How to shower with a cast

Reviewed by Erin Rose — healthcare price-transparency analyst. Last checked August 29, 2026. Part of the full broken-bone-cast checklist.

Every hospital source in this research names the same core idea — keep the cast dry, one way or another — but they genuinely disagree on the best way to do it once a child is involved. Here's the DIY method, the waterproof cover, and the disagreement itself, stated plainly rather than smoothed over.

Fiberglass or plaster — does it change how you shower?

Both need to stay dry, for a related but slightly different reason. AAOS's own comparison, quoted directly:

Fiberglass itself resists water better than plaster does, but the padding underneath either material is what actually causes trouble when it gets wet — see the next section. The material doesn't change the core advice: keep the whole thing dry.

The two ways hospitals name to keep it dry

AAOS and Cleveland Clinic — both general/adult-audience sources — each name a DIY option and a commercial option in the same breath, not one instead of the other:

Two independent hospital systems, the same two-option pattern: a free DIY method (plastic wrap, two layers of plastic) works, and a reusable waterproof cover is a convenience upgrade, not a requirement. AAOS's caution is worth repeating exactly as written — even a covered cast shouldn't be submerged or held directly under running water, since a single pinhole can let the whole thing get soaked.

If you want the waterproof cover

These are reusable silicone-seal sleeves, not a substitute for the caution above:

See the Asunby Waterproof Cast Covers for Shower Leg Adult, Full Long Leg on Amazon →

See the CureSquad Waterproof Full-Arm Cast/Dressing Shower Cover on Amazon →

Fit note: a seal only works if it's actually sized to the limb — measure the circumference at its widest point before ordering, not just the "adult" label.

For a child's cast: a genuine disagreement, not a settled answer

This is the single most important thing on this page, and it doesn't resolve neatly. UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals — a dedicated pediatric hospital, not a general-audience source — recommends AGAINST a waterproof cover for a child:

That directly conflicts with AAOS's and Cleveland Clinic's "purchase waterproof shields"/"special plastic guards" framing above — which is written for a general/adult audience, not specifically for a child. We're not resolving that disagreement for you: for a CHILD's cast, UCSF Benioff's more conservative sponge-bath-first position is the one worth weighing most seriously, given it's the only source in this research written by a pediatric hospital specifically about a child's cast. For an ADULT's cast, the AAOS/Cleveland Clinic framing applies more directly. Every competitor site we reviewed while building this hub — the DTC cast-cover brands and the general hospital pages alike — states one position or the other; none of them surface this disagreement the way it's stated here.

Itching, briefly

Not a showering question, but it comes up in the same breath for a lot of readers. The short version: itching is answered with four free techniques, not a product — see the full itch-relief section on the hub, including the exact hospital-attributed hair-dryer instruction.

Some links above are Amazon affiliate links (tag verifiedcare-20) — if you buy through them, VerifiedCareData earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That never changes which product gets picked or what we say about it. See our methodology.