Being responsible for an entire household and its surroundings is the basic task for every homeowner. As an adult, keeping everything properly organized, functioning, and safe for the rest of the family is prevalent for a happy and comfortable life. From the big things that directly dictate if those living in a home are protected, to smaller stuff that breaks every now and then, being on top of everything is how a house or an apartment truly becomes a home. Living quarters like the sitting room and the bedrooms and more specific facilities like the kitchen and the bathroom are equally important. On one hand, there is the comfort and most of the time spent. On the other, there is washing, cleaning, personal hygiene, and pampering. Who can say which is more important?
The Importance of the Bathroom
In today’s article however we focus on a single home facility, something that no modern home is complete without, the versatile bathroom. From the name itself, its purpose is more than clear. It is a room that we use in order to bath ourselves. Bathing used to be the luxury only the rich could afford back in the day. Unless you were aristocracy, royalty, or a very rich businessperson, you would not be able to have baths inside of your home. Today, luckily, it is something the majority of the planet gets to experience and we are far better off with it. The importance of refreshing, relaxing, and washing ourselves in the shower or a bathtub is unmeasurable, one of those little pleasures in life we often take for granted. Speaking of taking a bath or a shower, we cannot possibly begin to do it without the proper tool in our hands.
The Head and the Hose
The shower head and the hose that connects it to the faucet are a very versatile and handy invention that definitely does not get as much credit as it requires. The ability to control the flow of water that precise and change its strength and shape is fascinating. Such convenience goes without saying, but if you stop and think about this seemingly simple device you will begin to realize how harder it would be to shower without them. We would have to use your hands and buckets to pour water over yourself, which actually spends more water as it is much less efficient. Some of us know how difficult is to do it without the shower head, just with the hose. For a proper experience every day you definitely need them to work properly, and to do that you have to know how often they need replacing. Check out GROHE to find out exactly how often shower heads need replacing and why.
Why Replace It?
You may be wondering why such a big part of the entire facility even needs to be changed. What can cause it to malfunction, it only delivers water through tiny holes at different pressure? Well, it is the matter of how expendable thing we use every day and multiple times truly are. Water is not just water, nor is the only substance in the shower cabin. And who can forget about the germs that enjoy humidity and warmth? There are many things that can go wrong mechanically too, especially if your shower head is rich in features. Perhaps the biggest culprit and therefore the most common reason people change their shower heads and hoses are limestone and sediment. Buildups are quite evident and they can be difficult to get rid of for good. When they turn up, they spread quickly and before you know it some of the holes get blocked. Add in bacteria, mold, and residue from the products you use and both of these crucial bathroom parts become a no-brainer to replace every now and then.
So How Often Should You Do It?
What most plumbers and other relevant experts agree on is the time frame of six to eight months for shower heads. Of course, this is an average estimate that you do not have to stick to if your shower head remains in great shape after eight months. Some may last for years with proper cleaning and maintenance, while others could last you a lifetime. People tend to replace them only if they physically break or stop working. However, if you do not clean it properly, replacing it regularly is the only way for you to remain protected and healthy in the shower.
It is a breeding ground for bacteria that can cause respiratory issues if you fail to clean it, while other residue and sediment block the holes and make showering more difficult. Cleaning is possible and it is actually quite easy. All you have to do is fill a sturdy plastic bag like a sandwich bag with white vinegar and submerge the shower head in it. Leave it in like this for at least 60 minutes and then rinse with water. It is not a great nor an exciting activity to do but it does work, especially for the impossible to get in parts. Cleaning the exterior is easier since you can always spray with a limestone remover and scrub it off.
As mentioned earlier, the bathroom can be place where germs and bacteria thrive if you fail to regularly clean it. Every corner needs to be cleaned entirely at least once a month, with smaller-scale cleanings and washings each week. If the entire bathroom is clean, so will be the shower head and the hose. Speaking of the hose, it does really need changing unless it stops delivering water from the wall to the head. The classic brass stainless steel chrome hoses should not be replaced as long as both end hang on tight to their respective screw. Sometimes, the metal part surrounding the rubber inside falls apart. The water could leak on multiple places. Unless something like this happens, there is absolutely no need to replace your shower hose.
