Wash, rinse, repeat. If you are one of those who takes too long to complete this process, the eco-shower trend might help ease your conscience. Concerns over water conservation have prompted the development of the Aperture showerhead (featured at www.igreenspot.com), which measures the amount passing through it and down the drain. The designers hope that seeing just how much water you use will make you more likely to cut back.

The Sandwich Chromotherapy showerhead (pictured right), employs a mechanism that allows only two gallons of water to be used a minute, where conventional systems use up to five. (Details at www.cristinarubinetterie.com.)

Meanwhile, the Quench shower system (www.quenchshowers.com), enables savings of 82 per cent by recycling water. Once you have lathered up and washed off, you can press a button that diverts the run-off to a reservoir for recirculation.

Finally, for those unable to regulate their time or who enjoy luxuriating in the flow too much, designer Tommaso Colia (www.tommasocolia.com) has created a shower base that discourages dallying. Concentric circles rise up, physically forcing the person out of the cubicle.