74@reddit
I use eco tools exfoliating bath net.
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
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snuffleupagus7@reddit
I can't imagine not using a washcloth, or loofah, sponge, pouf, scrubby gloves, something. Just raw dogging a bar of soap? 😭
ASingleBraid@reddit
No.
Hands and soap.
Proud_Huckleberry_42@reddit
A puff with liquid bath soap.
Important_Mud_6700@reddit
I just use a bar of soap and hands, and sometimes a loofah on a stick if I'm trying to reach my back
Sondari1@reddit
Just soap.
TLATrae@reddit
Team soap and hands only here.
Lovely-flutterby@reddit
What’s with the “wash cloth” instead of flannel? Brit imposter?
Just teasing. I’m certain you phrased it specifically for we Americans. Lol
sgtm7@reddit
I have always used a washcloth. I also make sure I pack some when I am traveling, in case the hotel I am staying in doesnt have them. I don't know how common it is, because it isn't a subject that comes up in normal conversation. The bathroom for visitors generally doesn't have a bath/shower, so you can't tell by using that bathroom.
What isn't common is to have a sprayer or bidet in the bathroom. I have lived outside the USA since 2007, and I stopped using toilet paper many years ago, because every place I have lived has the sprayer next to the toilet. I use the sprayer followed by wipes. If I ever end up somewhere that they only have toilet paper, I feel dirty until I can wash properly.
shadowlev@reddit
I would use a washcloth if I was bathing someone else but I generally just use my hands.
Willybluedog1962@reddit
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS8ZWRK1?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1
QueenKeyrona@reddit
I use a worsh rag.
Zillajami-Fnaffan2@reddit
I use a shower loofah. Two to be exact
Jafego@reddit
Water.
MikeOxmaul@reddit
Lufa
NoDoOversInLife@reddit
WTF kinda question is this????
No, America is still a developing Country existing in the 1700's. Leaves for general bathing and corn cobs for exfoliating are the norm.
hk1026@reddit
I don’t think Europeans use them. I’ve traveled all over Europe and stayed in hotels and Airbnb’s and people’s homes and I never ever get a washcloth to shower with, drives me crazy
Slight_Manufacturer6@reddit
I use soap and my hands to wash myself. Then I rinse off with water. No need for a wash cloth.
Sapphire_Dreams1024@reddit
Washcloth most days, once or twice a week ill use an exfoliating glove
HRDBMW@reddit
I used a dried gourd.
Macaron1jesus@reddit
White as snow here, and my family has always used washcloths. I prefer the slightly rougher textured ones though, because they exfoliate the dead skin and make your skin look and feel fresher. A clean one for every shower, and hang them to dry before putting them in the laundry hamper (so they don't get a mildew smell)
FindYourselfACity@reddit
Use a washcloth and definitely judge people who don’t.
Prize_Jicama2905@reddit
I use a washcloth on my face, a Korean exfoliating glove on the rest of my body.
Prize_Jicama2905@reddit
I'd say the Korean glove is about like 120 grit sandpaper though...
Enough_Equivalent379@reddit
Always a washcloth. Just don't ptess too hard in tender areas and you'll be fine. We use a fresh washcloth for each shower
crinnaursa@reddit
Lots of people use washcloths in America. I don't like using them. I think they're too soft. I instead use a stiff bristle brush and scrub like a penitent monk.
AZJHawk@reddit
I use my hands. I think washcloths are mostly used by older people and I think they’re a bit gross.
klo-ver@reddit
I use a loofah and a wash cloth (loofah for exfoliating)
ReindeerFl0tilla@reddit
I started using an Italy towel after the first time I went to King Spa (a Korean bathhouse).
Pagan_Princess_29@reddit
I do my body with a loofah and my lady bits with a washcloth
SyntheticScrivner@reddit
Washcloth for bar soap, silicone scrubber for body wash.
Shadow_Lass38@reddit
I use my hands and a bar or soap.
tinytacomuncher@reddit
It’s common for me
cardifan@reddit
I use a loofah and replace it once a month.
Longjumping-Eye-4257@reddit
I use a Japanese washcloth called a Salux cloth—which somehow shares DNA with sandpaper. But it’s effective.
mina-ann@reddit
I use a washcloth at night to wash my face at the sink. I use my hands and bar soap without a washcloth for my morning shower.
beardiac@reddit
I'm sure this is not a representative sampling, just what I know from people I know, but for people who use body wash, they either use a loofah or a wash cloth. For people who use bar soap, the men I know (including myself) use it directly while the women use either a loofah or washcloth with it.
I surmise the gender gap on the bar soap comes down to ease of lathering - body hair makes it easier, so the extra medium isnt needed.
Plenty_Vanilla_6947@reddit
Always used washcloths. If, for no other reason than to keep soap out of eyes while shampooing.
KayBear2@reddit
Scrubby
yozaner1324@reddit
I prefer to just use a pressurewasher.
Dangerous_Arachnid99@reddit
I haven't used a washcloth since I first tried a net pouf/scrubbie. Works so much better!
bisquitsngravy@reddit
I use a silicone scrubber, more hygienic in my opinion
GotMyTimberlandsOn@reddit
Washcloths and loofahs are gross to me because they don’t get dry. I used a silicone scrubber now, I love it.
OneOldBear@reddit
I use a wash cloth in the shower. I soap it up, then use it to soap myself up
Sassifrassically@reddit
I use a loofah
Baby_In_A-Trenchcoat@reddit
Scrub glove or loofah for me
Ok_Watercress_7801@reddit
Dry corncobs. Seriously. Best source of drys for composting wets. Pretty soft on the ol’ sphincter. In ready supply in ag intensive areas.
P.S. that’s why buggery was euphemised as “cornholing”. The beanbag filled with dry corn thing as a target-toss game came much later and much to the chagrin of many a farmer.
musaXmachina@reddit
Apparently it’s a cultural thing with wash cloths
RachelFLNYC@reddit
African Net Sponge. Google it. A total game changer!
biggreasyrhinos@reddit
Some of you motherfuckers are gross, and it show.
archives2024@reddit
a rock
Cold_Elk947@reddit
African net sponge.
Traditional_Trust_93@reddit
I used a loofah from a young age, moved on to my hands in my teens, then acquired a wash cloth and towel which my grandparents had sown my name into for Christmas and I've used those ever since.
theegodmother1999@reddit
i use an exfoliating scrub first with my hands, wash it all off, and then go back over my body with regular body wash and rub it in with my hands. i feel quite clean despite people making it seem like your hands can't do the job lol. i don't like not being able to actually feel my skin so i prefer using my hands. sue me!
also before people start giving me unsolicited advice: my skin has an incredibly hard time sloughing itself off which is why i use an exfoliant every shower. it works for me i don't treat my facial skin the same way <3
GooseNYC@reddit
Soap and shampoo.
biggreasyrhinos@reddit
I use this huge Japanese scrubby cloth thing
MemberChewbacca@reddit
White Americans don’t. Other communities do.
KansansKan@reddit
I didn’t use a wash cloth until I injured my arm and discovered one can’t “lather up a bar soap” with one hand so I started using a wash cloth & have continued ever since.
Chickadee831@reddit
I use a washcloth
palatablypeachy@reddit
Loofah
P00PooKitty@reddit
There is a noticeable racial Divide on this. Lotta white people do not, and everyone else does.
