Germs on your shower curtain
With infectious disease rates rising over the past decade, scientists have been scouring our everyday environment for potentially overlooked sources of germs. Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder found one such microbe hideout in a seemingly innocuous.
In five soap scum samples taken from four different vinyl shower curtains, researchers found all sorts of organisms, including Sphingomonas bacteria, which can lead to urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and abscesses, and Methylobacterium, which can also cause pneumonia as well as skin ulcers, inflammation of the cornea, and bacteria in the bloodstream.
The researchers think these pathogens are mainly a risk for people with troubled immune systems. But even if your immune system is strong, it’s not a bad idea to keep the cooties on your shower curtain in check. A well-directed spray of 10 percent bleach solution should do the trick.