It is often considered one of the cleanest places in your home.
But a new study might make you break out the cleaning products the next time you’re in your bathroom.
Scientists at Northeastern University have warned that our shower heads and toothbrushes are ‘full’ of viruses.
The researchers found 614 unique viruses living on these bathroom items, including many previously unknown to science.
Lead researcher Dr Erica Hartmann warned: ‘The number of viruses we found is absolutely wild.’
Researchers say your bathroom could be a virus hotspot because your toothbrush and showerhead harbor hundreds of unique viruses (stock image)
Although many of us regularly clean our bathrooms with strong chemicals, this does not mean that your household is free of microorganisms.
In fact, many areas of the bathroom provide a perfect environment for bacteria and viruses to thrive.
‘Microbes prefer environments with water. And where is water? In our shower heads and on our toothbrushes,” says Dr. Hartmann.
This new study is an offshoot of a research project nicknamed “Operation Pottymouth,” which aimed to see whether toothbrushes became contaminated by the spray from toilet flushes.
As part of that study, scientists collected samples of showerheads and toothbrush bristles across the US.
By sequencing the DNA from those samples, the researchers discovered hundreds of unique viruses living in the vibrant microbiome of your bathroom.
Dr. Hartmann says: ‘We found many viruses we know very little about, and many others we have never seen before.
‘It’s amazing how much untapped biodiversity there is all around us. And you don’t even have to look far to find it; it’s right under our noses.’
By sequencing the DNA in samples from bathrooms, researchers discovered 614 viruses that live on your showerhead (blue dots) and toothbrush (red dots). This graph shows which types of bacteria these viruses were associated with
This research is an offshoot of a research program aimed at determining whether your toothbrush is contaminated by the aerosol particles released when flushing toilets.
The researchers discovered that each of our individual shower heads and toothbrushes is home to a stunningly diverse and almost unique ecosystem.
Of the 614 viruses discovered, 314 were found in only one sample and no two samples were completely alike.
Similarly, Dr. Hartmann that each shower head and toothbrush is like ‘its own island’, with very little similarity between the two.
Researchers found no overlap between the 15 most common viruses in showerhead and toothbrush samples.
If you’re concerned about the viruses infecting your bathroom, you don’t need to break out the bleach just yet, as these viruses don’t infect humans.
The researchers say the watery environment of your toothbrush provides a perfect breeding ground for microbes (stock image)
Instead, the viruses collected in this study were all ‘bacteriophages’ – a type of virus that reproduces only in bacteria.
In their article, published in Frontiers in Microbiomes, the researchers say thisThis may explain why the viruses in toothbrushes and showerheads are so different.
While your showerhead is home to bacteria commonly found in soil and drinking water, your toothbrush is covered in species associated with the human biome.
Each of these different bacterial communities also has its own unique community of viruses working to destroy them.
The researchers think that in the future we could even use these viruses to make our homes cleaner.
All viruses found were ‘bacteriophages’ (pictured), meaning they only infect bacteria. The researchers say these could be used to remove harmful microorganisms from the bathroom
The most common species found were species of mycobacteriophages that infect the pathogenic species that cause leprosy, tuberculosis and chronic lung infections.
Dr. Hartmann says, “We could imagine taking these mycobacteriophages and using them as a way to remove pathogens from your plumbing system.”
These same viruses could even form the basis of futuristic treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.
Viruses that specifically target disease-causing bacteria can be injected into people to clear up difficult-to-treat infections without causing side effects.
The researchers suggest that our bathrooms may already be hiding many of these potentially life-saving treatments.
The scientists say our homes are constantly filled with bacteria and viruses and trying to kill them with chemicals creates more antibiotic resistance. The researchers say the best strategy is to simply “embrace” the fact that microbes live in your home
“We want to look at all the functions these viruses might have and figure out how we can use them,” says Dr. Hartmann.
If you want to keep your bathroom clean, Dr. Hartmann recommends regularly soaking your shower head in vinegar to remove limescale, which harbors bacteria.
You can also simply wash the shower head with soap and water instead of using stronger cleaners.
You should also avoid purchasing antimicrobial toothbrushes as they can cause bacteria to develop resistance to antibiotics.
Instead, remember to replace the brush head regularly so that it never gets too dirty.
However, the researchers advise that the best way to deal with the microbes in your bathroom is to simply not worry about them.
Dr. Hartmann concludes: ‘Microbes are everywhere, and the vast majority of them will not make us sick.
‘The more often you attack them with disinfectants, the more likely they are to develop resistance or become more difficult to treat. We just have to embrace them all.”