Rabid-tumbleweed@reddit
Plastic mesh "poof" scrubbie and liquid body wash for people who like to think they're fancy, bar soap and facecloth for the environmentally conscious and "old money."
imstillapenguin@reddit
I use a soap sponge. If you don't know what that is, it's basically like a square sponge that has soap come out of it when wet
Libertas_@reddit
I personally do, but it seems to vary by culture of Americans.
Nyx_Shadowspawn@reddit
I use a washcloth.
It's very variable between people, as you can see.
Chemical-Mix-6206@reddit
Bar soap and my hands, unless I've been digging in the garden or painting or something where I need some extra oomph.
Afromolukker_98@reddit
Most Black Americans use wash cloth
wpotman@reddit
A bar of soap, held in my hand.
I've never really understood what a wash cloth is supposed to add to the equation other than another wet piece of cloth to manage.
TractorsTrains@reddit
Exfoliation and scrubbing.
mis_1022@reddit
I think unless each person has their own bar of soap it’s to avoid sharing yuckies in the household. I don’t like the idea of the bar of soap on hubby ass if I also have to use it.
TractorsTrains@reddit
I do. I buy cheap washcloths and cut them in half for my Europe trips. Bin’em after a single use. I don’t feel bad about it because cotton is a renewable resource.
CoachOpen1977@reddit
This weird mesh net type thing. It’s not a poof but like a 1-2’ long length of net tube with a string tied on each end. My wife picked it up somewhere.
Before that I used a washcloth over and over for weeks until it dried stiff and scratchy.
Before that, my hands soaped-up with some “3 in 1” body wash, shampoo, and conditioner gel.
And before that I just rubbed a bar of soap all over my body.
theniwokesoftly@reddit
Little net scrubby thing
Apocalyptic0n3@reddit
I use a loofah. I have psoriasis pretty bad and scrubbing with a loofah each day helps keep it under control. Wash cloth and/or hands doesn't do nearly as good a job.
Ok_Arachnid1089@reddit
I always use a wash cloth but I noticed when I lived in thee we U K that they didn’t use them. I didn’t feel clean until I was able to find something I could wash with
Texan2116@reddit
Fur off of a kitten. Very soft.
Cinisajoy2@reddit
Wash cloth here.
rwv2055@reddit
A real American uses their Colt 1911. (This is a joke)
Storms5769@reddit
I used to use a loofa until I realized how unsanitary they can be by collecting dead skin. (I have a chronic disease and the meds I’m on, lowers my immune system so I have to be careful and use antibacterial soap.). I now use washcloths because I can wash them in hot water. I don’t know if it’s good genes or because I drink a gallon of water a day, but my entire life, I’ve been told that I have the softest skin that anyone has touched.
Alcoholitron@reddit
The whats now?
dillyofapickle42@reddit
What a weird question generalizing 300 million people as if we all frequently take a national survey about our shower habits.
Dyl6886@reddit
I mean they can pretty easily extrapolate our answers into statistics… or if you happen to know what your family does maybe you think you have an idea.
I don’t think they’re expecting anyone to be experts in what all Americans combined use.
dillyofapickle42@reddit
I sure hope that nobody out there actually thinks that the type of person to answer this question on a social media platform like reddit is at all close to an accurate representation of the United States.
poopiebutt505@reddit
O use a washcloths, an exfoliating mitt, and a face exfoliater
fern98@reddit
My hand. Why would I wanna keep a dirty cloth around to wash myself when at that point my hand will be cleaner?
vallhallaawaits@reddit
The Duke Cannon Tactical Scrubber
SkyBerry924@reddit
I typically use a fancy loofah
Jumpy_Engineer_1854@reddit
Compared to the rest of the world, yes.
Within the US, body loofahs and exfoliating cloths are starting to take precedence, unless you’re too broke to afford them. However a shower that didn’t have washcloths available would be really, really weird here.
whatsupgrizzlyadams@reddit
I use a wash cloth ( wash rag) on my face, a bathroom pouf on stick for my body and a bath brush on my feet.
_PsychoLlama_@reddit
I use an exfoliating mitt that is sooo refreshingly scrubby. And African net thingie for scrubbing my back. Scrub-a-dub-dub!
largos7289@reddit
use to then the wife gave me the loofa.
Ok-Thing-2222@reddit
I always use a washcloth when showering. Use once, then launder. Loofahs and sponge thingies get too mildewy-smelling.
Puzzleheaded-Ad-9280@reddit
washcloths are literally disgusting, nets for the win
couchbutt@reddit
Water.
patty202@reddit
Japanese wash cloth. Goshi
Lillibet3@reddit
Washcloth or better especially in the summer time we use loofas.
TheMuffler42069@reddit
I have a series of rocks I use to rub against my skin that vary from rough to smooth
Glittering-Debt-5729@reddit
Loofah is popular
TradeBeautiful42@reddit
Shower puff
Throwawaylog2018@reddit
This genuinely depends on the person as I’ve seen all different class backgrounds do multiple ( wash cloths, loofas, bare hands )
The proper way with me is to use a slightly rough wash cloth and antibacterial bar soap ( I like dial white )
You start with your neck/chest/back/arms then move to your legs and then your intimates
My mother growing up had her own little exfoliating brush thing for her feet that she’d do last and I’ve started to do the same.
Then if you want you can go back in with smell good/liquid soap or shower gel either with your hands or another wash cloth.
I’m personally a super smeller and can tell when someone doesn’t exfoliate their skin enough when they shower/use only fragrant liquid body wash.
Bacteria and old skin cells build on your body and liquid body wash only sticks on top of it.
Same with lingering mildew smell from a loofah no matter how many times you wash it or ring it out after.
FolderolDupree888@reddit
I use my towel for showering. That way when I come out, I’m already dry.
MotherTeresaOnlyfans@reddit
Washcloth use is significantly less common among white Americans for various reasons.
zentravan@reddit
I use a wash cloth on my face and a luffa on my body
TipsyBaker_@reddit
I use both a loofah and a wash cloth. I think I'm going to look in to growing my own loofah though, then I can replace them a lot more often for cheap
GeronimoHero@reddit
Either a washcloth or a loofah, yes.
Living_Watercress@reddit
The nylon(?) Puffs are nice.
invader000@reddit
Washcloth or loofah. If a hotel doesn't provide one (washcloth) I use the spare bath towel right after taking a big messy shit.
Woogity@reddit
I am 30 or 40 years old and I do not need this (washcloth).
Troutmandoo@reddit
Body wash and a scrubby. One of those plastic mesh things scrunched up in a ball. But I have this rectangular washcloth with rope handles on each side. The cloth is really scratchy. Best morning shower back scratches ever.
Filing_chapter11@reddit
I prefer a washcloth, loofah once in a blue moon to exfoliate if I need to and always with a relatively new one. Hands don’t get a good enough lather imo and loofahs grow bacteria + aren’t able to be washed. Wash cloths make it so much easier to wash your back since you can grab both ends to get the parts you can’t reach with your hands. I know plenty of people who don’t use wash cloths and an equally large amount of people who make fun of people for using anything but a wash cloth. There’s a stereotype here that white people don’t use them but I have no idea how much of that comes from reality because I don’t go around asking everyone how they shower LOL.
mofa90277@reddit
Scrub brush with a long wooden handle. Like in 1940s cartoons. Unlike the older ones, mine has two sides, with a stiffer brush that I use only for the soles of my feet.
