NEWS
FOOD
HEALTH & WELLNESS
SUSTAINABLE LIVING
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA
© Copyright 2024 Engrost, Inc. Green Matters is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
WWW.GREENMATTERS.COM / SUSTAINABLE LIVING

Hotel Puts up a ‘Shower Challenge’ Signboard in the Bathroom — and It’s a Lesson on Sustainability

A couple staying at a hotel stumble on a random shower challenge that sparks a debate on the internet.
PUBLISHED JUL 26, 2025
(L) Man having a refreshing shower at the hotel. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Emilija Manevska) | (R) Shower challenge in hotel. (Cover Image Source: Reddit | u/isthisgaslighting)
(L) Man having a refreshing shower at the hotel. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Emilija Manevska) | (R) Shower challenge in hotel. (Cover Image Source: Reddit | u/isthisgaslighting)

Sustainability in daily life is the need of the hour. While a section of the world is actively working towards change, many people are still unbothered by their wasteful consumption. Companies and governments are now using innovative and clever tactics to encourage sustainability among citizens. In a recent Reddit post, a guest (u/isthisgaslighting) who was staying at a hotel in Barcelona shared an interesting picture of their bathroom. On one corner of the shower, there was a little “game” attached, which was fun on the surface, but had a deeper meaning of sustainability. 

Man taking a shower washing hair with shampoo product under water falling from luxury rain shower head. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Maridav)
Man taking a shower washing hair with shampoo product under water falling from luxury rain shower head. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Maridav)

 

Hotel guest tries out a fun shower game

The guest shared a photo of the 4-minute shower challenge, casually attached to a cute hourglass. The instructions encouraged anyone taking a shower to complete it within 4 minutes and lower their environmental impact with sustainability. “Beat the clock and take a shower in 4 minutes or less to be the change you want to see in the world,” the note read. The tiny hourglass had a blue highlighted sand inside that would measure the time in an old-fashioned manner, adding to the intrigue of the shower challenge. 

Shower head turned off to save water. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images |	Kinga Krzeminska)
Shower head turned off to save water. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Kinga Krzeminska)

For context, the Reddit user added that their husband tried it out despite not being an advocate for sustainability. “Saw this in the hotel I was staying at in Barcelona. Even my husband played the game, and he doesn’t consider sustainability often. He specifically said that the hourglass was what made it appealing to him. He said it has to be analog. If it were digital, he wouldn’t participate,” the post revealed. Despite the popularity of digital technology, the hotel guest suggested that the analog nature of the challenge is what encouraged her husband to try it out and save water by showering fast. 

The internet breaks into a debate

(Image Source: Reddit |u/DifficultyKlutzy5845)
(Image Source: Reddit |u/DifficultyKlutzy5845)

The Reddit post received 8,400 upvotes while the comments became a point of debate and discussion among people curious to know whether the hotel benefited from the challenge. “Wonder if that hotel has data on water usage/bill before and after they implemented this,” said u/jarzan. Another user, u/boogswald, claiming to be a sustainability manager, explained how the water usage data works in hotels. “I’ve been a sustainability manager for a facility before. They know what they’re paying for water, so they know their water usage in a month. If they’re clever, they’re adjusting that data too, likely water savings/guests or something like that. The actual data is gonna be messy, but over time, you should probably see if it makes a difference at all.” 

(Image Source: Reddit |u/meson537)
(Image Source: Reddit |u/meson537)

An interesting comment by u/IAmABillie from Australia shared that “short showers” are the norm in their country. During the Millennium Drought, houses were distributed with two minute-timers stuck to the showers to limit long showers. “We had ads on TV about reducing water use, local regulations about washing cars, and restricted days to water a garden. Schools taught kids all about it,” the comment added. According to experts, showers with high pressure have been linked to lower consumption of water, in addition to using timers. “While the adoption of low-flow equipment might be a valuable strategy for enhancing shower efficiency and moving towards net zero, it should not be the sole focus,” a study by the researchers of the University of Surrey explained. 

More on GreenMatters

Billboard’s Powerful Depiction of How Much Water Goes Into Making One Hamburger Hits the Nail on Its Head

Homeowner Creates a ‘Rain Garden’ by Simply Redirecting the Flow — Now They’re Saving Lots of Water

Walmart’s Handy Gadget Saves Gardeners’ Time and Effort While Conserving Water — and It’s on Sale

POPULAR ON GREEN MATTERS
MORE ON GREEN MATTERS