My Husband Only Showers Once a Week — I Can’t Take It Anymore!

Maintaining good personal hygiene isn’t just about looking clean — it’s essential for health, comfort, and self-respect. How often people shower varies from person to person. Some love a daily rinse, while others are fine with a few showers a week. But for one woman, her husband’s habits have become more than just a difference in preference — they’re a growing strain on their marriage.

She shared her story in search of advice.

“My husband works full-time, Monday through Friday, but only showers once — on weekends. I’ve told him he starts to smell by midweek, but he always brushes it off and says he’s too tired after work.”

The couple has been married for about a year and a half. Early in the relationship, she barely noticed his hygiene routine because they had opposite schedules — she worked mornings, he worked nights. But once she started working from home, the truth became obvious: he only showered once a week.

At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. He didn’t smell, and he always changed his clothes, so she let it go. But as time passed, especially at night, the lack of hygiene started bothering her. She tried suggesting a nice, refreshing shower on warm days, but he never took the hint. His daily routine only included washing his face, and even though she showered every day, she was afraid it would sound rude to criticize him.

Things got worse when he switched to a physically demanding day job. He’d come home drenched in sweat but still skip the shower. “It grossed me out,” she admitted. When she became pregnant, she finally worked up the courage to ask him directly.

“I told him I might be extra sensitive because of pregnancy, but asked if he could shower at least three times a week.” She explained it wasn’t just for her comfort — it was for their baby’s health too. To her relief, he agreed. During the pregnancy and after their baby arrived, he was thoughtful and supportive.

But as time went on and life returned to normal, his old habits crept back.

After long workdays, he’d come home sweaty, swap his clothes, and scoop up their newborn — without showering. “It made me cringe,” she said, worried about bacteria and germs being so close to the baby.

The problem wasn’t just the shower schedule anymore. His body odor had become impossible to ignore. “His hair was greasy, and even his once-a-week shower couldn’t hide the smell.” One night, she finally snapped. After bottling up her frustration for too long, she blurted out that he was “gross” and “disgusting.” He was visibly stunned, and she immediately regretted how harsh she’d been.

But the conversation took an even stranger turn. He claimed he had never promised to shower more often and insisted he’d never changed his routine. She was left questioning her own memory, feeling hurt and confused. Through tears, she reminded him of their earlier conversation — but he denied it and walked away, leaving her to cry herself to sleep.

Later, after calming down, she learned something surprising: he had actually been using rubbing alcohol to wipe himself down instead of taking showers, thinking it was a compromise. They both apologized for the misunderstanding. But when she asked him why he was so resistant to showering, his reply left her speechless.

“I don’t want to wash off my manliness,” he told her.

Since then, she’s tried being more direct, asking him to shower at least three times a week — not just for her, but for the sake of hygiene. But every time, he gives the same excuse: he’s too exhausted after work. The last straw came when she noticed his shirt covered in dirt and flakes of dead skin.

“This isn’t just about the smell anymore,” she told him firmly. “It’s about health.” But even then, he brushed her off and went to bed.

Now she’s left wondering: Am I expecting too much?