Showers are supposed to keep people clean, but your shower head may not be on board with that.
Inside Edition recently tested 11 different shower heads for germs and discovered many are hotbeds for bacteria and fungi.
Virginia Tech University microbiologist Joseph Falkingham, who oversaw the testing, was surprised by the results, saying the findings “worry me.”
The key offender? A type of bacteria called mycobacteria associated with lung infections, as well as fatigue, fever and night sweats.
If you’re worried your own shower head could make you sick, Falkingham suggests soaking it in bleach for 30 minutes once a month and thoroughly rinsing it off.
“If you do that once a month, the mycobacteria are very low,” Falkingham told Inside Edition.
The risk may actually be low, since this type of bacteria is present in all kinds of common water sources and most of us don’t get sick. Those who do tend to be middle-aged and have other preexisting conditions like lung disease, esophageal disorders and weakened immune systems.
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