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If your immune system is weakened, you may want to rethink that daily shower.
New research suggests that ordinary showerheads are awash in germs, particularly a type that can cause lung disease in people whose immunity to illness is compromised.
I think this society is becoming increasingly obsessive-compulsive as evidenced by the medias paranoid emphasis on germs. Our bodies evolved to work WITH germs and bacteria as well as around them. We are breeding a sicker, less protected nation by not exposing ourselves to the small colonies of invaders that serve to enable and enhance our immune systems.
Some of us ate dirt as kids and we survived.
I completely agree with tcrackly. EVERYthing is covered in germs. Even if we were all agoraphobic, we'd find enough germs in our house for an army. You need germs - they aren't all bad LOL
I agree, too, with tcrackly and andreaspercheron. A little dirt don't hurt!
I will say though that about once a month I take my shower heads off and soak them in straight white vinegar overnight. I started doing this years ago when one of our shower heads got gunked-up and wasn't spraying like it was supposed to. When I removed it (this was in a rental) you wouldn't believe the gunk I found in it. After soaking it over night, and then rinsing off the next morning, it was like new. So I just do it as part of my routine house cleaning thing now to keep them in good working order.
I read recently (it was part of a story on cnn) that there are more germs and bacteria living in our indoor rugs and carpets than there are living on the outdoor city sidewalks. According to the story, this is because sunlight and the UV rays kills germs and bacteria. I thought that was very interesting! Don't know if it's really true or not though.
There is SOME truth to the UV rays and killing bacteria - I first heard it was something to do with milk (of all things) and that if you are a milk drinker, you shouldn't buy the ones in the clear plastic but instead the cartons because of something about the lights in the stores killing good bacteria or something.. I don't remember... LOL I'm so useless today LOL
I heard that you shouldn't buy milk (or water) in the plastic jugs because the plasticy chemicals leaches into the liquid. Hmmm... but even the cartons are lined with a waxy substance, so are we drinking whatever that is, too? Food is so weird these days. I always thought it was the pasteurization process of heating the milk to kill any and all bad stuff in it that also killed anything that might be beneficial in it... which is why they have to go back and add stuff to it to make people think it's healthy for them to drink it. I don't know... maybe it is healthy... but everything is a controversy and up for debate these days. Who knows?
I read about that years ago. The article explained how a few people had been aggressively (mis)treated for lung cancer. The cases were investigated and the shower was found to be the source of infection...very sad.
They say that when you aren't using the shower the shower hose and head should be allowed to hang down below the level of the water pipe to allow all the water to run out.
I am anurse in the UK and this is what we have to do.Never leave the shower head hooked onto the rail.
Of course you cannot do that if you have a fixed head.
One of the worst diseases that colonises stagnant water is Legionnaires disease.
Notice it mentions hot tubs too. Patient Facts | CDC Legionella
They say that when you aren't using the shower the shower hose and head should be allowed to hang down below the level of the water pipe to allow all the water to run out.
I am anurse in the UK and this is what we have to do.Never leave the shower head hooked onto the rail.
Of course you cannot do that if you have a fixed head.
You can't do that with the vast majority of shower heads in the US, which are fixed in place. Unless you keep a wrench in the shower, this is completely impractical in the US. We have a different kind of shower in the US.
And this is a NON-issue for the vast majority of people.
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Showerheads Harbor a Bounty of Germs
