I received a product from a company called StrideBox. They are a monthly subscription box that sends you samples of nutrition, creams, massage tools, safety gear, and all sorts of things. It is essentially a surprise grab-bag that you receive every month.
One of the things in the StrideBox was a “Paper Shower”.
Now I work in an office. This office doesn’t have a shower. Cooling down and getting back to work must be quick and effective. If your method of cooling down and cleaning up isn’t effective, you reap the consequences. I have experienced meetings in sweaty underwear. I have experienced development with my shirt sticking to my back. These experiences have come from poor cool-down solutions.
In previous times, I have put ice packs in the freezer and brought a hand towel.
Now I have a product that might be worth trying. “Paper Shower”.
Paper Shower comes with two packets. It comes with a “wet” towel and a “dry” towel.
The Wet Towel:
The wet towel is essentially a large wet-nap without the lemony scent. It is pre-soaked in scentless fluid. I was concerned of a couple of things. Is it going to be sudsy? Is it going to smell flowery? The answer is no to both. I noticed no scent or bubbles/suds. There was plenty of moisture on it to clean the sweat and cool down the hot spots and yet, I didn’t notice any dripping while I was cleaning. I was actually surprised at how rapidly my body temperature started to drop while using it. In the past I have used paper towels “gently soaked” in water, but I learned that it is difficult to get it the right amount of wet. I would always have water dripping down my back or my chest. This water carried my sweat with it and it often made more of a mess than it cleaned. This is likely user error but this review isn’t about me. It’s about a product.
After finishing with the wet towel, I didn’t feel “wet” that much. In all honesty, I was considering bypassing the dry towel all together and getting back to work….but I decided to give it a shot.
The Dry Towel:
In the past I have tried dry paper towels, hand towels, and the like to dry off. Hand towels work…to an extent. Paper towels don’t work very well. When I used the dry towel, it immediately removed all moisture that the wet towel left. One thing about the “bathroom cool down” is that while you are cooling down and changing, you are still generating heat and a bit of moisture. I could definitely feel the dry towel wick away that moisture.
Did it replace a shower? Not really. I don’t think there is a direct replacement for that.
If you don’t have a shower, is it the next best thing? I think so. I have tried various DIY cool-down methods and this option blows those out of the water. I walked out of the bathroom ready to rip apart code, design some Nitrogen pump controls, and ready for the rest of the day. (After a meal, of course). There is no part of me that feels “unclean” or sweaty or like I just worked out.
Is it something that I would spend money on? Yes. I am going to buy more of these. Lunch workouts in an office with no shower are difficult. It is really important to have the right tools to make it less of a hassle. I think that these are a tool to make lunchtime workouts less of a hassle.
Are you getting money for reviewing them? No. They are a product that I wanted to try because this is an issue that has always bothered me. I was happy to find out there was a possible solution and it was sitting in my hands. I am more than happy to provide feedback.