How To Clean Shower Head To Prevent Legionnaires Disease

Regular cleaning of the shower is important.

How to clean shower head to prevent legionnaires disease. Combine 3 cups of very hot water and 1 cup of white vinegar in a large bowl. Remove the shower head from the pipe. Wear rubber gloves an apron and safety glasses. It doesn t take long and it could potentially be a life saver given the evidence from the public health england investigations. Protect the fixture s finish with soft rags or towels while you re working.

To kill any organisms detach the shower head and run water at 60 c for a minimum of 2 minutes on a regular basis legionella bacteria breed at temperatures between 20 45 c. In tests 30 per cent of shower heads contained mycobacterium avium a bug linked to lung disease. Clean and disinfect the shower head regularly to prevent the build up of limescale minerals and other residue. If the scale deposits are visible we recommend you carry out the following. Stagnant water favours legionella growth.

Bacteria such as legionella will multiply in temperatures between 20 and 45 degrees celsius but is killed once the temperature goes above 60 degrees celsius. Use an old toothbrush or bottle brush to scrub the showerhead inside and out. Ideally you should be descaling and disinfecting your shower heads every three months or more often if scale is visible. By victoria franks acop l8 hsg274 legionella water zetasafe. Before use carefully flushing the shower through with hot water can also help.

Dismantle the shower head remove any limescale other debris and disinfect it on a regular basis. To reduce the risk you should remove dead legs dead ends in pipe work flush out infrequently used outlets including showerheads and taps at least weekly. To prevent any additional spread of infection and cases of legionnaires disease from popping up the hospital decided to install medical grade water filters on all of the hospital s shower heads and taps. Within a few minutes the limescale should start to dissolve. Take apart the shower head and remove all detachable parts including the filter screen.

Reattach the showerhead to the shower arm using the wrench. Furthermore if you have been away on holiday run your shower for a few minutes before using it. The slime protects the germs from the chlorine in the water which is meant to eliminate them. Doctor who runs his shower for 20 minutes every time he comes back from holiday says this habit could save you from life threatening legionnaires disease. Put the showerhead in the vinegar water and let it sit for 30 minutes.