Too_High_Drive@reddit
I usually use water from the shower head when I shower...
bloontsmooker@reddit
I have a bunch of exfoliating gloves and wash cloths - on occasion I’ll buy a nice pack of loofahs or netted sponge things.
applesandoranges_@reddit
I just use a washcloth and soap
LeGrandePoobah@reddit
Hands, and a scrubby glove if needed.
nautilator44@reddit
Explain what you mean by "shower"
DameofDames@reddit
Bath brush. Tortoiseshell colored acrylic and boar bristles. It's got a good reach so I can do my back and not bend so much for my legs.
Glittering_Chance_42@reddit
It’s personal preference between a wash cloth or a loofah or a scubby-mesh gathered and ties into a ball.
Cat_the_Great@reddit
Are people meaning real loofahs or are you using that and poof interchangeably?
Remarkable_Table_279@reddit
I’m guessing they’re using it interchangeably
teriKatty@reddit
Yes I use a wash cloth or loofah
Tomato_Motorola@reddit
Loofah
Remarkable_Table_279@reddit
I saw a video that said there’s a racial divide - black women are more likely to use washcloth and white women are more likely to use a poof… I’m not sure if there’s any truth to it…but I’m fishbelly pale and prefer a poof
Lady-Kat1969@reddit
Bar soap, preferably the comfrey and peppermint or spearmint and basil from the yarn store just down the road because it smells so damn good and the mint feels all tingly. There’s a place that does a spearmint and eucalyptus soap that is absolutely godly when allergies are being particularly sucky, but it’s harder to get to.
JoeyBag0Dildos@reddit
I warsh myself with a rag on a stick
Excellent_Plant_8010@reddit
Either my hands or a dove scrubber thing I have depends on the day, how tired I am or how dirty I am.
Pernicious_Possum@reddit
There are like 350,000,000 of us. I get this is ask an American, but ya’ll need to realize there is no real consensus amongst us. We are a vast and varied people. I use a Japanese washcloth half the time, and the other half just a bar of soap. I’m the only one that uses said soap
Dyl6886@reddit
I think they’re moreso just curious to see the responses even if they’re all over the place. Just reading over the many different answers you can find trends.
Personally I didn’t realize how common it was to use loofahs or especially washcloths considering I’ve only ever used my hands and soap my whole life as that’s how I was raised in my rural midwestern household.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
My rural Midwestern household that was run by my mom who's a nurse would never allow that virus/bacteria vector to happen. We definitely used washcloths.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
Do people not realize that bar soap has been shown to have bacteria on the film on the outside and that neither bar soap nor body wash disinfect. So if you wash your butt with either the bar of soap or your hands, you are transferring fecal coliform to other places possibly e coli. Possibly viruses. Herpes lot of people have that. This is enlightening and gross in. Makes me understand why covid spread so fast. Also, yes, washcloths can get bacteria in them that's why you don't reuse them. You wash them when you're done and then you use it.
Eat_Carbs_OD@reddit
I use a wash cloth.
VinRow@reddit
I one for my face, another of a different material for my body and exfoliating gloves, and a brush on a stick for my back where I can’t reach.
Parking_Champion_740@reddit
Sometimes I’ll use one to scrub behind my ears but otherwise not that much…face washing sometimes? I don’t really understand what people are doing with them
Frenchitwist@reddit
I don’t. I just use hands soap and water
Wash clothes can build insane amounts of bacteria and are NASTY just after 2-3 showers. And going through 1 per shower feels wasteful, even if you do laundry once a week.
I’ll only ever use them if I’m doing a quick whore’s bath or if my cat got into something he shouldn’t have and I need to spot clean him.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
Just wash them each time like seven washcloths in the laundry. Seven tiny little scraps of fabric just fit in with my load. I'm not using anymore or less water. And I'm usually doing laundry more than once a week.
HidingInTrees2245@reddit
I feel like men are more likely to use just their hands. Women usually use a scrubby or washcloth.
No_Mobile6220@reddit
Silicon scrubber.. more hygienic than a wash cloth or germy loofah.
LopsidedGrapefruit11@reddit
I use an African net thingy which is a wash cloth made out of shower poof material lol I like to scrub my back and floss my crack.
tylermm03@reddit
I don’t know about everyone else but personally I just walk through the car wash when I take my car to get cleaned s/.
Slow_Concern_672@reddit
So I seem to have some level of unnecessary fear that might Verge on a phobia of car washes because one time my car got stuck in one. It's just not my favorite thing. I tried calling them and asking them how I got out and eventually I just drove but it did injure my car. But I was so afraid I was going to have to somehow walk out in the middle of the freaking car wash and it wouldn't stop. I thought eventually it would just go through the cycle on time but it didn't.
Oolon42@reddit
I use a... I don't know what it's called. Scrubby thing? Scrunchie ball?
magicpenny@reddit
I use a loofa and a wash cloth. Different tools for different parts.
Grendal54@reddit
In Oklahoma we have a really cheap, really rough toilet paper called John Wayne brand. It’s rough, it’s tough and it don’t take no shit off Indians.
ChankleyBore@reddit
Washcloth for my face and ass, in that order. Bar of soap in a scrubby loofa like bag for the rest of me.
soobuuun814@reddit
I use a loofah for my body, but I use a washcloth and my hands/fingers to wash my ass.
Pristine_Cicada_5422@reddit
I use a mesh pouf, you put body wash on it, lather it up and clean up. No bar soap, no wash cloths. My 80 year old parents still use a washcloth, I think only really old people use them, and maybe people who don’t want the expense of replacing bouf and body wash?
LvBorzoi@reddit
wash cloth or a lufa
Important_Canary6766@reddit
I just use a bar of soap and my hands, my mother uses a washcloth. No idea what my dad does, last boyfriend used a washcloth.
TheOfficialKramer@reddit
Yes, we use washcloths.
marymoonu@reddit
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Depends on my mood, I guess.
theromanempire1923@reddit
I use one for my face, then body with bar of soap and hands
PurposeConscious6859@reddit
I don't understand a lot of these responses. I use a bar of soap. Not a pouf, loofah, washcloth, my hands, etc. A bar of soap. I take the bar of soap and touch every part of my skin with said bar of soap. I do not understand why people say a washcloth or just their plain hands. Like why wouldn't you put the soap directly on your skin? I will use a pouf with some nice smelling body wash afterwards, mostly just because I like the scent. But for actually washing, why would the answer just be soap?
johnnymacdoodle@reddit
I do. Works great with body wash
Craftycat99@reddit
Yeah we call wash cloth a wash rag tho
Lance-Boyle-666@reddit
I think most use washcloths. Some use loofahs, puffs, sponges, brushes, etc.
TheJokersChild@reddit
Yep. Washcloth helps spread the lather.
notrobert7@reddit
Washcloth
cottoncandymandy@reddit
I use a washcloth.
Twistedanddemented73@reddit
A poof!
NecessaryLight2815@reddit
I use a mesh sponge. And this Korean scratchy thing on my back. Love it.
specialpb@reddit
A scrunchie and a brush for the feet and back
GeneseeJunior@reddit
I usually only use one to exfoliate or to scrub if I'm REALLY dirty.
_Bon_Vivant_@reddit
I use a loofah on a stick.
dropyopanties@reddit
I use a Loofwhaffa and an outdoor shower .
hiirogen@reddit
I like washcloths as I can just toss em into the wash after each use
Altril2010@reddit
I have one in the shower because at my core I am still a toddler who cries when water runs down my face. I don’t actually use it for washing. I have a loofa for that and an exfoliating sugar scrub.
Additional_Gate3629@reddit
my hand
designsbyintegra@reddit
I just use a bar of soap. It’s quick, no fuss and I get clean.
