You may consider it as the cleanest section of your home, but there could be ways your bathroom is making you sick. It’s one of the areas full of toxins, allergens, and nasty chemicals. This is usually the case if multiple people at home share it. For these reasons, you should find ways to curb germs that can eventually cause
illness.
One of the things that can guarantee your bathroom will remain germ-free is by cleaning it regularly. It would help if you still considered doing a “deep clean” once a month using disinfectants. If one of your family members has recently contracted diarrhea or flu, you should
clean it regularly.
Other Ways Your Bathroom Could Be Making You Sick
The quality of your water
Whether you use your water for drinking and washing, there is no doubt that poor water quality can significantly make you and your family ill. If you use hard water in your home, you should
know that it contains plenty of minerals such as lime and calcium, which will ultimately develop to limescale on your bathroom fixture.
If you are residing in an older home, there are chances that your pipes are connected with solid lead pipes or lead solder. Over the years, lead can break down and end up leaking into the
water, causing serious health concerns to children, especially with their developing nervous system and brains. If you own an older home, it’s advisable that you source for a testing kit to
check your water composition.
If your water contains traces of dangerous material such as a high level of bacteria or lead, you should get it fixed as soon as possible.
Ineffective fans can be a health hazard
It is important to understand that you need to regularly check your extractor fan to ensure that it’s working effectively. Remember that your bathroom extractor fan plays an integral role in getting rid of excess moisture in your bathroom. If your fan isn’t working optimally, there is
bound to be a rise in mold re-circulation, which can have profound health consequences for people with allergies and asthma.
While you check your bathroom fan for any fault, you should ensure that it’s kept clean from mould and dust that can hinder it from operating effectively. If you’ve just started constructing
your home, you must consider damp proofing solutions when constructing your bathroom as it helps to control moisture in buildings.
Your tap handles, doorknobs and switches
You may want to believe that everyone who visits your toilets cleans their hands, but some can forget to do so (especially kids!). When such individuals end up holding the tap handle, doorknobs, or the bathroom light switch, they can end up leaving nasty germs.
Aside from reiterating the importance of hand-washing, make sure that you’ve wiped these surfaces with a disinfectant to minimise the spread of bacteria.
Dirty showerheads
If you are constantly using your showerhead, you may sometimes forget that it must be regularly cleaned like most accessories in the bathroom. If you fail to clean your showerhead routinely,
there are high chances that there will be a build-up of soap scrum and limestone.
In recent research, it was established that most showerheads had microbes, such as Mycobacterium avium and Legionella pneumophila.
According to the study, these micro-organisms rest in the showerhead, and they get activated when the shower is in use. If you have a weak immune system and using such a showerhead, you may be prone to lung disease. However, it’s easy to clean your showerhead using a solution of distilled vinegar. Also, ensure that this is done as a regular cleaning routine.
Dirty towels
There is no need to keep washing your bathroom’s hand towel after every use. However, once your hand towel is cleaned, it should be left to dry before being used again. Sun-drying can help to kill germs, but alternatively, you should consider installing a heated towel rail in your bath areas.
If your towels aren’t regularly cleaned, one of the common ailments you may contract is athletes’ foot.
Final Thoughts
Many people believe that the bathroom is the cleanest area of a home because it’s where they freshen up, but this isn’t entirely true. The truth is that if you don’t tidy your bathroom, it can end
up being filthy. To ensure that you are maintaining the highest hygiene standards, the top tips highlighted in this guide act as the first step.