The old ad for the second “Jaws” movie used the tag line...”Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water”. Now I read it isn’t even safe to get into the shower? No, sharks haven’t taken over your bathroom. If correct, the research announced yesterday on CNN, MSNBC and generally spread by any news service that would print it, it was announced that our showerheads are potentially full of dangerous bacteria. Well I’m from the south and we have been saying for years that we should just bathe on Saturday night so now I have proof. If only my parents were still alive so I could prove to them that they were wrong about those daily showers.
Here is an abridged version of the article for your reading pleasure along with my thanks to the news ,media and the author:
“If the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho scared you, here's another reason to scream: A new study says that potentially disease-causing germs can get trapped in showerheads and grow into biofilm, or coats of slime that deliver a bacteria blast along with your hot water. Although the classic horror film gave legions of moviegoers a fear of showering, the new study shouldn't do the same, experts say. The bacteria probably don't pose a threat to most people, although they could be problematic for those with weakened immune systems. Showerheads are dark, wet, and warm -- the ideal environment for bacteria that cause lung diseases to thrive. As we turn on the faucet to get clean, the showerhead may spray our bodies and the air around us with such opportunistic bugs as Mycobacterium avium and other germs known as non-tuberculosis mycobacteria, according to the new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In fact, levels of these are more than 100-fold higher than levels found in the pre-shower water, according to the researchers, who analyzed the germs in 45 showerheads from nine U.S cities, including New York and Denver. "If you are immune compromised or are susceptible to pulmonary infections, take a bath instead of a shower," says lead researcher Leah M. Feazel, of the University of Colorado, in Boulder. "If you are healthy and your immune system is functioning properly, you should not worry about the germs in your showerhead." Mycobacterium avium, found in 20 percent of study samples, can cause lung infections in both healthy people and those with weakened immune systems, particularly smokers, alcoholics, people with chronic lung disease, and others with conditions that make it difficult to fight off infection. Symptoms include fatigue, a chronic dry cough, and shortness of breath. The good news is that L. pneumophila, the water-loving germ that causes Legionnaires' disease, was rare in the study. Only 3 out of 6,000 genetic sequences tested were L. pneumophila. Legionnaires' disease is a severe type of pneumonia, and outbreaks have been linked to L. pneumophila-contaminated water in large central-air-conditioning systems, whirlpool spas, and other sources of water droplets. "The new study emphasizes the need for us to periodically get rid of biofilm on our showerheads. Change the showerhead once a year or more frequently, like they do in hospitals, to prevent mineral deposits and biofilm.. Metal showerheads appear to be less likely than plastic showerheads to grow biofilm, according to the researchers. “
If after reading the above article you are scared to death of you showerhead you can either change it out (NBS has dozens to choose from) as my blog directs or at least clean your old one up. The easiest way to do that is to purchase a bottle of CLR or similar product, pour it into an old bleach bottle with the top cut off and the handle left intact. Use the handle to tie the bottle onto the shower head rod with the head fully immersed in the cleaner. Not only will that kill any bacteria present it will get rid of lime scale and other hard water stains that are probably making your showerhead not work as well as it should. For more details on installing a new showerhead read my blog at:
http://nationalbuildersupply.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-install-new-shower-head-without.html .
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