Bacteria breeds in stagnant water or limescale. Following the steps below can help to prevent this from happening:
- Taps that are not used regularly (at least once a week) should be run or flushed before use. Turn the taps on slowly to avoid splashing and releasing water droplets into the air, and let the water run for a few minutes
- If you leave your home empty for longer than a week then you should flush and clean all hot and cold taps and showers in your home as soon as you return
- Shower heads should be flushed out on a regular basis by running the shower on its hottest setting for a few minutes at a time
- Clean all taps and shower heads regularly to keep them free from lime scale where possible. Soaking them in white vinegar or lemon juice can help clear limescale, or you can buy specialist cleaning products in the supermarket
- Controlling water temperature is important too. All water heaters in your home should be permanently switched on and set at a temperature of 60ºC. Combi boilers should also be permanently switched on, and set between 50-60ºC
