When it comes to cleaning your bathroom, it can be tempting to overlook your showerhead – but it’s crucial to clean it regularly as it can become seriously gross.
Hygiene expert Madame Sweat has issued a warning on TikTok about the “small dark damp holes” in your showerhead being “loaded with bacteria”, which is quite an unsettling thought when you use the shower to get clean.
She claims that “the bacteria is actually harmless” unless you have a compromised immune system. According to her, when the shower is turned on, the bacteria becomes airborne, but “what you don’t want to do is leave it to build up” as it’ll be “a real mess to clean up”.
She then cautioned against using bleach to clean it, stating you should “never ever use bleach to clear that up”.
“It seems like it’s logical, but in fact, it will increase the bacteria count by three times,” she explained.
So what’s the solution? “It’s as simple as cleaning with vinegar and water,” the expert said. “Vinegar is very acidic and will help all that lime[scale] come off, and a very simple way of not having to remove it is putting a bag full of it around the shower head and soaking it while it’s still attached.”
Madame Sweat confessed that she “hates cleaning the shower,” but even though “everyone does,” she said this method makes it a lot easier and more effective.
However, experts at Trade Plumbing have issued an urgent warning about bacteria on showerheads, stating that if they’re left for too long, they can cause some seriously problematic issues.
Research conducted by experts has discovered that dirty shower heads commonly harbour four main types of harmful bacteria.
Experts have issued a warning that certain organisms can lead to various health issues. Malassezia Fungi and Acanthamoeba can cause eye conditions such as Blepharitis, and in rare cases, vision loss, while Malassezia Restricta is known to cause scalp infections.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa can lead to ear infections and legionella bacteria, though extremely rare, can lead to the development of Legionnaires’ disease, which is more likely to be found in public facilities than at home.
Plumbing expert Peter Clayton emphasises the importance of cleaning your showerhead not just for health reasons but also to enhance the quality of your showers.
He advises: “The acid in white vinegar is successful at breaking down the mineral deposits and removing bacteria on your showerhead. However, it’s important to ensure you are using distilled white vinegar and not any other type as brown vinegar can stain your showerhead.”