How long was that shower?

We've been talking a lot about water conservation lately. In almost every situation, I'm good at turning off the tap, using less, or grey water gardening. But My showers are a disgrace. Hubby can get in and out, with washed and conditioned hair, plus clean skin, in a fraction of the time I spend.

So I wanted to see if there was anyway to whittle down my time..much like Kramer in the shower episode of Seinfeld. Rather than go to the local YMCA and take notes on folks showering after a workout, I've opted to augment my routine.

The traditional routine

1. Turn the shower on and get the water flowing at the right temperature
2. hop in and soak myself from head to toe, ensuring a warm face for opening pores
3. then I use my Mia II to cleanse/exfoliate my face and neck
4. followed by full body lather and exfoliation using my scrubby spa gloves
5. then the first rinse cycle
   
6. followed by lathering my hair with Dr Bronner's  Peppermint, or drenching it in diluted apple cider vinegar (depending on the day)
   
7. then another head-to-toe rinse rinse, with attention on the head and face again (gotta get rid of all the cleanser
8. lastly, I turn up the hot tap and get extra warm before hopping out onto the cold stone floor...brrr

I ran a timer, and this abridged list runs upwards of ten minutes...without bathroom karaoke (that adds about 3 minutes). It feels a bit excessive....even if every part of the process is vital.

Here's what I now do to save a bit of water: Turn off the shower while lathering both my hair and skin. Plus, now that I have started shaving my legs, it also works for that activity too! I am such a conservationist.