When you are on a business trip with colleagues, you may find yourself needing to spend a night away from home and realizing you forgot essentials like towels, toothbrushes, or razors. You might consider borrowing from your colleagues rather than spending money to buy new ones for just one night. However, experts caution against sharing these three common personal hygiene items found in the bathroom to avoid infections.
Australian Griffith University’s retired Nursing Honorary Professor Thea van de Mortel wrote on The Conversation website that many pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or fungi reside on bathroom fabrics, plastics, and metal items.
These so-called pathogenic microorganisms can survive on these surfaces for extended periods of time. In other words, they can trigger infections over days, months, or even years.
For instance, a fungus like aspergillus can survive for over a month on fabrics and plastics. Some bacteria can survive on these surfaces for years. Many viruses can survive on materials like ceramics, metal, fabrics, and plastics for hours to months.
But what are the risks of using others’ towels, toothbrushes, or razors?
A report from the United States highlighted a group of high school American football players who were infected with Staphylococcus aureus. Players who shared a towel had eight times the likelihood of being infected with Staphylococcus aureus compared to those who did not.
Staphylococcus aureus can lead to skin conditions like boils. In rare cases, it can cause life-threatening infections like septic shock and organ failure.
In this scenario, the risk of Staphylococcus aureus transmission may increase due to potential cuts and scrapes during contact sports.
Another study in the U.S. tracked 150 households for 12 months, each having a child infected with Staphylococcus aureus. They found a significant increase in Staphylococcus aureus transmission risk when family members shared towels.
While washing the body with soap and water during showering can reduce the number of microorganisms on the skin, it does not completely eliminate them. The warm and humid environment of a typical bathroom also promotes microbial growth.
Microorganisms can survive on hard surfaces, such as toothbrushes. Toothbrush use can cause gum bleeding, so sharing toothbrushes is not recommended as it could potentially spread blood-borne viruses like Hepatitis C.
Not all individuals in high-risk groups for Hepatitis C have been tested. Additionally, people may be infectious even without symptoms.
Items coming into contact with saliva (such as toothbrushes) can also transmit pathogens. These pathogens include Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1). Even without signs of HSV-1 infection, patients can spread the virus and cause transmission.
Research has found contaminants like Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on toothbrushes. The amount of HSV-1 present is sufficient to cause infection. This virus can survive on plastic items for 2 to 6 days.
Microorganisms can also survive on hard items like razors, and it’s difficult to avoid nicks while using them. Therefore, sharing razors may potentially spread blood-borne viruses.
Mortel indicated that specific groups are particularly vulnerable to infections from sharing personal hygiene items:
– Infants – whose immune systems are still developing.
– Elderly individuals – whose immune function decreases in old age.
– Those taking immunosuppressants – including cancer drugs, oral corticosteroids, and post-organ transplant medications.
– Type 2 diabetes patients – because elevated blood sugar can compromise immune cell and related molecule functions.
In conclusion, Mortel advises that sharing towels, toothbrushes, or razors with others leads to frequent close contact and the sharing of microorganisms. While the overall risk of infection is low, it is preferable to cultivate the habit of not sharing personal hygiene items.