How Weird Is It To Pee In The Shower, Really?

The human body does some seemingly weird things to indicate that there's a problem. For instance, peeing in the middle of the night may be associated with certain heart issues, such as coronary artery disease. Urinating in the shower, though, isn't one of them. In fact, it's not even as weird as you might think.

According to a 2025 survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Talker Research, nearly 25% of people regularly pee in the shower. About 12% do so a few times a week, while 12% do so every day. Over the course of the entire year, though, 45% of people urinate in the shower. The survey also found that 20% women and 30% men constitute the Americans who pee in the shower regularly. Additionally, the numbers vary from generation to generation, accounting for 6% of baby boomers, 13% of Gen Xers, and 25% of millennials.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center professor of urology Karyn Eilber told CNN, "It's really personal preference that people don't like to associate a place where you clean yourself in the shower to a place where you also do some elimination." However, urine mostly consists of water. As urologist Neel Parekh explains to Cleveland Clinic, "While it's not sterile, the bacteria counts in healthy urine are fairly low. And it's your own bacteria. So, as long as you're cleaning your shower regularly, there's no major health risk associated with peeing in the shower."

Along with it generally being safe to pee in the shower, Dr. Parekh says that it won't damage the plumbing. "Modern plumbing is designed to handle human waste, whether it's urine or solid waste from toilets." The shower water also dilutes your urine before it goes down the drain, he added.

There are a few caveats when it comes to urinating in the shower. For starters, it's not recommended that you pee in the shower without the water running. That's because undiluted, standing urine has the potential to stain grout, or even damage it.

Also, there are some cases in which urinating in the shower poses a health risk. If you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), for example, your urine may contain higher amounts of bacteria (such as Staphylococcus or Streptococcus) than normal. Actually, Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for all kinds of human bacterial infections and could be the reason your skin itches. Such bacteria could become trapped in wrinkles or cuts in your skin, increasing your risk for developing a fungal infection and making it harder for wounds to heal.

On top of that, it's possible that regularly peeing in the shower can train your brain to relax the bladder and sphincter when you hear running water. That can lead to urine leaking in non-shower situations, especially for people with overactive bladders.

Another concern is that peeing while standing up weakens the pelvic floor, which is why sitting is recommended for both men and women. Although it's still debated, that may not be an issue in the shower because the hot water relaxes the sphincter. That's why Modern Urologist chief physician David Shusterman tells CNN that he thinks it's actually healthy to pee in the shower. That's a "relief" since holding in urine is bad for your bladder and your overall health, leading to issues such as bladder stretching and kidney stones or UTI. If you're worried about it, though, you can always urinate beforehand.