A Silkwood shower is a very long, hot shower taken to disinfect and decontaminate oneself from environmentally acquired smells such as smoke or food.

The term stems from the name Karen Silkwood. She was a chemical technician who died under mysterious circumstances after raising issues of contamination at the plant where she worked.

In 1983 a movie named Silkwood was released which starred Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, and Cher. There is a decontamination shower scene in that film which is the basis for the term being coined.

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