Great_Chipmunk4357@reddit
I can’t speak for other Americans because I don’t shower with them. In school showers we used our hands.
cleverburrito@reddit
Washcloth, loofah, pouf, and exfoliating gloves are common. Some people use just their hands.
MrMan15423@reddit
Every now and then but not every time
Wise_Team_7941@reddit
It depends on the area. I just learned something new! My cousin bought a trailer in a park. There are over 600 residents. They had a big neighborhood cookout. This is a very racially mixed community. I learned that there are 2 groups that really don't clean their bodies. It may have just been an income or education thing. Chinese and white Americans in this park actually don't use anything. No antibacterial bar, no body wash. Just do their hair and jump out. The latino and black community where getting a kick out of it. I was just surprised that we were talking about this after eating everything 😅 I would have made different food choices. This is a retirement community 65 and up, in a beach town in Florida. One couple was from Canada, 2 others from EU and 5 from China. So it's not just American.
OrthodoxAnarchoMom@reddit
I haven’t polled the country but I use a washcloth and I don’t see how people are washing their ass without that or a loofa.
KurlyHededFvck@reddit
I use a wash cloth. Loofas and sponges just don’t make me feel clean enough and need to be replaced often. I find wash cloths to be more sanitary, sustainable and cheaper long term.
parsonsrazersupport@reddit
In my experience wash cloth use is fairly regional in the US. Most people who use them are either from the south or their families historically are. For that reason lots of Black Americans regularly use washcloths, as the vast majority of Black Americans in the North migrated there from the South in the 20th century. I'm from the north and never used them.
txlady100@reddit
I don’t think there’s an American custom for this.
kennymfg@reddit
I’ve seen several comedy bits about black people being horrified that white folks don’t use a rag or anything in the shower 😝😝😝
Specialist_Stop8572@reddit
Yes
sparrow_42@reddit
I use a washrag. There’s a stereotype that white people in the US don’t use one but I am a ginger and I do.
Apprehensive_Camel49@reddit
Yes always grew up using one! No preference between bar soap or body wash.
The49GiantWarriors@reddit
An exfoliating towel from the local Korean store.
nippleflick1@reddit
Yes
Technical-Tear5841@reddit
I have hard water, a wash cloth soaks up soap and just drags. I use a nylon scrubby.
Toriat5144@reddit
Yes it’s common.
fshannon3@reddit
I used a washcloth at home. When my wife and I go away for vacation, she brings loofahs for both of us.
Ten2none@reddit
I use a cloth and scrub brush.
GlobalTapeHead@reddit
Most everyone I know uses a wash cloth. The few that don’t use a loofah.
JimVivJr@reddit
I use a loofah.
SteveMurray1227@reddit
Would anyone wash their car, or hand wash a dish with just actual hands? Wash cloth here
toodleroo@reddit
I have used a washcloth for as long as I can remember. The coarser the texture, the better.
thesawyerrose@reddit
African net sponge
aqua_delight@reddit
I always use a washcloth.
this-guy1979@reddit
Wash cloth for my face, loofa for everywhere else.
Wallaroo_Trail@reddit
I stopped buying two separate serums.
aintsuperstitious@reddit
I don't use a washcloth, I use a scrubbing brush that somebody left behind.
goldentalus70@reddit
Hands and liquid soap. Wash cloths are gross.
ClassicAdhesiveness1@reddit
I grew up using washcloths and thought everyone did. I’ve come to notice (through an inordinate amount of TTs on the subject) that I’m in the minority for us low-melanin people.
DehydratedManatee@reddit
African net sponge
TheFemale72@reddit
Wash cloth, always.
pikkdogs@reddit
I grew up using one. But now I don't.
Rays-R-Us@reddit
Water works best
old_Spivey@reddit
I use a bath puff or whatever they are called. It does an excellent job removing dead skin, dingleberries, and fecal matter.
lc367@reddit
i always shower with a wash cloth, i think it’s an ethnic thing so white americans might not be inclined to use one
Sugah-mama21@reddit
We use a body pouf in my house. Haven't used a wash cloth since I was a little kid.
Couscous-Hearing@reddit
I use my hands which are as good as a good loofah for roughness, but I know people who would never go without their washcloth.
rbrancher2@reddit
A Japanese exfoliating bath cloth. Ever since I lived there in the mid 80s
Traditional_Entry183@reddit
My parents always had one in the shower. Ive never used one myself. Just the bar of soap.
Herr-Charles-D-Ward@reddit
Yes. Loofahs don’t feel like they are harsh enough to remove anything.
Time_Waister_137@reddit
I do have a face cloth in my bathroom, but for showering I use a two-sided shower brush. My shower stall also is also equipped with a hand held shower spray to more accurately direct the spray. And, every bathroom has a bidet.
Charming_Bobcat_2613@reddit
I usually use a gun.
mattkaru@reddit
If I haven't done any physical activity or gotten gross, I just lather and use my hands. Otherwise, I have a loofah. I've always hated the texture of wash cloths so those are a big nope for me
Turbulent_Bullfrog87@reddit
If I have a loofa and body wash/liquid soap, I’m using the loofa. If the soap is a bar of soap, I’m just using the bar. If the soap is liquid and I don’t have a loofa, I’m probably just using my hands.
pill_oh@reddit
50/50 some people uses loofas too
Kali-of-Amino@reddit
I've used all three, and it's washcloths and bar soap for me. Hands alone don't scrub enough and loofah are harder to maintain.
RandiCandy@reddit
African net sponge
Bluemonogi@reddit
I would use a washcloth or a bath pouf thing which is like a bunch of fluffy plastic netting.
YOUTUBEFREEKYOYO@reddit
Bar of soap or a loofah
aspire36@reddit
Wash clothes are very common/ normal among the descendants of the African diaspora in the US. European descendants, no.
Ok-Entertainment5045@reddit
I just rub the bar of soap all over
ethnomath@reddit
I use washcloths. I feel like it provides a better foaming effect to lather. I also feel like I produce a lot of dead skin. If I don’t use it for a couple days, I can feel the build up.
likeaghost13@reddit
I and everyone in my family use washcloths. I did not know people did not until it hit the internet. My parents were born in the 40s and from Kentucky and both grew up using washcloths. 🤷♀️
skwirlmeat@reddit
I do. One for my body, 1 for my face. I buy the cheap, thin, cotton ones in 18-packs at Walmart. I hate the thicker, plush, ‘luxury’ wash cloths. They are like washing with a blanket.
MacaroonSad8860@reddit
I use a washcloth every day and am exfoliating glove once a week. They get washed after each use.
AskMrScience@reddit
I use a plastic loofa plus body wash.
Cat_the_Great@reddit
Oh that's a poof
Dapper_dreams87@reddit
I use a long handled scrub brush so I can get my back really well. My husband just uses his hands
reallynoladarling@reddit
towels & plastic loofahs are too soft. i have to exfoliate, so i use this thing i found on Amazon -- "Salux Super Hard Nylon Japanese Wash Cloth".
I'm not religious, but i always say that this thing can scrub the sin off a mf lol
Radarmelloyello@reddit
Yes. Every shower.
SillyDonut7@reddit
I am disabled and get a sponge bath. We use a washcloth. It has a soft side and a scrubby side. We mostly only use soft, depending on sensitivity levels. (It hurts to touch me.) I have eczema and psoriasis. This is actually better for my skin overall
SillyDonut7@reddit
My husband uses a loofah, and I tried it for a bit when I could still shower. I preferred bar soap, so I stuck with a washcloth or hands.
paddlepedalhike@reddit
People keep saying loofas. Do you mean the sea sponge? If so, I had no idea they’re that popular.
