Shower Trays and Foot Health

Millions of us step onto shower trays every morning, but how aware are we of foot hygiene?

Shower trays – Most of us have memories of going to swimming classes, and having to walk through large shower trays containing disinfectant treatments to help stop the spread of verrucae. It's not the most pleasant of memories – these shower trays were always uncomfortable, medical smelling and cold. But many swimming pools in public baths no longer feature the medical shower trays. And gyms, as a rule, don't have these preventative shower trays. This leaves swimmers and gym users vulnerable to feet infections such as verrucae, which can easily be spread on shower trays and in changing rooms.

The Dangers of Shower Trays

Foot health isn't always high on our agenda – but as soon as you pick up horrible infections from shower trays, whether it be verrucas or Athlete's Foot, you'll wish you'd given your feet a little more thought. Verrucas are incredibly common – especially amongst children. These small skin lesions or warts are usually around 1cm in diameter, with black dots that signify blood vessels which feed the verrucae. A verruca is contagious and picked up in moist places such as shower trays. They can spread to other areas of the foot, and even the hands. The human papilloma virus which causes a verruca is incredibly common on communal shower trays and public baths. If you have a scratch in your skin, the virus grabs the opportunity to enter. These cracks can be triggered by excessive dryness or too much moisture of the skin.

Verrucas: Preventative Measures

If your child has a verruca, you need to take preventative measures to contain the infection. At home, make sure your child wears protective rubber socks before stepping onto your shower trays. Similarly, these socks should be worn in swimming baths, on public shower baths, and in the changing room. Many adults in gyms opt to wear flip flops for example on the shower trays or in the changing rooms, to reduce the risk of any foot infections. It's also important that you don't share towels or flannels, or share socks or shoes with someone you know to have a verruca. Covering the verruca with a plaster is also sufficient on shower trays and when swimming. If you are an adult with a wart (a similar virus) on your hand and you use a gym or swimming pool, you need to take responsibility to protect other gym users by wearing gloves when using communal equipment.

Looking for Shower Trays? Speak to HeatandPlumb.com

HeatandPlumb.com is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of plumbing goods for homes and businesses. Offering a range of leading supplies for bathrooms, kitchens and businesses at fantastic prices, HeatandPlumb.com has a sales team with over 60 years of collective experience. If you need expert advice or to find out more about the range of showers, plumbing and heating accessories on offer from HeatandPlumb.com, just call 0871 272 22 22 or fill in our online enquiry form.