- The Accepted Custom: Under normal circumstances, the accepted practice from the time of the Rishonim is not to wash one’s entire body in cold water on Shabbos, in part due to the concern that one may come to squeeze the water out of hair. However, one may wash individual areas on one’s body which are not covered in a significant quantity of hair in cold water on Shabbos, such that there is no risk of squeezing it out.
- Showering in cases of distress: in cases of distress, such as on a very hot summer’s day, one may be lenient to take a shower in cold water – we are lenient on showering in cases of distress as the minhag primarily relates to dipping oneself in water (MB 326:21, SSK 14:11, Dirshu 20)
- Lukewarm Water: As mentioned earlier, lukewarm water has the same status as cold water in relation to these halachos. SSK rules that water is considered lukewarm if one does not feel the heat of the water . (SSK 14:11).