ComfortableMight366@reddit
Loofah is a dried gourd. Natural sponges tend to have lots of little glass shards in them (it’s just the biology of sea sponges since they are filter feeders that feed on diatoms which have glass cell walls
KittenPurrs@reddit
There's a gourd that when dried, makes a nifty exfoliating tool. They're super hard when dry, but soften up in hot water for use.
slammaX17@reddit
A lot of people in the US use like a plastic made loofah rather than the actual sea sponge
midzo@reddit
Many Americans use a soft plastic scrubby net, tied in a ball. Easy to use, easy to rinse and is machine washable.
It was used mostly by women.
Marketing execs investigated why it was not so popular with men. Answer: the name. It was called a Puff. I guess American men found that too feminine.
It’s now called a lather builder.
_skank_hunt42@reddit
I’m actually surprised that so many people here use wash clothes in the shower. I’ve never done that and no one in my family does that. Wash cloths are for washing my face in the sink. Loofahs are for washing my body in the shower.
bellatrixdemigod@reddit
Yeh I use one
eyelikturtles@reddit
I do and was surprised/confused by the lack of them at some hotels overseas. I just don’t feel like I’m getting clean without scrubbing.
StoneyTarkOG@reddit
I use an African net. Lathers great, dries quickly.
FutureMembership232@reddit
I use a washcloth. I don’t feel clean if I don’t.
Prize_Sorbet3366@reddit
I don't use a soft washcloth anymore, I use a Japanese scrubby towel - it's basically the width of a soft washcloth but super long, so you can grab one end in each hand and use it to scrub back and forth across your back. But then I bunch it up and use it with soap to wash all over as well, arms, legs, etc. Keeps the skin smooth and soft.
barkbarkkrabkrab@reddit
Plus they actually dry out between uses and are easy to clean. I don't use mind every time (it great for getting dead skin off but my skin is too dry and sensitive for daily harsh scrubbing).
matthewsmugmanager@reddit
Me too! Salux is the usual brand.
AccomplishedMiddle1@reddit
I use a silicone scrubber
StrawberryAqua@reddit
Washcloth for my face and if I want to exfoliate other parts (shoulders, arms, legs). Otherwise, just my hands.
spoospoo43@reddit
Loofah pad, soft side for face, rough side for everything else. Washcloths are for decoration.
Astrofunkadunk@reddit
Scrub brush.
ging3rtabby@reddit
I used to use a loofah but now I have a silicone scrubber thing that dries really fast and doesn't get musty or weird like a loofah does eventually.
Jumpy-Cranberry-1633@reddit
My hands
tiggipi@reddit
I use a washcloth. I just toss it in the laundry after each use.
itslisss@reddit
As an American, I am absolutely horrified by how many people are apparently not exfoliating their skin in the shower?? Gross.
GreenBeanTM@reddit
I switched to wash cloths because I found some that are good for exfoliating, but I used to use a loofah for a few years (plastic one, not a dried version of the plant)
Slothnazi@reddit
I've used loofahs but they just disintegrate over time, so I switched to wash cloths that I can just clean and re-use
pfffffttuhmm@reddit
I think most use a loofah kf they use anything. I prefer a washcloth.
Matban09@reddit
Wait, we're supposed to shower?
Electric-Sheepskin@reddit
Most days I use just my hands with soap. Once a week or so I'll exfoliate with a washcloth or a loofah, depending on how much abrasion I want, and also if I'm particularly dirty or wearing sunscreen.
KingSpork@reddit
I don’t know, none of my friends will let me watch them shower.
OK_Stop_Already@reddit
wash cloth for face. the rest, i use a net sponge.
ladythanatos@reddit
Bath poof
Hanable-13@reddit
Wash cloths for Sensitive bits. Exfoliating glove for everything else. But just my hands and soap works fine too
Medical_Listen_4470@reddit
I use a loofah.
sneezhousing@reddit
There is a certain demographic ✋️ that it's 50/50 they use nothing
Vachic09@reddit
We have several options: loofah, washcloth, bath sponge, exfoliating glove, etc.
SaladCzarSlytherin@reddit
Loofah
TheHouseOnTheCorner@reddit
I use a washcloth and liquid soap.
Churlish_Performer@reddit
I rub the soap all over my body after getting a good lather and moving it around. Then I shove the used bar up my asshole until the next time I need to shower. When I need a quick rinse I shit the bar out of my now backed up ass, waffle stomp the shit down the drain and then repeat steps 1-3.
ancientastronaut2@reddit
Sometimes, but I have this silicone scrubber thingy now and usually use that
Bishop-Logan@reddit
Ayuh! Growing up, it was line-dried washcloths (sandpaper).
Responsible_Side8131@reddit
I use a sea sponge
bigredroyaloak@reddit
I use those exfoliating shower towels
ntrpik@reddit
Same. I buy a pack of those Japanese kinda abrasive wash towels twice a year.
burnerburnerburnt@reddit
I had to scroll so far to find this answer!
these things are gems.
Ameri0425@reddit
I use a shower poofy thingie. Just clean it once in a while and it's perfect.
beartpc12293@reddit
Raw dog bar soap
Eat--The--Rich--@reddit
I use water to shower
Avalanche325@reddit
Just a bar of soap and my hands.
KonamiHatchibori@reddit
Loofahs that we grow ourselves. They are insanely easy to grow and we just grow a crap ton of them. We can even skip seasons if we grow enough
WorkerAmbitious2072@reddit
Bar of soap and a shampoo bottle
Phoenix_Court@reddit
I use a loofah.
GrumpyRaven613@reddit
I use a loofah, but my other family members use wash cloths. I like the loofah because it has a long handle so I can really get my back. I have a really hard time reaching otherwise.
theShpydar@reddit
This is actually a strange thing in the US. Some people do, and some people don't. But for some reason that none of us have been able to figure out, among black people, using it is common, among white people, using it is uncommon.
I dont think there's ever been any kind of social science explanation for this, just a curious difference.
clearliquidclearjar@reddit
No, there are actually a couple of social reasons. This kind of stuff does get studied. For one, black people were often considered "dirty" by white, maninstream culture. As a reaction to that, they went the extra mile in their cleaning habits in order to help refute that image - nice teeth, house freshly swept at all times, extra care taken with personal washing, etc. That became a cultural habit. The other reason is that when a white person doesn't exfoliate much you can't really tell, but darker skin can get ashy. So they use a washcloth and they use lotion on a much more regular basis and across genders.
theShpydar@reddit
Thank you for the info! I knew of the exfoliation differences, which makes a lot of sense towards a partial explanation.
Lower_Neck_1432@reddit
I did when I used bar soap, but I use a body wash now, and my hands are all I need.
ladybugseattle@reddit
Who's gonna explain "ashy skin" to the white folk?
EatTheir_FacesOff@reddit
Grew up using them but we always just called them “rags.” My college roommates made fun of me pretty hard for not knowing to call them wash cloths. But now I use a loofah.
Core0psis@reddit
I use a natural loofah, or a natural sponge, or washcloth.
pheen@reddit
I use a synthetic loofah
Ok-Possibility-9826@reddit
Washcloth for the private bits and exfoliating gloves for the body.
Puzzleheaded_Math973@reddit
Team washcloth.
