How to Shower in the Locker Room without Feeling Nervous

Feel comfortable and avoid awkwardness after P.E. class

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: November 2, 2022 References

A good gym class will help you work up a sweat, which means you’ll probably be a little smelly afterwards. And since you don’t want your body odor making an impression on that cute guy or girl who sits next to you in class, a shower is probably in your future. But if the idea of stripping down and sudsing up makes you feel a little nervous, you’re not alone—your classmates probably feel a little worried about showering in the locker room, too. For all of our helpful pointers and advice about locker room etiquette, read on!

Things You Should Know

Bring a gym bag with you with the essentials, like body wash, deodorant, and flip flops. Bring your own towel to avoid using one that’s too small.
Hang your towel right outside the shower for easy access. Take a quick shower, then dry off inside the shower stall.
Cover yourself with your towel as you get dressed. Try not to chat with your classmates until you’re all ready to go.

1

Pack your gym bag the night before.

Grab everything you might need to shower after gym class. Your school might provide some things for you, but in general, it’s a good idea to bring your own hygiene products with you. Before you go to sleep, pack a bag full of things like:^{[1]
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- Body wash
- Shampoo (if you’re washing your hair)
- Face wash
- Deodorant
- Clean clothes
- Flip flops
- Pads or tampons (for showering on your period)

2

Bring your own towel.

Take a large towel with you to avoid using a skimpy one. If your school locker room has towels for you, you’ve probably noticed that they aren’t the best (or the biggest) around. Grab a towel and take it with you to the locker room so you can keep everything covered up.^{[2]
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- Taking your own towel isn’t strictly necessary, but it can really make you feel more at ease during the entire process.

3

Hit the showers early.

Get to the locker room before everyone else for a head start. If you’re nervous about showering in front of others, ask your coach or your teacher if you can leave class a couple of minutes early. If you can do that, you might even be able to shower and get dressed before the other students come trickling in.^{[3]
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- Not every coach or teacher will let you go early, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

4

Hang your towel right outside the shower.

Keep your towel close by so it’s within reach. Head over to the showers and place your towel on the hook that’s just outside the shower curtain. That way, when you’re done showering, you can simply reach outside and grab your towel without stepping out of the shower.^{[4]
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- If your school’s showers don’t have shower curtains, pick a corner shower that’s far away from everyone else. You might not be able to hide completely, but a corner shower is much less exposed than one in the center.

5

Wear sandals or flip flops.

Protect your feet from athlete’s foot and other germs. Locker room floors are notoriously gross, and you don’t want to be walking on them with bare feet. Bring some flip flops or shower sandals to wear while you shower.^{[5]
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Trustworthy Source
American Academy of Dermatology
Professional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists
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6

Take a shower as fast as possible.

Shower in under 5 minutes to get out of there quickly. Now is not the time for a luxurious, long shower: the goal here is to get in and get out. If you can, skip washing your hair and just focus on your body. Quickly rinse, suds up, and then rinse again.^{[6]
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- If you do want to wash your hair, consider bringing a 2-in-1 body wash and shampoo product. That way, you have less to carry, and it will make your shower go faster.

7

Dry off in the shower area.

Quickly dry off behind the shower curtain to avoid walking around naked. When your shower is done, turn off the water, but don’t exit the shower area just yet. Reach for your shower and grab it, then bring it inside of the shower stall to dry your body.^{[7]
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- This also saves you from dripping water all over the locker room, which can be annoying for the other students.

8

Keep your towel on before getting dressed.

Wrap your towel around you to cover yourself as you walk around. When it’s time to head back to your locker, your towel acts like your clothing. Wrap it tightly around your chest or your waist, and keep one hand on it so it doesn’t fall down.^{[8]
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- Or, buy a terry-cloth towel with Velcro on top to keep your towel in place.
- You can even use your towel to cover yourself as you get dressed at your locker. Put on your underwear and pants without taking the towel off, then quickly put on a bra or a shirt before pulling the towel off all the way.

9

Use deodorant afterwards.

Reapply your deodorant to protect from BO all day. Even though you just showered, there’s a good chance you’ll sweat later on in the day. Be sure to apply some deodorant—your fellow classmates will thank you.^{[9]
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- You can use colognes or body sprays if you’d like, but try not to go overboard. In general, you only need 2 to 4 spritzes of spray.

10

Save conversations for later.

Don’t talk to your classmates to avoid distracting them. The locker room isn’t really a place to dilly-dally, and everyone wants to get out of there fast. Focus on showering and getting dressed quickly before your next class.^{[10]
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- You can chit-chat after you’re all dressed, but make sure to leave for class on time!

11

Be respectful of your peers.

Keep your eyes up, and don’t stare at others. Your classmates are probably going to be showering and getting dressed at the same time as you are, and they most likely aren’t super stoked about it, either. While you’re in the locker room, be respectful of others, and don’t stare or make comments about anyone’s body.^{[11]
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- In general, just treat other people in the locker room like you’d want them to treat you (which mostly means ignoring each other until everyone’s fully dressed).

Community Q&A

Question

How can I find out if a specific middle school has showering stalls in my area?

Community Answer

You could visit or call the school and ask. Or you can ask someone who goes to the school.
Question

What do I do if my gym teacher is a pervert?

Community Answer

You need to tell a parent or a trusted teacher right away.
Question

Some boys walk into the girls locker room after gym class and take our clothes, when we come out of the shower, all our clothes are gone! What should we do!?

Community Answer

Have a few girls stay out of showers and hold your clothes while you shower, and then switch and do the same for them. If you don't have time to do this, just tell the coach or teacher, because that could even be considered sexual harassment and they could get in big trouble.