Do you wash this body part in the shower? Simple question sparks huge online debate

Showering seems to be a pretty straightforward task – turn on the water, lather, clean and rinse. However, a simple question about a common shower habit has taken Twitter by storm, dividing people all over the Internet.

The burning question came from American writer and graphic designer Conor Arpwel, who posted a poll on his account on Friday.

“Do you wash your legs when you take a shower?” he asked.

Within 24 hours, Arpwel’s post went viral with an overwhelming number of responses. At the time of writing, more than 816,000 people had voted on the poll, with the majority (81 per cent) saying they wash their legs.

Many of the leg-washers have expressed confusion over the idea of skipping the lower body parts in the shower. “Are there people who do not feel the need to... wash their legs...” one asked.

“I’ve spent awhile thinking about all the reasons not to wash every inch of your body while in the shower and I couldn’t find one,” another commented.

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“Everyone who voted no, think about all the toilet seats you’ve sat on and wash those thighs!” one urged.

Non-leg-washers have their own explanation. “I only [wash my legs] if I’ve been bare legged or to the gym and they feel sweaty,” one shared. “I used to but when I got eczema on my legs I had to stop as soap made it worse and I was told not to use SLS soaps. It's bad for your skin and mostly unnecessary.”

Another replied, “They've been safe inside my pants, the whole day. What's the problem?”

One believed the trickle-down effect is enough to keep their lower body clean. “I feel like my legs don’t get dirty,” they wrote. “Plus, soap and shampoo run down my legs when I’m showering.”

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As the question’s creator, Arpwel stated his position on the matter. “Leg washing is an important component of my cleanliness regimen, but also I’m not out to get people who don’t wash their legs for various reasons,” he wrote.

A dermatologist has previously shared his two cents on the subject. “Unless your legs are visibly soiled, you don't actually need to wash them directly with a cleanser,” Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City told Women’s Health. “The cleanser that drips down your body is enough to remove most of the dirt and sweat that accumulates during the day.”