SusanLFlores@reddit
Now I’m wondering what people outside the U.S. use.
Euphoric-Return1631@reddit
🇳🇴 Wash cloth. When I grew up we called them bum rags.
Jeffers315@reddit
Wash cloth on my face, loofah for the rest of my body.
ScottyToo9985@reddit
I have a Japanese wash cloth thing. It’s likeJapanese Towel a super sized was cloth you can scrub your back with without stretching or needing a handle.
Haifisch2112@reddit
Are makes a skin detailed tool which is pretty much just a small loofah. I have one for my head, face, and body along with a second one for my nether regions.
arcteryx17@reddit
Loofah, used one when I was 15 and never looked back
ThingFuture9079@reddit
Wash cloth and a 3 in 1 soap that acts as shampoo, conditioner and body soap.
PlanningMyEscape@reddit
Natural loofah and wash cloths.
PvtDipwad@reddit
Loofah. I don't truly feel alive and clean until I scrub my skin raw with plastic and burn it with boiling hot water
WarrenMulaney@reddit
One of those net-like scrubby things.
CatoUWS@reddit
Lots of interesting answers. Surprisingly, none said what I use in the shower: water.
latin220@reddit
I use a bathing brush to clean my dead skin off then, I use soap and a sponge. 🧽 Like most people around the world. After you brush the dead skin and rosey up your skin then apply soap and sponge it off or clean it off with a washcloth. Depends on your body wash routine.
Like most people who are taught how to bathe you start with your face and armpits/arms, legs and body. Wash your genitalia and anus. I can’t believe you think Americans don’t know how to bathe, but I suppose with some people that may be true. Not here in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. Where in the union do people not know how to shower? 🚿
tasukiko@reddit
I'm just hands, when I need to exfoliate I use a body scrub instead of just soap.
IrateMormon@reddit
[ Removed by Reddit ]
Pretty_Please1@reddit
I use a Korean wash cloth. Nothing exfoliates better!
Cant-think-of-a-nam@reddit
I only ever used a washcloth on babies. Other than that i use a loofah
Plopular@reddit
I don't often go to the nail salon, but one time I got a pedicure and the technician told me I have "such clean feet". I was kind of taken aback, and asked her if people usually have dirty feet? She just sighed and nodded. Now that I find out people just wash their bodies with their hands and a bar of soap, I understand. You may look clean enough, and you may not even see visible dirt. But if you're not exfoliating the dead skin off your body it's either building up or you're shedding your detritus around. That's why your feet are crusty and skin noodles come off your body when you towel dry. Just do it in the shower and rinse it down the drain. Ya nasty.
Suppafly@reddit
I'm usually hands only or using a poof with body wash. If I use bar soap, I'll use a wash cloth.
prplpassions@reddit
I use a loofah and a mesh scrubbie.
picodegalloooo@reddit
I use a washcloth for my face and a long handled brush for my body.
KingDarius89@reddit
Loofah.
steadyrabbit87@reddit
Yes, very common. It's what I use mostly.
Lcdmt3@reddit
Thoroughly wash my whole body with my hands. Nor that hard.
StoriesandStones@reddit
Until this thread I’ve never heard of anyone who just used their hands.
SouthCotton1979@reddit
Cloth
ItchClown@reddit
I used to use a loofah (sometimes called a pouf in some areas) but my gf put them somewhere and I can't find them so I've been using a wash cloth and it sucks.
insomebodyelseslake@reddit
If I don’t have a washrag I don’t even consider myself washed.
BelleContre2026@reddit
I can't speak for all the white Americans, but as a white American myself, I use a Salux washcloth. It's a Japanese washcloth that is very rough. Good for scrubbing myself pink.
AbilityAdventurous22@reddit
I never really did but my bf who is Hispanic always says he doesn’t understand how I don’t use anything. I do have a loofah but don’t always use it
Fluid_Anywhere_7015@reddit
I use a "tactical scrubber" I got from Duke Canon years ago. Bar of soap goes inside, you get lathered up and exfoliated, bar comes out and the scrubber can go in the wash.
ArkansasTravelier@reddit
I wouldn’t feel clean without one, but I’m from the rural south and grew up pretty poor, apparently it’s a class thing but also a racial thing? I’ve heard that rich white people don’t use them which is insane.
My family has always said wash rag btw
kae0603@reddit
Washcloth on my face and loofa on my body.
FishWestern6148@reddit
loofa
librarygoose@reddit
Wash cloth for my face, I have a sub brush for my back and a silicone scrubber thing I use for my body. I like it cuz I can boil it to make sure it's clean.
Suspicious-Sorbet-32@reddit
Hands is all I need
shelwood46@reddit
I have silicone brush thingies, a big flat one for my body and a small one for my face. Before that I used one of those nylon poof things, and before that washcloths, but I current do not have in-home washer/dryer, and the silicone brush thingies are best for liquid soap while easy to properly handwash/boil. I also have a shampoo brush I use for my hair.
thebigj3wbowski@reddit
I use a washcloth, a scrubby plastic loofah, and an all natural loofah. I had no idea that they grow from the ground, and look like a cucumber when growing. I thought they were a sea thing for some reason.
Source: my wife grew loofas for the first time last year. She then bought nice local soaps from the farmers market and sewed them up inside a loofah. Great presents!
SnooPineapples280@reddit
Wash cloth
I_Gots_Cupcakes-12@reddit
I did use a wash cloth but now i use an African net sponge (i may have been influenced but i like it more than a wash cloth)
mannisbaratheon97@reddit
Got a silicone scrubber. Seems like it’s more sanitary than a washcloth or loofah
SaltMarshGoblin@reddit
I use a fresh clean washcloth for my face each morning and each evening. After I finish using it on my face, I use it on other body parts, then wring it out well and drape it over my towel bar or over the edge of my laundry bin. Washcloths are cheap to buy, cheap to launder, and don't take up much storage space. I probably have a couple dozen in rotation!
KalamityKait2020@reddit
I prefer exfoliating gloves. Wash cloths feel weird to me and loofahs gross me out.
scipio0421@reddit
I use a loofah mostly.
Esmer_Tina@reddit
I use an African exfoliating net.
iswintercomingornot_@reddit
Loofahs and specialized brushes are the most common options. Wash cloths aren't very common because of the potential for bacterial growth
Artistic-Degree-4593@reddit
Im from WA in rhe US, and my whole family uses what I call poofs. They're net material thats good for exfoliating and dries out quickly when you hang it up.
TRDOffRoadGuy@reddit
I use corn husks
kamasutures@reddit
No. I use a long, rough mesh cloth, a loofah on a stick, and/or several different silicon scrubbers.
Depends on what kind of shower we are doing.
cyvaquero@reddit
Wash cloths, sponges, loofahs are the most common.
HairyDadBear@reddit
Yeah. And I don't anyone who just uses their hands.
skullturf@reddit
You're missing a verb.
You don't what? You don't know anyone who just uses their hands? You don't trust them? Something else?
HairyDadBear@reddit
Trust. My bad
Ok_Orchid1004@reddit
My hands
Olliecat27@reddit
I used to use loofahs. I now use a silicone scrubber. It can go through the dishwasher and I don't have to buy a new one every few months like I did with loofahs. It's very nice.
AdAccomplished6511@reddit
i wash myself with a rag on a stick
not_asleep_yet@reddit
I use a wash cloth for two days and the. Change it out for a fresh one.
river-running@reddit
I think most people use a washcloth or a loofah. I use exfoliating gloves.
