Smelling nice without showering is tricky, but doable. You’ll need to keep yourself from sweating too much and use products that keep you smelling fresh.
Here’s a quick guide on how to smell nice without showering. Use these tips when showering and washing clothes is difficult like when camping, or if you don’t have time to grab a shower before you leave home.
Can You Smell Nice Without Showering?
It’s not too hard to smell nice if you are skipping just one shower. But if you plan to go a couple days or more without showering, it gets harder.
It’s also difficult to stay fresh if you plan to do anything intensive like walking, running, or exercise.
The biggest concern is sweat.
Sweating is what makes you smell. Specifically, it is the mixture of sweat and bacteria on your skin that causes body odour.
Getting rid of sweat (through some other method other than showering) and reducing how much you sweat are the secrets to smelling nice without showering.
8 Tips For Smelling Nice Without Showering
1. Clean your body without using water
If accessing a shower or water to bathe with is the problem, there are other ways to clean yourself without using water.
If you have wet or baby wipes, they are great for taking a ‘dry’ shower.
Focus on the areas that are more likely to smell. These are the areas with hair including the armpits and groin area.
Also wipe your feet to keep them smelling fresh.
2. Take a sponge bath
If you only have a little water, try a sponge bath. Wet a sponge or cloth and wipe down your skin with it.
If you have soap, apply a bit of it on the sponge. Then use another wet sponge or cloth to rinse the soap off your skin.
If you have no soap or you have sensitive skin that requires thorough rinsing with a lot of water, use a wet sponge with no soap.
3. Clean your face and hair
Don’t forget your face and hair.
For your face, wet wipes or a moist towel are enough to remove dirt and grime. For your hair, use dry shampoo.
Cleaning your face and hair will not only make you smell nicer, it’ll also make you look clean and fresh.
4. Use antiperspirant for your armpits
To keep your armpits from sweating and smelling, apply antiperspirant. It’ll keep your glands from sweating and eliminate any bad odours.
Make sure you apply antiperspirant the night before. You want to give it time to block your glands to stop the sweating.
5. Apply perfume
Perfume can go a long way in keeping you smelling nice and covering up mild body odour.
Be careful not to overdo the perfume. Just a little is enough, especially if it’s Eau de Parfum. It’s stronger than Eau de Toilette.
For best results and lasting power, apply the perfume on pulse areas like your wrist, neck, chest and elbows.
6. Put on clean clothes
If you can’t shower, at least make sure you put on clean clothes. The smell of clean clothes will balance out some of the body odour.
If you can, wear loose breathable clothes that wick sweat. They’ll keep you from smelling too much once you start sweating.
Don’t forget to also put on clean underwear and socks.
Tip: For an extra boost of freshness, spray your clothes with fabric freshener. Febreze works great.
7. Don’t get too active
To limit sweating and keep body odour at bay, avoid any intense activities. Don’t go for that workout and avoid long walks.
If you like walking to work, take a cab or public transport instead.
You’ll also want to avoid hot areas. If it’s hot outside, stay inside.
8. Watch what you eat
Some foods can make you sweat more or cause sweat that stinks more.
Examples include spicy foods, hot seasoning, red meat and sulphurous vegetables like onions, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables.
Avoid these foods as they can create an unpleasant body smell. You’ll also want to avoid or reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol.
How to Keep Your Feet Smelling Nice Without Showering?
Don’t let your smelly feet betray you after you’ve done all that work to make the rest of your body smell nice.
Here are some tips to avoid foot odour if you’ve not showered.
- Wipe your feet with wipes or a wet sponge.
- If you have an anti-sweat food product, apply it on your feet before you put on your shoes. This can be spray, powder, or lotion.
- Wear a clean pair of socks that’s breathable and moisture-wicking. Polyester, nylon and wool socks are the best for preventing smelly feet.
- Put on a clean pair of well fitting shoes. Don’t wear shoes that are too tight. They’ll make your feet sweat and smell.
- You can spray your shoes with odour control spray to further reduce bad odours. Alternatively, sprinkle some baking soda in your shoes to keep them fresh, especially if you have to wear them daily.
How Long Can You Go Without A Shower Before You Start Smelling?
Everyone’s body is different and reacts differently to extended periods of no showering.
Some people will start smelling after just one missed shower. Others can go days or even weeks before they start stinking.
For many people though, an unpleasant whiff will start after a day or two of no showering.
If you are using the tips above to stay fresh, you can go for days or weeks before you need a shower.
If you want and it doesn’t bother other people, you can experiment and see how long you can go without a shower before you start smelling.
But if you often interact closely with other people at work or at home, we recommend showering as soon as you can.
At some point, wipes or a wet sponge will not be enough to get rid of all the built-up dirt and grime on your skin.
Your hair and feet will also begin to smell no matter what you do.
