Shower Habits to Rid Yourself Of

As your top residential plumbers in Utah, we at My Buddy the Plumber are all about prevention. While we’re happy to assess and repair any damage that may take place, a big part of our comprehensive plumbing services involves preventing this damage from happening in the first place.

One important area here that many homeowners unfortunately neglect? The shower. While you probably assume you’ve got showering down pat, as you’ve been doing it since you were young, there are a few common shower habits out there that are actually detrimental – both to your plumbing and, potentially, to your health itself. Let’s look at three shower routines you should eliminate to benefit both these areas.

Hair and Drains

Perhaps the single biggest neglect-related mistake homeowners make when it comes to plumbing involves hair and the shower drain. We all naturally lose some hair as we shower, whether this is for women with longer hair or men who have lots of bodily hair that easily detaches. If you don’t do anything to block it, this hair will naturally flow down the drain – and over time, it will build up and stick inside your drain.

This is one of the most common causes of drain clogs in homes around the country, but it’s easily avoidable. Even if you know you’re very hairy and will lose a lot with each shower, simply purchase a drain cover for your shower. This is a cheap, simple device available at any hardware store that will cover your drain and catch hair before it makes its way down. All you have to do is periodically clean it out. Invest in a drain cover for every shower in your home and avoid even the smallest risk of drain clogs due to hair.

Loofah and Contamination

Many of us use a loofah to clean ourselves when we shower, and that’s fine – it’s the storage of this loofah that often creates issues. In particular, we recommend that you find a dry area away from the shower to store the loofah. Otherwise, it can collect bacteria in a wet, damp environment. This bacteria can lead to mold and mildew contamination, which negatively affect both your plumbing and your health. Instead, rinse the loofah after each use, wring it dry, and then keep it in a dry place so it doesn’t collect bacteria.

Long Showers

Another major risk for mold and mildew growth? Long, hot showers, which lead to a significantly higher risk of these elements developing. This is particularly true if your bathroom isn’t properly ventilated using fans and windows. Plus, did you realize that showering for more than 10 minutes at a time in hot water can actually dry out the skin and make it itchy? There are both health and plumbing reasons why you should keep your warm showers below 10 minutes.

For more on shower habits to break, or to learn about any of our residential plumbing services, speak to the pros at My Buddy the Plumber today.