Omgkimwtf@reddit
Korean exfoliating cloth.
marksman81991@reddit
Loofa or bar of soap. Depends on if I’m home (loofa) or traveling (bar of soap).
DesperateMango1731@reddit
Wash cloth for me and my household of 4.
gabi_ooo@reddit
But, like … separate ones, right?
CoolWhipMonkey@reddit
Nah. We always shared washcloths and towels. I live with a sibling and we still do that lol! We are pretty gross for sure but we share food and drinks all the time too.
ParadoxicalFrog@reddit
I've used a bunch of different things, but I switched to washcloths a few years ago and I'm not going back. I like the way it feels on my skin, and I like that I can rotate them out so I have a clean one every time.
mdw2379@reddit
Most people I know either use a washcloth or a loofah. Now a days the African Net Sponges are really popular as well.
ExactPickle2629@reddit
I use a washcloth. They're easier to keep clean than loofahs, imo
Due-Garage4146@reddit
I’m American, we definitely use washcloths. What else would you use? It’s the only way to really clean yourself and exfoliate all the dead skin cells, dirt and oil from your skin. As a male that’s what I use. I know a lot of female use the exfoliating bath sponges. We just use the regular small square washcloths. Unless you’re just standing under the water and then drying yourself. Sorry, I’m just confused. Lol!
tetrasodium@reddit
I use one of those shower Puff on a stick things but using a "face cloth" is also pretty common
Strict_Emu5187@reddit
Scrubbie
SqueakyManatee@reddit
I use a combination of an exfoliating glove for my face, a wash cloth for the pits/bits and feet, and an African net sponge for the rest of my body.
The wash cloths (a new one daily), net sponge, and glove go into a garment bag with my towels for their laundry load. The wash clothes come in a 10 pack so I know to change out my pillow case and body towel every three wash clothes.
The wash clothes are for showering for about a year and then I replace them with new. The old ones are cleaning rags until they fall apart.
qu33nof5pad35@reddit
I use a Japanese washcloth.
TimeMasterBob@reddit
I use one of those long wash cloth/scrubbers that you can pull across your back. And I have a Scrub Glove that I use for my face.
alphaturducken@reddit
Guns. Blast the dirt off, and kills 100% of germs
yellowcoffee01@reddit
White native born Americans are more likely to use just their hands.
Black native born Americans are more likely to use washcloths.
Some white and black native born Americans use loofahs.
Washcloth vs hands usually breaks down by race. Loofahs could be either but more likely white since most blacks use washcloths.
IrreverentSweetie@reddit
I have either a mesh loofah or an exfoliating gloves I use with my body wash.
Beneficial-One-7113@reddit
I use a wash cloth and one of those scrubby gloves.
HoMerIcePicS@reddit
Bellanomi African Exfoliating Net Sponge
tacobellgittcard@reddit
Loofah. A wash cloth just doesn’t give me that feeling of being scrubbed like a loofah does, it makes me feel less clean. Both are better than just hands though.
OwlCatAlex@reddit
It varies for me and the people I know. My parents had me use a loofah for most of my childhood but then switched to wash cloths since they can be washed and reused a lot longer. Now as an adult I currently have a loofah but it just fell apart so I'll probably use wash cloths again. Or sometimes I get an exfoliating soap bar instead of a regular bar or body wash, so the bar itself provides the scrubbing. Some people also use a special exfoliating cloth/scrubber/brush of some kind. Some people don't know/care about exfoliation at all and just use their hands regardless of soap type. I don't think any of these options stand out as the "right" or most popular in the US. It's personal preference and kinda situational.
navigator2000@reddit
Hand, I use my hand and bar soap. Never saw the need to make it more complicated.
macrocosm93@reddit
I use a loofah
Accomplished_Will226@reddit
Soap bar
Lemfan46@reddit
Shower scrubbie
MHW93@reddit
Yes, fresh washcloth for each shower.
paddlepedalhike@reddit
A bar of soap, my hands, sometimes a net poufy.
Flimsy-Surprise-4914@reddit
Yes and sometimes a towel made of soft scrubbing material
SpecificWorldly4826@reddit
I grew up using wash cloths or shower poofs daily and a loofah once a week or so. Every household I visited provided wash cloths for showering without question. It wasn’t until I spent the summer after high school doing a leadership program in DC that I encountered anyone who didn’t use a wash cloth or poof or anything. There were four of us in a suite, but the hotel only left two wash cloths in the bathroom at first. I asked if they wanted me to go down to the desk to get more, and they all said they were fine. I figured they probably had fancy exfoliating body cloths or something, since I was the only poor kid there. A few days in, I realized…nope. They were seemingly just pouring smelly body washes into their hands and smearing it on, then rinsing off. Even if/when they took off their makeup at night, they just used wipes and then splashed water everywhere and used their bath towel to pat off.
I was so glad none of them were willing to share à room with me lmao. Nasty.
milkandsugar@reddit
Nylon mesh shower pouf (not a loofah), exfoliating cloth, and foot brush. I like liquid body wash but also solid soap bars that I keep in individual mesh bags. I like to mix it up and use whatever I'm in the mood for.
PtZamboat@reddit
Lava soap on a rope! It’ll scrub ya to the bone!
Kellzy1212@reddit
At a hotel or a friend’s house, but i usually have a loofah at home. They just don’t travel well.
Ginger0331@reddit
We switched from loofah to washcloth and now we use the silicone scrubbers. My wife and I prefer the silicone ones as they exfoliate better and they don't hold bacteria like a loofah does And easily washable with some antibacterial soap
Appropriate_Car_5223@reddit
I am a white man who once had a beautiful black lover. The first time we showered together, he was flabbergasted that I had no washcloths in my house. Too bad for him. I got what I wanted. His soapy gentle hands all over me.
There is a joke of the black community that I can’t remember. Except for the punch line: white people don’t use washcloths.
Unusual_Memory3133@reddit
Water and an oil based cleanser. And my hands. Wash cloths are just one more thing to wash.
B_Williams_4010@reddit
I use a washcloth and so does everybody I know - except my bf, who just uses soap and his hands.
rachelmig2@reddit
Used a washcloth a lot as a kid and growing up, but as an adult I usually use a loofah.
Tranquilmind101@reddit
soap
darw1nf1sh@reddit
I don't full body shower every time. I wash the main areas, and just use the bar of soap. When I do a fully body wash, I use a washcloth. Shower targeted every day. Shower full body 2x a week.
78723@reddit
I either use an exfoliating soap bag, or just the bar directly. But I’m just one American.
steampunkpiratesboat@reddit
I absolutely despise the feeling of a wet towel, I don’t even like pulling my parents towels out of the washer! But was never told they’re were other options as a kid, now I use a brush with a long stick for liquid or a soap saver bag with texture for bars
Responsible_Trash_40@reddit
I use a long handed scrub brush kind of gimmick. It has soft bristles on one side and harder bristles on the other.
Desperate_Pressure98@reddit
I'm in Nebraska, USA. I occasionally use a wash cloth, but usually just a bar of soap and my hands. My sister uses a wash cloth and finds it unfathomable that I don't. We grew up using wash cloths but at some point I decided I didn't need it.
Th3Unidentified@reddit
Yes. Most of the ones that consider themselves hygienic will tell you they do
ShoddyCobbler@reddit
I use a washcloth with body wash. My partner uses a type of loofah that is a pouch that you stick a bar of soap inside.
