Why You Should Filter More Than Just Your Drinking Water

Water is a vital part of our lives. It covers 71% of the earth’s surface and makes up 70% of our bodies. We’re so used to consuming water in our daily lives that we never stop to think about where our water is coming from or if it’s of high quality. Water safe for consumption should be tasteless, clear, and odorless.

Unfortunately, many people in the US have to deal with hard water or water contaminated by chemicals, deposits, and sediments. These contaminants can make water undrinkable, and for most people, that’s where water filtration comes in. The primary purpose of filtering water is to give people access to palatable water, free of contaminants and foul odors.

Filtering your home drinking water is particularly important when you have children, pregnant women, elderly, or immunocompromised family members living in your home. These people are more susceptible to diseases from unfiltered water, and to protect them, your drinking water must be in excellent condition.

Other advantages of staying hydrated with clean water include:

• Better kidney function
• Well lubricated joints and muscles
• Well adjusted body temperature

Reasons For Filtering More Than Your Drinking Water

Staying hydrated and drinking filtered water is essential to our health. However, it’s time to view water filtration through a broader lens. Your drinking water is not the only thing that needs filtering. You also need to filter the water you use for everyday activities like showering, cooking, and brushing your teeth.

The truth is, you’re better off filtering your entire home water, and here’s why:

1. Pollutants in unfiltered water can get into your skin

Showering with unfiltered water is bad for your skin. The skin is a lot more than a simple covering for the body. It is the body’s largest organ, and it can absorb much of what it comes in contact with. Harmful pollutants can penetrate your skin while you shower, exposing you to different forms of skin infections and possibly even cancer.

Our skin also has its own useful microorganisms that help it function. Water pollutants can attack and kill these good microorganisms. Losing your beneficial skin bacteria can lead to dry skin and eczema.

Remember that when you shower with unfiltered water, you are unknowingly soaking chlorine into your skin and inhaling other chemicals. Chlorine forms by-products like trihalomethanes (THMs) when used as a disinfectant. THMs are associated with liver, kidney and central nervous system damage. There’s also some suspicion that they cause cancer.

The federal standard for THMs and several other disinfection by-products in public drinking water is 80 parts per billion. Research suggests that individuals exposed to higher levels of THMs and other by-products during bathing, showering, and swimming may have a higher chance of getting cancer. THM exposure has been linked to bladder cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and glioma.

For your safety, you have to ensure that the water you shower with doesn’t contain chemicals that can harm your skin and health. One way to guarantee that you’re showering with safe water is by installing a shower filter. Shower filters help lessen skin irritants like chlorine in your shower water. They do this by passing your home water through a filtration medium, which removes chlorine and other chemicals. When these contaminants are removed, your home water becomes gentler on your skin and hair, and it no longer gives off a chemical strong smell.

2. Unfiltered water can ruin your hair

Unfiltered shower water contains harmful contaminants which strip out the natural oils from your hair. This irritates your scalp and makes your hair feel dry and appear unattractive. You may also experience hair breakage and dandruff. The good news is you can avoid this unpleasant experience by using a shower filter.

Shower filters help you get rid of harmful water contaminants. They lessen the presence of chlorine, scales, sulfur, and other chemicals in your water. Shower filters come in different styles and sizes suitable for your existing installation. Here’s a guide on shower filters, where you can learn all you need to know about the best shower filters you can get for your bath.

3. Bacteria grows in your showerheads

Showering may clean up our bodies, but a new study has shown that showerheads are breeding houses for some dangerous bacteria. The main bacteria of concern here is mycobacteria, which lives in showerheads and causes non-tuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) lung infection.

Bacteria multiply in the nooks and crannies of unfiltered showerheads, and they end up settling on your skin and are inhaled through your nostrils. If you’re not so keen on the idea of these harmful bacteria getting into your body, you might want to invest in a good shower filter. Shower filters remove up to 99% of these harmful bacteria cleansing your water.

4. Your water influences the taste of your food

Most people pay little attention to the water they cook with because they assume that the heat from cooking is enough to keep their water safe. Sadly, that is not the case. Heating unfiltered water may kill some microorganisms, but it does very little for dangerous heavy metals like lead that may be present in your water. Boiling water that contains these heavy metals does not eliminate them; it only increases their concentration.

Cooking with filtered water can improve the quality and taste of your food. You get the full taste of your dish without metallic flavors and weird smells interfering. If your cooking water isn’t filtered, you risk heavy metals getting into the food you eat. As you might guess, this is terrible for your health.

If you’re worried that you’ve been making your meals with bad water, consider setting up a water filtration system. A water filtration system will rid your household of those harmful contaminants and make your water safe to cook with. One example of a water filter perfect for this purpose: An under-sink filtration system.

Water Filters Should Be A Priority

Considering the priceless benefits of filtering your home water, installing filters in your home should be a priority. With a simple filter, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from avoidable diseases. And if you’re hoping to get better-looking skin and cure stubborn infections, installing a shower filter is a step in the right direction.