The good news is that taking a shower is still a reliable way to wash off dirt and germs. The bad news is that showers can also wash on germs, in the form of, as the L.A Times puts it, “invisible microbes that live inside your shower head and bombard
you in aerosolized form as you bathe.” The paper reports on a study done at the University of Colorado at Boulder, in which researchers took samples of biofilms
that
formed inside 45 shower heads from nine cities, including New York and
Denver. The researchers found that many of the microbes exist in
each locale’s water supply were more than 100 times as
plentiful in the shower heads as in the natural environment. The researchers, whose work is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, conclude that “showerheads may present a significant potential
exposure to aerosolized microbes, including documented opportunistic
pathogens. The health risk associated with showerhead microbiota needs
investigation in persons with compromised immune or pulmonary systems.”
Health, fitness and lifestyle tips for people over 50 who still like to play hard
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Now why did they have to go and research that. A number of years ago someone did some research on the refrigerators that had a pan beneath them that collected condensation (I don’t think fridges have these anymore). Anyway, of course the pan was a breeding ground for the scariest microbes on the planet.
That’s just great. Now what? Remove shower head before each shower and clean with an antimicrobial solution of some kind? Or go back to tub baths?
simple fix, remove the shower head about once a week, or everytime you clean the bathroom. most shower heads screw off with the hand or a small pair of plyers. submerge the entire shower head in a solution of 50% bleach and allow to soak while you clean…reattatch and you are done
or just spray with Lysol, or such, before each shower!!!
One good solution is to get detachabable shower heads(you know-with the hose that attaches to the wall), so you can hang them down after each shower and drain them. Then once a week, dip them in a cleaning bucket with bleach water and you’re good to go. I always have detachable shower heads so I can clean the shower/tub easier. It’s also a great way to wash the dogs, cats, or anything that needs a large space to wash and rinse.
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PIPES THAT THE WATER GOES THROUGH BEFORE IT GETS TO THE SHOWER HAED.ALL THE ELBOWS THAT THE WATER SITS IN MUST BE AS BAD AS SITTING IN THE SHOWER HEAD.
How about we stop being a bunch of panic stricken crybabies and get over it. Maybe that is why people are sick so often. They don’t keep their immune system strong by fighting of germs like it is intended. My bathroom is clean, but I’ll be damned if I am going to worry about the inside of my shower head.
here here roy… i totaly agree. the shower head was invented how many years ago??? like a million.all of a sudden theres germs. please. give me a break. this world is turning into a giant wuzzy hole.too sensitive and germ freaks.how sad.
there are 4 germs that really worry me
1. the President germ
2. the vice president germ
3. the speaker of the house germ
4. the leader of the senate germ
these four germs are attempting to destroy the country I grew up in. That is where the concern should be not on a stupid shower head.
I think it is great, something to exercise your immune system.
Not to worry safefixer…We removed those four germs with the last election.
Does this mean I should not stand under a hot shower till all the hot water in the tank runs out?
if your like the four germs we now are concerned about don’t get under the shower because we are going to wash them down the drain come election day. American
Why does not the same microbes/germs invade the bath tub’s faucet or the sink faucet/why just the shower head? Germs are everywhere and I particularly fear the kind in the air, but we can’t live in a bubble.