A study conducted by experts from the University of Colorado Boulder found that about one-third of all shower heads contain microorganisms that can cause various diseases, including severe ones and those difficult to treat. Doctors urge to monitor the condition of home showers carefully, regularly washing or changing shower heads.
As explained by the researchers, a harmless shower head can accumulate bacteria, forming a biofilm – a colony of microorganisms. These bacteria get to human hair and skin with water and are inhaled with moisture evaporation. If the immune system is not too strong, such shower can cause serious health problems.
In particular, the bathroom survey revealed that mycobacterium avium is actively breeding in its warm, dark, and moist environment. These bacteria can cause the development of severe lung disease.
According to the experts, you can protect yourself against the potentially dangerous exposure to parasites, if you carefully monitor the condition of the shower head. Clean the shower head regularly to eliminate the microorganisms accumulated on them. To do this, pour a cup of white distilled vinegar into a plastic bag and add half a cup of baking soda. Tie the bag with this “filling” around the shower head and leave it for an hour. If the head is easily removed, it can be washed in a vinegar-soda solution and cleaned with an old toothbrush to get rid of dirt in the holes. However, if the shower head has served for very long, it is better to replace it with a new one. By the way, it is better to use a directed spray rather than random or mist spray patterns, which sprinkle water in different directions – so that you will less likely get infected.
