Water and mold growth are interrelated variables, making bathrooms a hot spot for exposure in the home environment. Although fungal spores are present everywhere, it is when dampness and moisture are uncontrolled that fungi grow and develop into visible mold.
Indicators that mold might be present in the bathroom are: absent exhaust fan, water or moisture damage, and visible mold in the shower or elsewhere in the bathroom.
Behaviors in reducing mold growth:
Mold removal from items in the home
Flushing the toilet is known to produce aerosols that are capable of causing surface contamination within the toilet and bathroom.Many enteric pathogens are spread by the fecal-oral transmission route, and it
has been suggested that droplets containing fecal matter, after toilet flushing,
is an infection hazard, particularly during acute diarrheal illnesses.
In one particular study of bacterial counts after toilet flushing…
Toothbrushes are typically stored in a common container of a family bathroom.This provides a moist and humid environment which encourages bacterial growth. Contamination can occur from aerosols as a result of toilet flushing, poor hand hygiene and natural contaminants of the mouth that grow out to large numbers -they should be stored upright, uncovered, and in a non-humid environment to prevent bacterial proliferation.
Contact lenses on the cornea can prevent oxygen and ionic diffusion and cause superficial alterations to the epithelial layer of the eye, which may make the cornea susceptible to microbial attachment and infection.
Cosmetics and toiletries are exposed to contamination due to their presence in
the bathroom’s warm, moist environment. Examples of contamination:
The eye is at risk for infection, in particular, from contaminated cosmetic applicators.
In one study, 76.6% of respondents reported that they believed household members were more likely to pick up germs outside of the household. The following may change your mind about where you think the germs are……
Since plain soap and water does not necessarily kill microorganisms, soap and water cleaning of contaminated surfaces and hands may actually spread microbial contamination in the environment
Powered cooking equipment, like an electric blender, can lead to distribution of pathogens up to a 3-4 meter radius.
In a study by Enriquez et al., pseudomonas and salmonella were most commonly isolated from sponges and cleaning cloths.
Because washing up removes organic matter from soiled items during food prep and consumption, it is one of the main control points for preventing the transmission of bacteria in the domestic kitchen.
Temperature of water used for “washing up” can influence microbial survival. Most hand washed dishes use water temperatures below 50 C or lower, which is not high enough to destroy most organisms.
In comparing washing up water temperature in a hospice with that in a domestic kitchen, the hospice water was consistently high while the bacterial count was consistently low compared to the domestic homes.
The bottom line: don’t let your guard down at home!
Most people think that washed laundry is clean laundry, right? Researchers find that handling “clean” laundry presents a risk of exposure to potentially harmful microbes. Many studies have demonstrated that fabric and cloth can easily become contaminated with high level of microorganisms that can survive for long periods of time in fabrics.
Clothing, bed linens, towels and other items which are in constant or intermittent contact with the body may form an important route of transmission of microbial infections.
Effective infection control practices with laundry include:
It is important to remember that relying on water temperatures to achieve bacterial and viral reductions may be impractical in the U.S. since water heaters are usually not set as high as the recommended temperature for effective sanitizing.
Use of bleach or other targeted disinfectants/sanitizers, such as silver ions, is necessary to reduce contamination of washing machines. Even when used as a weekly “mouthwash” for the washing machine, bleach will help to keep the germ count down.
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