Today is National Bubble Bath Day, and while showers may dominate most daily routines, a meaningful share of Americans prefer to draw a bath. CivicScience has been tracking Americans’ bathing preferences—whether they opt for a shower or a bath—for more than five years. The data show that 15% of respondents take a bath several times a week, 10% do so several times a month, 29% take baths only a few times a year or less, and 47% say they never take baths at all.

Bath enthusiasm is strongest among younger adults, with 21% of Gen Z (ages 18-29) saying they choose a bath over a shower several times a week. Beyond age, CivicScience data reveal that those who take baths most frequently also stand out in how they approach cleanliness and shower routines:

• Soap Preferences: Frequent bath-takers are more likely to choose bar soap over body wash, with 53% preferring bar soap compared to 47% who favor body wash.

• Cleanliness Perceptions: A strong majority of frequent bath-takers believe baths actually get you clean. Fifty-six percent say baths clean you, and another 24% say they do so ‘somewhat.’ Confidence in bath cleanliness declines steadily among those who take baths less often, with non-bathers the least convinced.

• Singing in the Shower: 21% say they always sing in the shower, which is four times the rate of those who never take baths.

• Towel Use: Two-thirds of frequent bath-takers say they use just one towel after showering, while 28% use two, and only 5% use more than two.

• Washcloth Habits: Those who bathe several times a week lead all other bathing frequencies by 10 points in using a washcloth ‘every time’ they shower.

• Best Time to Shower: Among frequent bath-takers, 52% say the best time to shower is in the morning, 16% prefer around noon, and 32% favor nighttime showers.

While baths may not be part of everyone’s routine, the data show that frequent bath-takers bring a distinct set of habits into the bathroom, from how they dry off to when they shower. On National Bubble Bath Day, it’s clear that for some Americans, bathing is more than just getting clean; it’s a lifestyle choice.

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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.