What Happens If You Don't Clean The Shower Enough

Taking a shower in the comfort of your home usually feels like an oasis: The water is steaming hot and you're feeling squeaky clean. But have you ever wondered exactly how clean your shower is? Well, I'm here to tell you all the gross things that are in your shower when you don't clean it as often as you should.

Bathrooms are covered with germs. Gastrointestinal viruses and respiratory organisms are just a few that might be rooming with you in your bathroom. But don't worry, if you regularly clean your washroom, you should be A-OK. "Only about 1 percent to 2 percent of all germs are pathogenic — meaning they can make us sick," says Tierno. "There's a possibility you can catch something, but if you practice good personal, household, and food hygiene, you're at pretty low risk," said Philip M. Tierno, Jr., PhD, in an interview with WedMD. Even though you may believe that the bathroom should be one of the cleanest rooms in the house, you're dead wrong. Because it gets moist in the bathroom, it's easy for mold, mildew, and other germs to thrive in that type of environment. But with a weekly scrub down and proper ventilation, your bathroom will feel clean and dry again. Need to know what happens when you don't scrub your shower? Below are just a few scenarios that could happen if you're not careful.

1. Mildew And Mold Can Grow On Your Shower Curtain

Nobody is a fan of mold and mildew, but if you're not cleaning your shower every week, you can surely find these guys hanging out in your tub. “Mold spores are microscopic — so if you can actually see the black color, you literally have millions or billions of spores present,” germ expert Kelly Reynolds, Ph.D, said in an interview with BuzzFeed.

2. Germs Can Line The Shower Walls

While being a party of one can seem lonely, taking a shower with a plethora of germs doesn't sound like fun. "Germs can line the walls (of the tub) and you can easily touch the surface and then touch your mouth," said Paul Horowitz, MD, in a interview with WedMD. Make sure you give your shower walls a proper scrub with vinegar or bathroom cleaners every time you clean your bathroom.

3. You Cuts Can Get Infected

Just when you thought your tub was safe, it's actually one of the most dirtiest places in your home. According to Today, your tub is infected with more than 1,000 bacteria per square inch. Always make sure you're cleaning your wounds and wearing a bandaid when you're taking a shower. You don't want anything from your bath's floor to get inside your cuts and make them infected.

4. Fungi Starts To Live In Your Shower Head

When you don't wash your shower often, you're allowing the shower head to get really nasty. According to NY Daily News, researcher Norman Pace said, "If you are getting a face full of water when you first turn your shower on, that means you are probably getting a particularly high load of Mycobacterium avium, which may not be too healthy." While Mycobacterium Avium is linked to pulmonary disease, it also seems to coincide with people that take more showers than baths. Essentially, if you don't clean your shower head every time you take a shower, you're sending millions of germs straight into your lungs. Shower heads are the best place for bacteria to get comfortable because it provide a dark, wet sanctuary for them to hang.

5. Soap Scum Builds Up

Soap may be considered our friends when it comes to cleaning our bodies, but if you don't rinse your tub after you shower, it can leave a film on your walls and shower curtain. According to The Huffington Post, glass doors usually develop soap scum, which can breed Serratia marcescens (or that pink bacteria you sometimes see in the shower).

6. Mold Can Grow Underneath The Tub Mat

If you have a bath mat that lines your tub, you might want to lift it up and check what's hiding underneath. If you dare, you'll probably find a lot of mold. Because mold loves wet, dark places, the bath mat is the perfect place for them to hide. According to Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, stachybotrys chartarum grows where there's excessive humidity, condensation, and water infiltration. And because it's hard for the mat to be completely dry, the moisture allows the mold to thrive.

7. Bacteria Can Accumulate In Your Bathtub

Every now and then, a nice, hot bath just sounds like a good time, but before you jump in and relax, make sure you thoroughly clean your tub just to be safe. According to Care2, NYU microbiologist Dr. Phillip M. Tierno said on Today that E. coli, streptococcus and staph loves to thrive in warm, wet bathtubs, especially since tubs don't dry entirely.

While taking a shower is relaxing and, well, a necessary part of life, you want to make sure that your bathroom is as clean as possible before you step into all those germs.

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