You may need a shower after hearing the results of this eye-opening study.
Northwestern University researchers identified more than 600 different viruses in 92 showerhead samples and 34 toothbrush samples — and no two samples were the same.
“The number of viruses we found is absolutely wild,” said internal microbiologist Erica M. Hartmann, who led the study. “We found many viruses we know very little about and many others we’ve never seen before.”
The good news is that the microbial agents found in shower heads and toothbrushes are bacteriophages, viruses that infect and kill bacteria.
The researchers observed that mycobacteriophages were the most numerous. These viruses infect mycobacteria, a type of bacteria that causes diseases such as tuberculosis, leprosy and some chronic lung infections.
“We can imagine taking these mycobacteriophages and using them as a way to clean pathogens out of your plumbing system,” Hartmann explained. “We want to see all the functions these viruses can have and understand how we can use them.”
The study, published Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Microbiomes, is a follow-up to research by Hartmann that found the vast majority of microbes on your toothbrush probably come from your mouth, not from a toilet that turns on creating a plume of aerosol particles.
The toothbrush study was affectionately called “Operation Pottymouth.”
“This project started as a curiosity,” Hartmann said. “We wanted to know what microbes live in our homes. If you think about indoor environments, surfaces like tables and walls are really hard for germs to live on. Microbes prefer watery environments. And where is the water? Inside our showers and toothbrushes.”
Hartmann recommends washing shower heads with soap and water or soaking them in vinegar to remove calcium buildup. She also suggests regularly changing electric toothbrush heads.
Hartmann isn’t a fan of antimicrobial toothbrushes, which she said can lead to antibiotic-resistant bugs.
“Germs are everywhere, and the vast majority of them won’t make us sick,” she said. “The more you attack them with disinfectants, the more likely they are to develop resistance or become harder to treat. We should all embrace them.”
How to disinfect a toothbrush
Southern California dentist Dr. Joyce Kahng recommends changing your toothbrush every three months and not sharing it with anyone.
Last week, she suggested 10 ways to disinfect hair.
- Wash with hand soap
- Soak in boiling water for 30 seconds
- Soak in the gargle for two minutes
- Leave it in the hydrogen peroxide overnight
- Soak in white vinegar for 30 seconds
- Use a mixture of 2 teaspoons of baking soda and water
- Use a mixture of 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of bleach for six minutes
- Dip it in half of a denture tablet mix for 90 seconds
- Soak it in hypochlorous acid
- Use a UV sterilizer
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