How Clean Is Your Showerhead

Your home may have bacteria in a place you never realized could become a health threat. No one else is likely to ask you so we will: is your shower making you dirtier? It’s a strange thing to consider that the place where you go in your home to get cleaned up could actually make you dirtier. It has to do with your showerhead.

A showerhead is an ideal environment for some types of bacteria to grow. There are a few things more you should know about that, as follows.

Showerhead Safety

Some experts and PhDs got together to prepare an article on showerhead safety. They are concerned because, though most bacteria are harmless, there are some threats that come through the showerhead. Some people end up with serious lung disease because of the bacteria they were exposed to from their showerheads.

People with weakened immune systems and some with lung disease could be susceptible to this type of bacteria.

The Bottom Line

All showerheads and plumbing in general will become full of bacteria and slimy biofilms. That’s why scientists want people to keep that question in mind, is your shower making you dirtier? Mostly, though, bacteria are harmless. But some can cause serious problems if breathed in. These bacteria are called opportunistic pathogens. They include Legionella, which has been dubbed Health Enemy #1. They are inhaled in tiny droplets of water known as aerosols when a person takes a shower. Showerheads have been found with a million bacteria cells per square centimeter!

Note This About Your Showerhead

Before we go into slimier details about bacteria in our showerheads, why don’t we look to the upside? You can clean your showerhead and remove this threat. A lot of advice is available telling you the best way to clean and disinfect showerheads.
• The important thing to note is this: Routine cleaning is required. All efforts to remove biofilms and bacteria will be temporary as long as showerheads are attached to the household plumbing system.

Should Everybody Worry About the Showerhead?

If you are healthy and you don’t suffer from either a weakened immune system or a chronic lung condition, no, you do not need to worry about your showerhead. Is a rare event for people to get an infection from bacteria in the showerhead. Further study is actually needed on showerhead safety for these at-risk groups. But it doesn’t hurt to ask whether your shower is making you dirtier.

Step-by-Step Showerhead Cleaning

These are the steps shared by the Pioneer Woman for cleaning your showerhead.
What you will need:
• A gallon-sized plastic food storage bag
• A rubber band
• Distilled white vinegar
• An unused toothbrush
• Baking soda

This is one method of cleaning that doesn’t call for removing the showerhead. These are the steps:

• Fill the gallon-sized plastic bag with vinegar.
• Place the showerhead in the bag.
• Secure the bag using a sturdy rubber band, string, or heavy-duty tape.
• Be sure the entire showerhead is submerged in vinegar (add more if necessary).
• Let it soak for at least a few hours. If it has excessive buildup, soak it overnight.
• Remove the bag and use the toothbrush to scrub away any residue or remaining buildup.
• Finally dry the surface of the showerhead with a microfiber cloth.

Call Atlantic Coast Water Clinic if you have any questions about your showerhead. Just go ahead and ask if your shower is making you dirtier.

You may have other issues, such as hard water, which creates many problems in households every day. Our water treatment experts have answers and solutions you can rely on. Call us at (772) 283-4767 or fill out our contact form to request a quote.