Panda Reviews: Filter the Nasties from your Shower Water
The one thing I look forward at the end of a long work day is a refreshing shower. It washes away the toils of the day, even though I sit in an air-conditioned office. Most people will install a rain shower for the luxurious sensation of water massaging your tired body, but do you know that the quality of water is just as important?
The water in Singapore is safe to drink from the tap due to the stringent treatment processes that all water has to undergo. But to help kill the harmful bacteria, chlorine is added to the water. This apparently results in frizzy hair, which is a pale remembrance of your once glossy tresses back in the day. I’m not sure how true this is, but I’ve had guests tell me that my drinking water (which has been boiled and cooled) tastes kinda weird and my hair of late has been rather uncooperative. It could be due to age, of course, but I highly suspect that it has something to do with the water that I’ve been using during cleaning routines.
There is also the possibility of chemical build-up in my hair due to the shower water in my home. Well, whatever the case, there appears to be more than a few solutions to this problem like the Maier® PureSPA Shower Filter (MHI-701)—which is supposed to effectively remove chlorine and its harmful by-products from your shower water, among other features.
Image from www.pureshowers.co.uk
First Impressions
Aside from removing chlorine and its by-products, this filter:
- relieves skin ailments and scurf (flakes on the surface of your skin e.g. dandruff)
- helps you attain softer and more manageable hair
- results in less fading on colour-treated hair
- lets you have shiny hair and healthier scalp
- is ideal for infants, adults and pets
- has double filters that ensures all nasties are removed
- super easy to install to any shower fixture
- can be used with water heater, since it’s able to withstand high temperatures
- has a capacity usage of 40,000 litres
- has a replaceable cartridge filter life of 8-12 months, depending on usage
Looks like it has all the bases covered! Its specially-formulated KDF filter media effectively reduces 95% or more chlorine in shower water by reducing it into an environmentally safe and harmless soluble zinc chloride. Depending on the water quality and frequency of use, the cartridge has a replacement lifespan of around 1 year or so. And installation is indeed very easy because my SO had it up and running within 2 minutes. Now to take it for a test drive!
Usability & Product Fulfilment
There is really no rocket science to using this product because you just have to attach it to your shower fixture. In my case, I attached it to the shower mixer so it’s like an extension. But thankfully, it’s not too intrusive as I go about my cleaning business. I can also run it with the heater and the water appears to look okay so I guess hot water doesn’t really affect its performance. The biggest plus point? I didn’t have to do any additional plumbing work.
Overall Opinion (After 1 month of usage)
My verdict? Well, my hair does feel a little more manageable these days. I used to have to deal with easily tangled hair and now there seems to be a slight improvement in my hair texture. My SO, who was previously inflicted with an itchy skin condition on the underside of his forearms, now reports less itching. It might be due to the fact that he now inhabits a cleaner environment (all thanks to me!) but it’s also highly possible that the filter is doing its job. =D
But to be honest, I think for us to really enjoy the positive results, we have to use it for a year at least. The product description says as much, “over a long period of usage…your skin and hair will regain and maintain its [sic] softness and luster.”
If you’ve been suffering in silence from skin ailments or unmanageable hair that is too dry, then maybe you can give the shower filter a try. It’s currently retailing for $59.90 and the replacement cartridge is $29.90. You can buy the shower filter at DIY chains such as HomeFix and Selffix. For a more detailed list, click here.