My2026GV70@reddit
Water
No_Permission6405@reddit
Recently started using a washcloth to prevent the old man smell. As you age , your skin produces more 2-nonenal. Takes a little more scrubbing to get rid of it.
Plane_Translator2008@reddit
Guns. We just use guns for everything. 😑
SadLocal8314@reddit
Shower puffs. Rinse them, hang them to dry, Sunday night they go in the wash, a fresh one on Monday morning.
Stefferdiddle@reddit
Used to be a bath puff but I changed to a Japanese bath towel instead.
TXSyd@reddit
Washcloths in my house, I’m currently trying to grow my own loofas this year (real ones not the synthetic ones) hopefully the weather cooperates.
krill482@reddit
I'm hairy, so it's pretty easy for me to get lathered up with just a soap bar.
Clydebearpig@reddit
I have a loofa sack(my bar of soap goes in it). My wife uses a wash cloth and my son just uses his hand and body wash.
Rockglen@reddit
Varies from person to person.
I don't think guys use shower implements all that often, but I don't have data to back anything up.
Personally, I'll use use a brush or other tools sometimes to help exfoliate, but most of the time it's just soap and other similar products.
Fangsong_37@reddit
It was pretty common when I was growing up. We didn't have loofahs or bath sponges in my house growing up. We had wash cloths. I still use one.
Top-Web3806@reddit
I use a washcloth for every shower. I don’t feel clean just using my hands.
RealAlePint@reddit
Haven’t used one since puberty. I’ve been using some sort of bath sponge/poof/loofah
No_Thought_7776@reddit
Depends who you ask. My sister insists on a washcloth. I use a Japanese stretch bath "towel", because I can't reach all of my back with my hands anymore. My husband uses his hands.
To each their own!
ThatGirl_Tasha@reddit
Shower gloves
hypo-osmotic@reddit
Some kind of scrubber is common. Some Americans do just use their hands, but a washcloth, loofah, or something similar is a common sight in an American shower
Hyperdragoon17@reddit
I have a loofah
jessper17@reddit
I use one to wash my face and behind my ears.
Ok-Race-1677@reddit
Guns
DanteRuneclaw@reddit
a shower
paramorir@reddit
I find this to be a cultural difference in the US. I grew up in a hispanic household. We use washcloths. I know a lot of black families do too. Other people prefer loofahs. Some folks just use their hands.
3ntropy_Disc0@reddit
American Flags dipped in Liquid Freedom!!!!!
/s - i use a luffa
Doortofreeside@reddit
https://youtube.com/shorts/8wLlt2sZokI?si=8-_y1wCmd3tT362j
donnacus@reddit
Wash cloth. Loofahs just hang there collecting bacteria. My wash cloth gets laundered so I know it’s clean.
rheameg@reddit
i like a wash cloth to scrub, but most people i know use hands/soap or loofa.
Saskita@reddit
I use a Japanese scrubby cloth. I think it starts with an s
DOMSdeluise@reddit
I use a wash cloth
Queermagedd0n@reddit
I use a washcloth in addition to a net sponge. But I'm definitely an outlier.
2pnt0@reddit
Chest hair acts as a natural loofa to get a good lather going.
da_Doctah@reddit
I use a brush with a long handle. I'm getting old and stiff and can't really reach some places with a washcloth.
cybrcyn@reddit
I use a fresh wash cloth for my shower and another wash cloth to wash my face. I keep a stack of about 20 wash cloths with my bath towels. It is a great exfoliator for your skin.
mommawolf2@reddit
I use a wash cloth, I don't reuse it until it's been washed in the laundry. I have several washcloths to use during the week.
craik98@reddit
Yeah, most people usually use either a loofah or a washcloth.
idkman1768@reddit
I use a loofah
rawbface@reddit
I use a shower poof, because my wife does.
old-town-guy@reddit
Loofa, either natural or plastic.
LaLechuzaVerde@reddit
Common but not universal.
nowhereman136@reddit
I honestly have no idea how other Americans shower so I don't know what is common in this regard. I've never thought to ask or check. As far as I know, everyone else uses Beanie Babies and I'm the weird one for using a loofa.
EastAd7676@reddit
Wash cloth. I need a little bit of friction with the soap to remove the dirt and oil.
Help1Ted@reddit
Common enough to use something besides just your hands that there are entire sections of stores dedicated to just this.
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
Some do
earmares@reddit
I just use my hands and body wash or a bar of soap. I will use an exfoliating glove about once a week.
cans-of-swine@reddit
I just use a bar of soap.
SufficientProject273@reddit
Wash cloth or loofa.
No_Cartographer5955@reddit
Yes, I use a wash cloth.
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
IDK, I don't go around asking people about their shower routines.
GotMeAMuleToRide@reddit
I use your washcloth.
judgingA-holes@reddit
If used to use loofas, but I use a wash cloth known.
killingourbraincells@reddit
My hands.
I exfoliate with a sugar scrub every so often. Pumice on my feet.
matthewsmugmanager@reddit
I used to use a pouf, but now I use one of those Salux things. They're from Japan, but you can easily get them in the US now.
The Salux Shop - Exfoliating, Skin Care, Japanese Washcloth
ITrCool@reddit
Just a mix of whatever I have handy that day:
Either way it works. 👍🏻 🚿 🧼
WhompTrucker@reddit
I use a soapy sponge
Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit
Yep, I use a wash cloth. I also use a silicone scrubber for my back.
9for9@reddit
Wash cloth for face, body poof for body and a couple times a month I use a brush for exfoliating along with an exfoliating scrub. Thinking about trying and african net sponge.
IDKguessthisworks@reddit
I grew up using washcloths but now I use loofahs. It’s definitely dependent on the person though, bars of soaps are still quite popular.
Sea_Analysis_8033@reddit
This is such an odd question lol
ShipComprehensive543@reddit
I use two, one for my face and a different one for my body (ass, feet, etc)
Final-Elderberry9162@reddit
A loofah and/or a washcloth.
I might be a little obsessive.
Adorable-Growth-6551@reddit
I get a pack of loofas for each person to have one in the family.
ReditObserver007@reddit
Loofa
True-Selection-6437@reddit
Loofah or the butt of my 12 gauge
sx3597@reddit
I don't like wash cloths. I use a loofah.
Fuzzzer777@reddit
Washcloth or soapy hands for me.
Ravenclaw79@reddit
Yes. Washcloths are for washing.
Aquarius_K@reddit
I know people who do use a wash cloth. Mostly men. I like to just use a soap bar that has some exfoliating properties. I have a pumice/loofah ghing if I get really dirty. Never liked a wash cloth it's just weird.
catgirlnz@reddit
Loofah!
MyTwoCentsCanada@reddit
I use a wash cloth.
JoyDVeeve@reddit
I use a washcloth now.
TheCrowScare@reddit
We only used washcloths growing up, but I switched to a loofah as an adult. I still use a washcloth if I'm cleaning my face or when washing my hair to cover my eyes
OkRub5011@reddit
I use a wash cloth usually, although sometimes I don't use one since my soap comes from a bottle
Chica3@reddit
Bar of soap & my hands
Okuri-Inu@reddit
Wash cloth usually. I’ve used a loofa before though.
GSilky@reddit
Yes. It's common. I prefer a louffa, but whatever works is fine.
Technical_Plum2239@reddit
i use a washcloth.
shestzushihtsu@reddit
water and a little bit of luck.
quitealargeorangecat@reddit
I’ve never used one. Just body wash and my hands.
claudiatiedemann@reddit
Wash cloth for me.