washing from top down or bottom up

[michelyn8]

Jun 10, 2013 13:21:16 GMT -5 swamp said:

I was helping the kids with their showers last night, and I had them wash their hair first, DD then does conditioner, and then wash the rest of their body.

DH does it the other way, starts with the bottom, works up, and washes hair last.

Who is doing it the right way?

Top to bottom to middle to back - kinda.  I wash hair first and then leave in the conditioner while I wash my arms, then legs (maybe shave), then middle, then rinse conditioner out and wash my back to get the conditioner residue off. 

Am I weird that I wash my face in the sink after I get out of the shower, dry off and lotion up?  I just never could feel clean if when I did it in the shower because by the time I got to my moisturizer, my skin would feel tight and then the moisturizer would make it feel greasy.

With the kids it was hair then bodies.  No way I wanted to rinse their hair with dirty water.  Once they got old enough to take showers, they were on their own.

[tskeeter]

Jun 10, 2013 13:28:44 GMT -5 busymom said:

Top to bottom.  Cleaning house works best the same way! 

One of the things I learned working as a custodian during my ill spent youth was to scrub from bottom to top.  This prevents those nasty lighter streaks where a dribble of water has run down the wall before you could scrub it.  Seems like you can never get the wall as clean as that pesky streak where the dribble ran down. 

[hoops902]

I do top down body, then hair and face last.  Unless I'm like actually "dirty", like dirt and mud from working in the yard or something, then I go hair and top down from there. 

[Spellbound454]

Since your hair is likely to be the dirtiest you should do that first.......otherwise you are just running dirty hair water over your clean body.

[kgb18]

I start with face, then hair, then my body, saving the dirtiest parts for last. That's how I wash the kids, too.

[tractor]

I start in the middle, then wash my legs, finish with my hair.

[alabamagal]

Jun 10, 2013 15:25:14 GMT -5 The Home 6 said:

I washed the kids from the top down, and now they are in the habit of it. I'll wash their hair, then hand them a loofah and tell them to go to town.

When can I start having them wash their own hair?  I am getting old and tired.

Boys age 5 get buzz cut in my house.  Don't have to worry about shampoo or brushing hair in the morning.  They get hair when they are old enough to be responsible for it.

[wvugurl26]

Jun 11, 2013 8:09:52 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

Jun 10, 2013 15:25:14 GMT -5 The Home 6 said:

I washed the kids from the top down, and now they are in the habit of it. I'll wash their hair, then hand them a loofah and tell them to go to town.

When can I start having them wash their own hair?  I am getting old and tired.

Boys age 5 get buzz cut in my house.  Don't have to worry about shampoo or brushing hair in the morning.  They get hair when they are old enough to be responsible for it.

I'm pretty sure Home 6 has girls.

[muttleynfelix]

DS is a PITA to bathe or shower.  So, I usually start by washing his shoulders in the back while he plays. Then his front, his arm pits, his legs, and feet. Then his face (and this is when he starts crying) and hair, then his butt.  Then the dreaded wiping off the face and rinsing out the hair. OMG the world will end. He refuses to tip his head back or close his eyes. It sucks big time. He just cries "Don't Mommy, Don't"  I ask him if he wants to rinse his hair. I water on my head to show him how keeping your head tilted back keeps water out of your eyes. I try distracting him. 90% of the time, it is a disaster.

DD is a joy to wash. I start with her arms and legs and belly. Then her face and head (still no hair), then her back and butt. I hold off on her face and head because she was a winter baby it helps keep them warm when they are little to keep their head dry as long as possible.  She loves bath time.  I call it "spa day" when I give her a bath because it is just so much fun.  DS has never liked a bath or shower the way she does. 

For me, I wash my hair, my face, rinse those 2 things. Then conditioner and wash the rest of my body and rinse those.

[Shooby]

Top to bottom.  Then hair last.

[Deleted]

I remember reading that you can spread the Athlete's Foot fungus to different parts of your body if you wash your feet first   so I wash top to bottom. DH gets it and I am not taking any chances!!

[Cookies Galore]

Shampoo, conditioner, face, top down body cleaning, rinse conditioner from hair, rinse conditioner from back and behind, clean off hairs that collect on back and crevices. I think I want short hair again.

[The Home 6]

Yep, georgiagal, I have girls. Long-haired girls even!

My mom used to buzz cut brother's hair though. Awesome idea!

[michelyn8]

Jun 11, 2013 9:14:28 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

Shampoo, conditioner, face, top down body cleaning, rinse conditioner from hair, rinse conditioner from back and behind, clean off hairs that collect on back and crevices. I think I want short hair again.

I feel you on this one.  I think I spend more time rinsing off than I actually to bathing just to make sure I get all the hair off me before I step out of the shower.  Brushing my hair before I got in there never seemed to help either.  I had 3 inches cut off my hair this past weekend for that very reason.  I loved the long hair but got sooooo tired of all the loose hair everywhere that I had to do something.

[Wisconsin Beth]

My kids still get baths.  DD's had a few showers and isn't sure if she likes them or not. 

She screamed bloody murder about taking a bath last night, then spent 45 minutes in the tub.    She got a couple of scrubbies/loufah things with Cinderella and the Godmother for Christmas so I make sure those are within her reach and tell her to scrub herself.  I remind her about armpits, neck and personal parts and assume she'll think to do her arms, legs, face and tummy.  Plus we do a lot of bubblebaths so I figure she's soaking in soapy water for at least part of the time.  I sometimes clip her toenails while she's playing in the tub.  She's distracted and not fighting me on it. 

Same with DS, except he'll take a bath at the drop of a hat. 

Never particularly like getting rinsed after shampooing but seem to accept it, more or less.  If they don't tilt their heads back, I cupfuls of water over them.  I do give them washcloths to cover their eyes first. 

[taz157]

Jun 10, 2013 14:01:48 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

I generally do top to bottom, but if DD is not cooperating sometimes I just have to wash what I can, when I can. She gets all clean eventually. Since she's still taking baths, all the water is gross the second I put her in. And since she likes to drink the water by the cup-full while I am trying to bathe her, I am obviously not too freaked out about germs.

x 100000000000 My DD likes to drink the water by the cup-full too...

[Sam_2.0]

Yeah, toddlers are gross.

[muttleynfelix]

Jun 11, 2013 10:54:32 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

Yeah, toddlers are gross.

I got peed on Sunday night in the shower by DS. That was awesome!

[Deleted]

Did he learn that from his daddy? 


<< slaps hand >>

BAD beer! BAD, BAD BEER! 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Jun 11, 2013 10:54:32 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

Yeah, toddlers are gross.

They really are. 

[Deleted]

ewwww, that's grossing me out.  I guess DS is weird or something because he's never been interested in drinking the bathwater.  And he stopped putting everything in his mouth - thank GOD!   He does like to lick his finger and poke people though....