01Is Your Shower Poof Making You Sick?
Submitted by Beauty Brains Blog
J. Hill is worried: Can bacteria (for example, E. coli) live on shower poofs? I’ve always thought the bacteria couldn’t live on the synthetic material, but I haven’t been able to find evidence of that. I throw mine out every month or two, but after a recent bout of frequent UTIs, I wonder if the shower poof might harbor bacteria. Any thoughts on that? Thanks!
The Right Brain responds: 
Not to freak you out, J, but the quick answer is yes, shower poofs CAN harbor bacteria. With a good food and water supply, bacteria thrive on synthetic materials like plastic and rubber. They form a hard to remove layer, known as a biofilm, that can give your poof a light orangish pink color. So changing your shower poof often is a good idea.
However, these bacteria are not likely to be the cause of your Urinary Tract Infection. Even if your poof was contaminated, it’s unlikely that many bacteria could have been transferred with that kind of contact. It’s your own biology that’s probably causing the problem. According to the Mayo Clinic “girls and women …are susceptible to lower urinary tract infections because the anus is so close to the female urethra.”
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Changing poofs on a regular basis is a good idea. But if you’re having frequent infections you should see your doctor.
What do YOU think? Do you have problems with UTIs? How often do you change you shower poof or brush? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
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