If you have a leaky shower, you’ve probably pegged that water waste means pounds “leaking” from your pocket.
Plummeting water pressure can also quite easily defeat the purpose of your appliance.
Here are some of the top reasons you must clean and replace your showerhead often!
Reason #1: Bacteria and mould
Often due to moisture-heat combination in the bathroom, showerheads get overly covered with sediment, mould build-up or black spots and become a breeding ground for bacteria that can cause respiratory illnesses.
Actually, more than 1 million bacteria per square centimetre live on your showerhead on average.
What’s even worse is mycobacteria, commonly found everywhere, is among the most prevalent types living in your showerhead.
Not only does it form biofilms which are difficult to remove on it, but it’s also quite resistant to chlorine. If left untreated, the mycobacteria colonies can cause various lung complications, skin irritation and other infections.
That’s why you must make it a regular practice to clean and disinfect your showerhead at least monthly.
However, medical experts recommend installing a new showerhead at least once or twice yearly because of the million germs in your showerhead.
Reason #2: Hard water
Unsoftened water containers have much more mineral deposits than its counterpart. The bad news is that this quickly leads to limescale building up, low water pressure, and other problems.
The high amounts of calcium and magnesium in hard water primarily cause this. If left unattended, this issue can cause clogs or lead to a leaky faucet, which will cost you a lot of money in the long run.
Because this can be quite a big problem for the bathroom and the entire household, installing a water softener is highly recommended if you live in a region with high concentrations of minerals in the liquid.
So, proper prevention and staying vigilant about these things remains the best option for avoiding costly repairs or damages.
Estimates suggest that showerheads should be changed every 6-8 months, primarily if your abode is in a region with hard water. That’s normal, though, as this shower part is considered perishable and requires a replacement sooner or later.
Most people won’t get sick from the germs thriving in their showerheads. However, immune-vulnerable people must be vigilant because potentially harmful bacteria (such as Streptococcus and E. coli) or mould can lurk in every part of your showerhead.
Hence, they need to observe the 6-8 showerhead recommendation.
Reason #3: Pests that live in your pipes
If you have ever wondered whether any kind of pests can live in your plumbing system, the answer is: most definitely!
Even worse, your pipes are the ideal breeding grounds for many bugs, with moisture and food sources being the two main reasons you can see insects crawl out of your pipes.
Your plumbing system’s three most frequent dwellers are drain flies, cockroaches and house centipedes. All of these bugs love moisture and can reproduce like crazy if they gain a foothold inside your home, which makes taking the necessary precautions more than mandatory.
Along with the creepy crawlies, it’s entirely possible that various kinds of rodents like mice and rats can also crawl through your plumbing system and infiltrate your home, especially if there are cracks or holes, for they can easily squeeze through those and gain entrance.
While almost all of these pests can’t gain entrance to the showerhead, they can contaminate the water from it, or if the showerhead’s leaking, they can get access to free drinking water once inside, which will help them multiply.
Not to mention anything about the moist environment of the bathroom being an ideal attractant.
The best ways to deal with this problem are to reduce moisture, clean regularly, and call a licensed plumber to seal the openings and fix any existing plumbing issues.
How to clean your showerhead
Your showerhead may look spotless, but with time sediments, filth, rust, and high water minerals restrict the flow of the cold or hot water, blemishing your showerhead and blocking the shower holes.
There’s a good chance that you can postpone the showerhead replacement and solve this situation on your own if you give your showerhead a thorough cleaning once a month.
All you have to do is detach the part with the help of pliers, soak it up in a container with soda and vinegar, and scrub it out with a toothbrush.
For shower holes blocked with rust or built-up mineral left, use a lime or rust-removing agent to unclog and disinfect the part.
Once again, be aware that home water softeners considerably reduce calcium and other minerals from passing through your plumbing and appliances.
Hence, your showerhead cannot waddle up too much or too often.
The outcome: calling in an expert is unnecessary, and there’s no reason to change the showerhead too often.
Some helpful prevention techniques
You can’t know if the water from the shower is clean, but you can certainly take precautions.
If you worry that your showerhead jets a high level of bacteria invest in a water filter that can remove unwanted impurities from water.
High-quality water filters offer ultra-fine filtration of pathogenic organisms and can remove everything from sediments and tilth to stinks and bacteria.
With a high-quality water filtration system, you will enjoy dirt-free, less frequent showerhead changes and better tasting drinking water.
Nobody knows when the microbes and sediments reach dangerous levels, and it’s unwise not to consider these things. Not to mention that a sediment-rich showerhead can be both gross and frustrating.
Perk up your showering and reduce the risk of infection from waterborne pathogens when you opt for some of the best-in-class hygiene showers.
Those offering colour coded antibacterial technology reduce your weekly maintenance chores and inhibit the growth of microorganisms and other bacteria that cause odours and stains.
You can also use plenty of techniques to get your showerhead bacteria- and spot-free. Still, the invisible protection is proven to reduce the number of harmful bacteria in your showerhead and enhance its durability.
Conclusion
So, now that you know more about when and how to replace your shower head, you can easily protect your health and solve any plumbing issues that may arise from everyday use.
