What Is The Four-Minute Shower Rule, And Can It Really Save You Money?

Few things in life offer as much enjoyment as a long, hot shower. It relaxes the bunched-up muscles, washes the day/night away, and gives you enough time to think of a witty comeback for that argument you just lost (you know, for next time). However, these long showers increase your water and energy consumption, burning a hole in your pocket and emitting a significant amount of CO2 into the environment. But the revolutionary four-minute shower rule hopes to address both issues while also helping you save money in the long run. 

According to the rule, you must finish your shower within four minutes. To understand the efficacy, it's essential to first consider the amount of water a shower requires. According to The Water Scrooge, the average shower lasts for just over eight minutes and uses a whopping 17.2 gallons (65.1 liters) of water. Further, the United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average American household uses almost 40 gallons of water per day on showering alone, accounting for 17% of their overall residential water usage.

Multiply these numbers by your state's water and electricity prices to understand why you must save water in the bathroom. Cutting your shower time from eight minutes to four will save nearly 680 lbs of carbon emissions per year, up to 36 liters of water per shower, and around $200 on your annual utility bills. So, it's time to make your home more water-efficient.

The four-minute shower rule is simple. You get in, get wet, lather, and rinse all within four minutes to reduce water and energy consumption. However, if you're used to taking long showers several times a week it may not be as easy to implement. After all, how will you know if your allotted time is over? Start by deciding how you'll calculate the time you spend showering. If you have some money to spare, you can install dedicated shower timer devices that beep for every minute you spend inside and blare an alarm when four minutes are up. 

Or you could curate a shower-only playlist that's four minutes long, or just shy of four minutes, to give you a few seconds' warning in case you aren't done. A timer on your phone or a good old sand timer works just as well too. Once in the shower, don't wait for the water to heat up (a combi boiler helps speed things up). Step in at once and allow 30 seconds to get wet, 60 seconds to lather your body, and 60 seconds to rinse off the soap. 

Finally, use the remaining one and a half minutes to shampoo and condition your hair. Since this might take some getting used to, shut off the shower when you're lathering or shampooing to save water even if you don't hit the four-minute mark as a result. Moreover, get a showerhead with a WaterSense label that dispenses no more than 2 gallons of water per minute to be even more environmentally conscious.