Los Angeles, Aug 8 (IANS): Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal doesn't think bathing is necessary as according to him it's helpful for "skin maintenance" to allow the body to naturally clean itself.

"More and more I find bathing to be less necessary, at times," Gyllenhaal told Vanity Fair magazine, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

He added: "I do believe, because Elvis Costello is wonderful, that good manners and bad breath get you nowhere. So I do that. But I do also think that there's a whole world of not bathing that is also really helpful for skin maintenance, and we naturally clean ourselves."

The 40-year-old actor made the comments after a debate about cleanliness was started by actors Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, who recently admitted they don't bathe their children until they can "see dirt" on them.

The discussion began during an appearance on the 'Armchair Expert' podcast with co-hosts Dax Shepard and Monica Padman.

Kunis said that she hardly ever had a shower growing up as a child because they didn't have hot water at home.

"I didn't have hot water growing up as a child, so I didn't shower much anyway. But when I had children, I also didn't wash them every day. I wasn't that parent that bathed my newborns — ever."

Kutcher then added: "Now, here's the thing: If you can see the dirt on them, clean them. Otherwise, there's no point."

Shepard later chipped in on the topic with his own wife and actress Kristen Bell, as the couple revealed they also don't bathe their children every day.