Bacteria: here are the 9 objects most at risk in a bathroom


If the toilet or the cell phone are known to collect many bacteria, the bathroom is also conducive to the proliferation of these. Unsuspected, many everyday objects are indeed potentially vectors of serious infections in the event of poor hygiene.

Loving heat and humidity, bacteria are particularly popular in the bathroom. These are essential elements for their survival, explain infectious diseases.

Here are the 9 objects most conducive to the development of bacteria in this place, whose cleaning and regular replacement is essential to limit the risk of infections.

Towels

Very often damp due to their frequent use to dry hands after washing them, towels are teeming with faecal bacteria.

The latter are therefore an ideal playground for acute viral gastroenteritis or acute respiratory infections such as influenza, as well as more serious complications such as salmonellosis and Staphylococcus aureus.

“By being wet, towels promote survival and bacterial growth. These towels must be individualized and not shared within the family. These are all the objects that we manipulate with the hands, the first vectors of bacteria, ”explained Pr Gayet.

The shower head

“A study recently showed that the shower head could participate in the transmission of a bacterium suspected to be the cause of Crohn’s disease. Another carried out in the United States pointed out that the level of Mycobacterium avium, the bacterium which causes certain lung infections in weakened people, could be 100 times higher in shower heads than in other faucets in the house ” , explained Professor Stéphane Gayet, infectious disease specialist at Strasbourg University Hospital, in an interview with the Médisite website.

To avoid these potential complications, the procedure is simple: descale the object once a week and let the hot water run for 30 seconds at maximum power before use.

Razors

Whether for men or women, the problem remains the same on this subject. By leaving the razor in the corner of the shower, for example, this accessory will bathe in stagnant water and will be more likely to develop bacteria.

In case of infection, the result will be visible on the face, with the risk of redness, abscess and panaris. The majority of abscesses are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, which manifests as pockets of pus on the surface of the skin.

The rubber duck

According to a Swiss study published in 2018, the rubber duck, immersed in dirty water, harbors more than 75 million potentially pathogenic bacteria.

The researchers in charge of this survey also found that 80% of the ducks studied possessed germs that can cause legionella and many nosocomial diseases.

Natural fiber sponge

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology in 1994 highlighted the fact that the natural fiber sponge was a hotbed of bacteria due to the humid heat observed in a bathroom.

“Natural sponges are even more easily contaminated than synthetic sponges and moreover impossible to decontaminate because of their high porosity and their particular fragility. We must therefore resolve to change them often ”, detailed Professor Gayet.

The shower curtain

Often poorly cleaned, the shower curtain regularly trails against the wet walls of the tub, which promotes the creation of mold.

To remedy this, it is advisable to cut it to avoid this type of contact and to dry it after each shower outside. If possible, it is even better to unfold it completely and machine wash it if it is made of fabric.

Last advice: it is recommended to change the shower curtain every year at most to avoid the proliferation of bacteria as much as possible.

The washcloth / the shower flower

Like the razor, the washcloth is often left abandoned on the sink or in the bathtub, making it a fungus nest due to the heat, humidity and lack of ventilation. .

To avoid these inconveniences, it is necessary to dry it well and wash it regularly.

The remarks are the same for the shower flower, the only difference lies in the turnover for its change, fixed every two months to limit the presence of bacteria.

Toothbrush

At the heart of our daily lives, the toothbrush is a potential fungus nest due to its humidity. It must therefore be dried after each use.

Cottons

Suspected of containing fungal spores or Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, used cottons should be discarded after each use.



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