Fortunately most of the bacteria in Your tub comes from You and your body
already knows it.

The real nasty stuff is in those foot baths used in spas and nail salons.
That is a well known source of serious infections not just a potential one.

I stopped going to the commercial hot tubs a few years ago when I pulled up
a nasty clump of hair and my girlfriend said that was the last visit there.
(tip to guys, if you find something nasty, don't let her see it)

I said it already, dishwashing detergent works great. It excells at
breaking down oils and organic contaminants. The enzymes they put in the
stuff are quite effective. Cuts through soap scum faster than Ajax or soft
scrub, I don't buy tub cleaner anymore just use that stuff.


wrote in message
oups.com...
This was on a news group posting yesterday.....


Scary News About Your Home's Bathtub

If you have one of the very popular whirlpool bathtubs in your home,
beware! You could be sitting in a simmering pool of toxic bacteria.

A study by Texas A&M University microbiologist Rita B. Moyes shows that
whirlpool bathtubs can be a breeding ground for dozens of types of
bacteria, many of which are potential pathogens, making such water
ground zero for infectious diseases. That's right, the water in which
you're leisurely soaking could be some of the filthiest and nastiest in
the world.

Moyes tested 43 water samples from whirlpool bathtubs--both private and
public--and found that all 43 had bacterial growth ranging from mild to
red-level dangerous. A whopping 95 percent showed the presence of fecal
derived bacteria, while 81 percent had fungi and 34 percent contained
staphylococcus, which can cause deadly staph infections.

"Whirlpool baths are almost always a prime area for potentially harmful
microbes," Moyes explains. "The main reason is the lining of the pipes.
They are full of inaccessible air, and water in these pipes tends to
get trapped, often for long periods of time. When the jets are then
switched on, this water with harmful bacteria gets blown into the tub
where a person is soaking and then trouble can start."

How much bacteria are in whirlpool tub pipes? Moyes says that a normal
teaspoon of tap water contains an average of about 138 bacteria, with
many samples not having any bacteria at all. But the same teaspoon of
whirlpool tub water contains an average of more than 2.17 million
bacteria. "The stagnant water in a whirlpool bathtub pipe is a great
place for bacteria to grow and grow," she says.

Such harmful bacteria can lead to numerous diseases, including urinary
tract infections, septicemia, pneumonia and several types of skin
infections. Because of the aerosol mist created by the whirlpool
action, microbes are forced into the lungs or open cuts, she explains.
One type of bacteria, L. pneumophila, can cause Legionnaires Disease,
of which 90 percent of all cases can be traced back to bacteria
developed from a warm environment.

Moyes says that as long ago as 1972, studies were done to test the
bacteria levels in whirlpool baths and hot tubs, but evidence collected
has often not shown sufficient reasons for concern. "That's probably
because a hot tub or whirlpool as a source of infection can't be
clearly distinguished from other sources," she adds. "An example might
be when you develop a respiratory infection. The doctor can tell you
that you do have a respiratory infection, but he or she can't tell you
how you got it.

What can you do? Clean out the pipes! And it's not easy. They need to
be scraped. It's probably best to hire a professional to do the job at
least once a year.

The lesson learned: Enter a whirlpool bathtub at your own risk, and it
may be a considerable one.