Have you not cleaned your shower head for a while? Maybe it’s procrastination that stops you from doing that.
But what if your laziness becomes a major risk to your life? Because an uncleaned showerhead often becomes a victim of legionella, which can cause the deadly disease Legionnaires’.
Ohh, don’t be afraid; that happens very rarely, and if you take preventive measures on time, you can save yourself from significant health risks. And that’s why it’s important for you to know How to clean shower head Legionella?
But before getting straight to the point, let’s see the root problem that causes Bacteria Legionella on the showerhead.
How does Legionella get on the showerhead?
When you don’t clean the showerhead for a long time, It starts getting rusty and, in the meantime, gets exposed to debris, mineral deposits, and limescale build-up, which encourages Bacteria Legionella to stay on the showerhead. Thus, shower cleaning should be done on a regular basis to avoid Legionella.
Another reason might be from the source from where it is getting water, i.e., a storage tank. If the water storage tank contains rust and corrosion, biofilm, and debris, this might cause the showerhead to get exposed to these harmful elements. So, you must keep your eye on it and regularly inspect and clean tanks to lessen the risk.
The best way to get rid of that hurdle is to use a combined boiler because hot water filters out all the germs and chemicals from it. If your storage tank temperature remains above 50°C, it will never become a risk for legionella. This way, you won’t have to inspect and clean it regularly.
Remember, water droplets are the major reason by which Legionnaires disease is spread, making a shower a dangerous place for you and others if you don’t clean your showerhead.
How to Clean Shower Head Legionella? (Step-by-Step Guide)
The time has come to get rid of Legionella from the showerhead. Follow the step-by-step guide to clean harmful elements from the showerhead that are alarming your health risk.
Required Things:
Here are some things that you must gather before getting into the task.
- Hand Gloves
- Adjustable Plier or Wrench
- Baking Soda
- Dish Detergent
- A plastic bucket
- White Vinegar
- Toothbrush
- Hot Water
- A Piece of Cloth
Step 1: Turn Off Water Supply
If you don’t turn Off the water supply from the main source, you will be drenched in water once you disassemble the showerhead. So, to be on the safe side and to make the task easier by filtering out the involvement of water, you must turn off the water supply of the showerhead from the main source.
Step 2: Disassemble The Shower Head from Pipe
Whether you have a wall or handheld showerhead, you have to remove it from the pipe in order to clean it thoroughly. To remove the showerhead, use a wrench and twist it in the anti-clockwise direction from the area where it is connected to the pipe. Once the showerhead is removed from the pipe, you’re ready to proceed further.
Step 3: Take apart your showerhead
The next step is to disassemble the showerhead from its body completely. Take apart your showerhead and remove all the parts, including the mesh filter screen. If you want to learn how to take apart a handheld showerhead thoroughly, read this guide. For a wall-mounted showerhead, you can clean it without disassembling its parts.
Step 4: Create a Mixture Of White Vinegar and Baking Soda
To create a mixture, take a bucket and half-fill it with hot water. Now, put half the amount of baking soda and white vinegar in it. After that, soak the showerhead and all the parts in the mixture for 30 minutes. In the meantime, use a toothbrush to remove any stubborn buildup residue.
Step 5: Create The Mixture Of Dish Detergent
After taking out the showerhead and its parts, rinse it under the sink. Now, refill the sink with water and put the dish detergent in it to create a mixture. Soak all the parts in the mixture for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Rinse The Parts With Hot Water
Now prepare a hot boiling, and rinse all the parts with it. Be careful not to scold yourself during the process. You can rinse the parts by keeping them in the sink. Don’t forget to wear gloves while doing all this.
Step 7: Dry the Showerhead
Once all has been done, dry the showerhead and its parts with a soft cloth and leave them open to dry completely before reattaching them.
Step 8: Fix the Showerhead
Reattach the showerhead and its parts by doing the reverse of the process you did above. Take extra while fixing the delicate parts because they break easily. In the end, attach the shower head to the pipe threads by rotating clockwise with the help of a wrench.
After everything is done, your showerhead will be cleaned from legionella, and you can use it without risk.
3 Proven Tips To Clean Shower Head Legionella
Here are some cleaning tips that you can maintain on a regular basis to save a showerhead from Legionella.
Use Shower Head Gel
Showerhead cleaning gel and liquid are the best way to clean the showerhead quickly and easily. All you have to do is just apply it to the showerhead, wait for a while, and then remove it. It is the simplest and fastest way to clean and protect the showerhead from Legionnaires.
Use Chlorine Based Products
Chlorine-based products are widely used to clean and disinfect things in daily routines, like sterilizing baby bottles. This is highly helpful if you want your shower head to get rid of these harmful elements like Legionella. It is important to see the manufacturer’s guide to knowing whether the product helps prevent Legionella or not.
Flush Hot Water
Different studies have shown that Legionella can’t resist hot water above 60 degrees. So it is considered good to flush hot water on the showerhead regularly to prevent it from getting Legionella. So you must include this practice in your Legionella control program.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Shower Head Be Cleaned For Legionella?
As per expert recommendations, the showerhead should be cleaned thoroughly every three months by removing its parts and properly descaling it. However, Implementing small cleaning methods on a regular basis is considered a good practice, like applying shower cleaning gel and flushing hot water.
Does Vinegar Kill Legionella?
As Vinegar is made up of acetic acid, it can potentially kill harmful bacteria and disinfectant chemicals. So it can be beneficial in killing Legionella bacteria. Read this guide to learn how to clean a shower head with Vinegar.
Does Bleach Kill Legionella?
Bleach is a mixture of chlorine, caustic soda, and water; it is used widely for cleaning and disinfecting. So, it is beneficial to kill bacteria and harmful elements, especially Legionella.
Final Word:
Legionnaires’ disease caused by Legionella bacteria is a significant risk to your health. You must regularly inspect and clean your showerhead to prevent this major health risk.
We have described each detail thoroughly about how to clean the showerhead Legionella that helps you avoid legionella on the showerhead.
I hope this article helps solve your query; if yes, check other interesting and helpful posts on my blog.
Read More: How To Clean A Shower Head With CLR
