ShowerPill Body Wipe
One of the biggest hindrances to folks cycling to work is that most of us do not have access to a shower at our place of employment. You could use a Wet-Nap to clean up a bit—the fresh lemon scent is great, but it does a terrible job of removing grime, dirt and body odors. A few weeks ago the folks at ShowerPill sent me a box of their moistened body wipes and in my opinion this is the best body wipe on the market!
ShowerPill is not really a pill, but a 9×8″ moistened body wipe—it’s alcohol free and infused with Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel and Vitamin E. Most hand or body wipes contain alcohol and this quickly causes your skin to dry out. Instead of using alcohol ShowerPill wipes contain Benzalkonium Chloride, an antibacterial agent that kills 99.99% of common germs, including the germs that cause odor. Since the Upper Midwest has been unusually hot this summer I’ve had plenty of opportunities to use ShowerPill and am extremely happy with how they work. I’ve also given a couple of these wipes to other cyclists to see how they liked them.
Since most of my road rides start and end in my driveway, I decided to try the ShowerPill on days when I put a mountain bike on my Jeep and headed out to the off-road bike trails. Due the drought conditions in my area the off-road trails are incredibly dusty—when I got home from one ride I was so completely covered with dust that my wife asked my if I had rolled around on the ground! I used the ShowerPill to clean the dust of my legs and arms and they worked better than any other product I’ve tried for this purpose.
I gave a couple of these wipes to a female cyclist who had the misfortune of having the air conditioner at her house break during a heatwave. She had nothing but praise for these wipes, but she did have one suggestion for using the ShowerPill. She said that while they work fine straight out of the package, they work even better if you can moisten your skin with a little water first.
I also gave a few of these wipes to a new cyclist—my youngest son who just got out of the Marine Corps after seven years of honorable service. He did a two-hour bike ride to work on one of the hottest days of the year and said that once he got to his office he used ShowerPill to clean up. He reported that the antibacterial properties in the ShowerPill worked perfectly for the rest of the work day! He also commented that in Iraq these wipes would have been worth their weight in gold to military personnel out on patrol.
ShowerPill wipes are not just for cyclists—any athlete who doesn’t have access to a shower would love this product. They are also great for campers and travelers. Two years ago I got stuck overnight at JFK International Airport and had to sleep on the floor—I would have loved to have had a ShowerPill wipe so I could have cleaned up better before my next flight.
ShowerPill comes in a box of ten individually wrapped wipes and retails for $12.50 a box. The easiest way to buy them is from Amazon.com.
tauromaja
July 16, 2012 at 8:23 PM
I NEED! OMG!
Absolutely fabulous! Especially for the humidity of the Riviera Maya! I used to “mountain” bike here (what mountains?) and you could get muddy, dusty and greasy so quick, this would have been perfect!
All Seasons Cyclist
July 16, 2012 at 10:17 PM
You are going to love them — the next best thing to a real shower!
bikevcar
July 18, 2012 at 3:56 PM
I don’t have a shower at work but seem to be surviving with a shower in the morning before I leave and another when I get home. If I suddenly develop any nasty rashes or one of my arms falls off then you can definitely say “I told you so”!
All Seasons Cyclist
July 18, 2012 at 4:00 PM
I guess it depends on how far you have to ride and how hot it is. It hit 102 degrees here yesterday and I felt like I needed another shower when I came back from the mailbox that is located at the end of my driveway!
Dawn Lomer
July 18, 2012 at 10:05 PM
Fabulous idea and much-needed. They seem a little pricey. I’d probably go through a few of them after each ride, making my “shower” a few bucks. But you get what you pay for, I guess, and if they work well they’re likely worth it.
All Seasons Cyclist
July 18, 2012 at 10:09 PM
It’s hard to believe, but these things are thick enough that you should only need one! I’ve given a few of them away and no one has used two at the same time yet. All I can suggest is for you to get a box and try them out for yourself (and then please post another comment here to share your opinion with others).
Karla
July 24, 2012 at 6:33 AM
I was using Costco brand “facial cleansing wipes” at work with me to “wash” in the bathroom stall after walking/running at lunch time. Same concept and less expensive. Texas summer is far too hot for me to run at lunchtime right now, though! bikevcar is right that if you remove the bacteria that make that odor before you exercise, you’ll just be sweaty, but if you ride/run in traffic or dirt trails, you have the dirt from the road getting all over you, too. My “wipe shower” made me feel better, but I’d have a preferred a quick real shower. (If the drought continues, we may all have to get used to wipe showers!)
All Seasons Cyclist
July 24, 2012 at 7:16 PM
Karla — the drought in the Upper Midwest is beginning to show signs of ending (finally). As you observed, facial cleansing wipes do not have the antibacterial properties like Shower Pill, but if they work for you I am sure they will save you some money. I on the other hand really need the antibacterial ingredients — after three hours on a bike I am sweating like a Chicago politician at a deposition.
ichoosetolivestronger
August 8, 2012 at 7:44 AM
Great article. I’m not a cyclist but I work out before work three days a week and there is never good access to a shower. I have tried to improvise with my own wash rag, soap and towel..but it’s such a pain because there is no privacy. I’m going to look for this product. Thanks. And also thanks for catching one of my blog articles and liking. Long journey ahead..55 pounds gone, 95 pounds still to lose.
All Seasons Cyclist
August 8, 2012 at 3:26 PM
Thanks for the note! There are several other brands of wipes like this on the market, but this one is my favorite (mainly because of the anti-bacterial properties). I noticed on your blog that your husband now encourages you to go shopping for new clothes — that’s great! Once I lost my excess weight I gave all of my old clothes to Goodwill. If the old clothes stay in the closet it becomes a lot easier to allow your weight to creep back up. On the other hand, if you have to go BUY new clothes because you’ve gained weight it sure serves as a motivator to drop a few pounds. Take care!
doctorlynn
January 6, 2013 at 6:37 AM
Oh! This is a product I’ve got to try. Seems perfect for after the gym when I’ve got a very tight schedule and don’t have time to shower until later!
All Seasons Cyclist
January 6, 2013 at 8:35 AM
I am sure you will like them! I ended up giving nearly all of the ones I had to friends and without exception they loved this product — it is SO much better than anything else I’ve tried.