Shower sex is a unique experience. It doesn’t require much to make it happen — just a shower and some determination — but it has ups and downs hard to find elsewhere. It’s something worth trying if you have the opportunity to get a shower to yourselves. That can be difficult if you have roommates or happen to be supervised, but if the house is empty or you don’t care, go for it.
Still, if there are other people in the house, I cannot stress subtlety enough. There is nothing worse than knocking over a shampoo bottle and causing a thundering avalanche of hair products to fall while the two of you freeze, as if that will undo the noise (Take it from me: It won’t).
Now to focus on the fun parts. The highlights of shower sex go beyond the puns about being “dirty” you can make. Rather, it’s both the added sensation of the water and the thrill of getting intimate in a place that isn’t the bedroom that really makes the experience worthwhile. Shampooing each other might not seem like the sexiest way to start foreplay, but it’s relaxing and decidedly tactile. Playing with the temperature of the water can mix things up and provide little shocks that keep the action engaging, as well as lengthen the session if need be by preventing a sprint-to-the-finish-line mentality. Be careful not to scald or freeze your partner, though, as the extremes are less exciting and more irritating. If you’re lucky enough to have a detachable shower head, use it for hands-free stimulation of the receiving partner. Just make sure the temperature is moderate enough.
While taking things into the shower can be fun, I know personally that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s important to be aware of the things that can go wrong. For me, the space issue was most awkward. Tubs are designed to accommodate the width of one person, and when there are two people effectively taking up the same space, it causes a few logistical hang-ups. Standing up proved to be the best solution for space problems, using ridges along the tub’s edge for support. Another thing to remember is that constantly flowing water can rinse away lubrication, so it’s wise to stay prepared with extra lube. The most unexpected issue for me was sharing water. Showering alone, you get to decide which part of you is warmed up by the spray without having to think about it. Bringing someone in with you — and then having sex — throws a wrench into this process. Be prepared to create a system to divide up water time so no one gets chilly. If you manage to figure out a way to share please send in an e-mail and share your wisdom with the rest of us.
Full disclosure: My shower experiences weren’t exactly the hot-and-steamy sessions the movies make them out to be, but they were still a lot of fun. There can be a bit of Tetris-style problem solving involved, and sometimes, things get slippery (or you knock over all the shampoo bottles, hypothetically speaking). Nonetheless, it’s very intimate, and for me, the switch to water kept me coming back. It’s something new, and the willingness to be open to new experiences is important to instill anyone’s sex life with some vivacity.