How To Clean Shower Heads Effectively and Easily.
Prevent Legionnaires Disease with these easy steps…
When talking about water hygiene and clean water, the number one risk to human health and life is Legionella bacteria, that can lead to Legionnaires Disease. If contracted, Legionnaires Disease can cause serious health issues. Even if you are otherwise fit and well, you have about a 1 in 10 chance of dying. Survivors often experience long term debilitating conditions such as damage to respiratory systems, acute kidney failure, sepsis, loss of limbs, and more.
All cases of Legionnaires Disease are caused by inhalation of water ‘aerosols’ containing Legionella bacteria. These aerosols can be caused by domestic showers as they produce water droplets, often at high pressure, and of varying sizes.
As inhalation of airborne water droplets is the main route of infection for Legionellosis, showers pose a high risk, highlighting the importance of understanding how to clean shower heads effectively in order to improve cleanliness, reduce scale and bacterial contaminants within the shower head and hose, and to minimise the risk of contracting Legionnaires Disease.
If you feel that you need training in the area of Legionnaires Disease risk management for your business, please visit our training website HERE.
Whilst anyone can contract Legionellosis, certain conditions put individuals at higher risk:
- Over 50 years of age
- Smokers
- Heavy drinkers
- People suffering from chronic repository or kidney disease, diabetes, lung and heart disease
- Anyone with an impaired immune system
To reduce the risk of Legionella growth the HSE recommends the cleaning and descaling of shower heads and hoses at least every 3 months, which is why it is important to understand how to clean shower heads effectively and thoroughly.
How To Clean Shower Heads?
Often people think that typical household cleaning solutions are the best method to clean shower heads and hoses, but unfortunately, these fail in several areas:
- Most products only work to descale the surface of the shower head, and don’t penetrate the inside where the majority of bacteria reside and thrive
- Most products do not sterilise or disinfect any part of the shower head
- Most products don’t allow themselves to be diluted sufficiently and cost-effectively to allow full submersion in a bucket or similar container to allow the shower head and hose to soak for a period of time (optional, but a good idea for a guaranteed deep clean)
When it comes to cleaning your shower heads and hoses the very popular and well-known Showerhead Plus range of liquids and gels has proven effectiveness in legionella (and other) bacteria control.It does this by effectively removing both scale deposits and bacterial contaminants inside and outside of the shower head and hose, and is even suitable for chrome fittings at the right dilution.
The Showerhead Plus range is available in 10 Litres, 5 litres and 500ml Gel containers, allowing you to choose the right size container for your needs, and giving you the freedom to dilute the solution as you see fit for your requirements.
Shower Head Plus is an acid based, ready to use descaling solution encompassing a proprietary biocide.
How To Use Showerhead Plus To Descale and Disinfect Your Shower Heads
PLEASE NOTE: It is always recommended to wear suitable eye and skin protection when using cleaning chemicals
For Cleaning Removable Shower Heads and Hoses:
The main goal is to dismantle, clean, and descale removable parts, heads, inserts and hoses where fitted.
To remove heavy deposits:
Use Showerhead Plus liquid neat – caution should be used when using neat on chrome fittings. Please test in a small area first.
For routine and regular cleaning:
Immerse in a solution of 1-part Showerhead Plus liquid to 3 parts water.
For routine and regular cleaning of your shower head and hose:
- Physically clean the head with a soft brush to remove loose deposits or soap scum
- Use a sturdy plastic bucket. Immerse the shower heads and hoses in a solution of 1-part Showerhead Plus liquid to 3 parts water – enough to cover the shower heads and hoses.
- Leave to soak for 2-15 minutes.
- Any remaining loose scale can be removed by gentle rubbing.
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
- Examine fittings to confirm cleanliness
Frequency for prevention of Legionella bacteria:
It is recommended by the HSE to descale and disinfect shower heads Quarterly.
Did you know?
Showers have been the source of many outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease.
Shower Head Plus had proven effectiveness in Legionella bacteria control
For Cleaning Fixed Shower Heads:
For fixed shower heads that cannot be dismantled, Showerhead Plus Gel is the ideal product to disinfect, descale, and clean shower heads.
How to use Showerhead Plus Gel:
Showerhead Plus Gel is a one-stop solution to descale and sanitize shower heads, plumbing fittings, and sanitary ware that cannot otherwise be removed for cleaning.
Showerhead Plus Gel has been developed for use on vertical surfaces and fixed fittings that cannot be dismantled and immersed for treatment. the product is applied by using a brush or other suitable applicator.
- Physically clean the head with a soft brush to remove loose deposits or soap scum.
- Apply Showerhead Plus Gel over the surface to be descaled and cleaned and allow to soak for five minutes
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water
- Inspect the surface of the shower head or fitting and if any scale is present then repeat step 2
- When the Shower head or fitting is clean and scale free apply a further coating of Showerhead Plus Gel over the surface of the shower head or fitting
- Allow a minimum of one-minute contact time for the disinfection process
- Rinse with copious amounts of clean water
- Examine fittings to confirm cleanliness
