It might not be obvious which items we’re talking about: the showerhead and the toothbrush.
The bathroom is often considered the cleanest room in the house — but that isn’t true. A new study from Northeastern University in Boston suggests we rethink how we clean the bathroom.
As part of their extensive research, scientists collected samples from showerheads and toothbrushes across the United States. By sequencing the DNA from those samples, the researchers discovered 614 unique microbes living in the bathroom microbiome. Among these “tiny creatures” are many that are unknown to science, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Erika Hartmann, was shocked: “The number of viruses we found is just wild.”
What Do Scientists Think About This?
The bathroom is an ideal environment for bacteria and viruses to multiply.
Although many of us clean it regularly with household cleaners, that doesn’t mean microorganisms are permanently gone from the space. “Microbes love water. And where is there water? Inside our showerheads and on our toothbrushes. We found many viruses about which we knew very little or nothing at all,” said Dr. Hartmann.
Some microbes prefer toothbrushes, while others thrive in showerheads. The showerhead is home to bacteria typically found in soil and drinking water, while toothbrushes host species associated with the human microbiome.
Each of these distinct bacterial communities has its own set of viruses that attack those bacteria.
The most common types found were mycobacteriophages, which infect pathogenic mycobacteria that cause leprosy, tuberculosis, and chronic lung infections.
The researchers pointed out that since most of the viruses found on toothbrushes and showerheads are bacteriophages, they do not infect humans. Still, many people might feel the urge to do a thorough cleaning in the bathroom.
How to Combat This?
Dr. Hartmann recommends soaking the showerhead regularly in vinegar to remove calcium deposits where bacteria thrive. There’s also a simpler alternative: wash the showerhead with soap and water.
Replace your toothbrush every two to three months so it doesn’t get too dirty. The study’s findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiomes.
