Copper bathtubs have remained popular among homeowners for a long time. Although interior design trends come and go, some bathroom fixtures are timeless. A copper tub is an example of such a fixture. Copper bathtubs aren’t merely attractive. They’re also great heat conductors. Thus, they warm up very quickly. However, because they aren’t fast heat radiators, they retain their heat more effectively than many other types of bathtubs.
These are just a few reasons you may be thinking about upgrading to a new copper bathtub for your home. That said, before doing so, perhaps you’re wondering whether bathing in copper water is safe. Keep reading if so. This guide will help you better understand why there’s nothing to worry about if you’re bathing in a quality copper tub. In fact, bathing in a copper tub can actually help you maintain good health.
Bathing in Copper Bathtubs is Safe
You may have heard that excess levels of copper in drinking water can pose a health risk. This is technically true. Copper can sometimes make its way into drinking water via copper pipes and other such means. If too much copper gets into someone’s drinking water, consuming it could result in gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and stomach cramps. Very high levels of copper in drinking water can even damage one’s liver or kidneys.
However, it’s rare for drinking water to contain enough excess copper to cause issues. Many people consume drinking water that comes into contact with copper pipes and copper sinks on a daily basis without developing health problems.
(Disclaimer: None of this is meant to be mistaken for official medical advice. If you’re noticing an odd metallic taste in your drinking water, it may be wise to speak with your doctor or contact the relevant government agency. It’s possible copper or another potentially harmful contaminant has made its way into your tap water. Take precautions accordingly if you have good reason to believe your drinking water is unsafe. Additionally, consider looking into methods for removing copper from your tap water.)
That said, if you’re thinking about installing a new copper tub in your home, your main concern right now involves whether exposing your skin to copper water is safe.
In short, yes. Quite simply, your body won’t absorb significant amounts of copper merely as a result of copper water touching your skin. Additionally, breathing in vapors from copper water in a bath won’t expose you to dangerous copper levels. Even long term exposure to copper water won’t be an issue if you have a quality copper bath. Thus, you don’t need to bathe for a short period of time to avoid health issues, nor do you need to worry that routinely bathing in your copper tub will eventually cause harm.
Copper Bathtubs & Your Health: The Importance of Buying a Quality Tub
Bathing in copper water generally isn’t a health risk. That said, it’s important to ensure you’re buying your tub from a reputable supplier whose products are made with either pure copper or nearly pure recycled copper when purchasing one for your home.
That’s because the metal composition of some low-quality tubs may contain high levels of mercury or lead. Over time, this can allow toxins to enter your water, rendering it unsafe. This isn’t something you’ll need to worry about if you buy from a supplier known for selling quality copper bathtubs.
Copper Bathtub Safety Tips
You now know you don’t have to worry about your health and safety when bathing in a copper bathtub. As long as you purchase yours from a supplier who offers high-quality copper baths, you can be confident you’re safe. That said, it’s never a bad idea to familiarize yourself with basic safety tips when using any type of new tub. Stay safe when bathing in your copper bathtub by considering the following suggestions
Add steps to a freestanding tub
Many copper bathtubs are freestanding tubs. Although this isn’t always the case, they often have high walls. This may be a safety concern for you when stepping into or out of the tub. Although the water within a copper bathtub may be technically safe, you could still potentially slip and fall if you trip over the walls when stepping into or out of one. An easy solution if this is an issue is to simply install matching copper steps for your tub. This isn’t necessary for everyone, but for those who have mobility issues, it may be a wise choice.
Understand that copper tubs retain heat very well
Once more, one of the top benefits copper bathtubs offer is heat retention. Many types of bathtubs don’t stay warm for very long. When bathing in such a tub, you might feel you need to add extremely hot water at first, as you know the water will cool down fairly quickly.
That’s often not the case if you’re bathing in a copper tub. Keep that in mind when deciding how hot the water you add to your tub should be. Since the tub will retain heat better than other tubs you may be accustomed to using, adding very hot water could result in an uncomfortable or even painful bath.
Consider using slightly lower temperature water than you would normally use for bathing when first experimenting with your copper bathtub. It’s better to start out with a bath that’s too tepid than it is to accidentally step into a bath that’s much hotter than you expected it to be.
What You Need to Know About a Copper Tub’s Health Benefits
Copper tubs aren’t just safe. Quality ones can actually deliver a wide range of health benefits you may not have been aware of. The following are common examples:
Protection from bacteria
Scientific studies indicate that bacteria which may survive for a fairly long time on some other materials from which a bathtub may be made will often survive for merely a short period when present on a copper surface. A copper bathtub has natural antimicrobial properties. This is an important advantage for a bathroom fixture.
A bathroom can be an environment that’s relatively bacteria-friendly. Although you can clean your bathroom regularly to get rid of much of it, bacteria is small and virtually invisible, preventing you from knowing for sure whether you’ve removed enough to keep yourself safe.
Luckily, bacteria tend not to survive on copper. As such, bathing in a copper tub can be more health-friendly than bathing in tubs made from other metals or materials.
Restoration of connective tissue
Bathing in a quality copper tub won’t expose your skin to the type of high concentration copper water that can potentially cause health issues. That said, it can theoretically expose your skin to beneficial levels of copper.
Copper actually offers well-studied health benefits when it’s used safely. Restoring connective tissue is one such benefit.
In some ways, copper can be said to heal your body. Along with promoting the generation and restoration of connective tissue in your body, it can ease pain. Many actually recommend bathing in copper tubs as a means of boosting joint movement, healing sports injuries, and more.
Promoting relaxation
It’s long been known that lounging in hot water offers health benefits by promoting physical, mental, and even emotional relaxation. Remember, while tubs made from other materials (such as porcelain) don’t stay hot for very long, the water in a copper tub will stay warm.
This gives you the opportunity to relax and enjoy the healing benefits of a hot bath in the comfort of your own home whenever you choose. Relaxing in a copper water bater can ease aches and pains, help you destress, and may even make it easier for you to get to sleep if you take a bath shortly before going to bed.
A Quality Copper Bathtub is a Safe Bathtub
Copper is an ideal material for a bathtub for both aesthetic and practical reasons. Additionally, while you might have some worries about your health and safety when using a copper bathtub, you shouldn’t. Exposure to minimal copper levels in your water won’t cause harm. In fact, relaxing in a copper bathtub yields many benefits for your health just like a kitchen range hood.
Just remember that not every copper bathtub is the same. There are some low-quality models available that contain too much lead and mercury. They could theoretically put your health in jeopardy over time as a result of long term exposure to toxins. Fortunately, if you buy a copper bathtub from the right company, you’ll stay healthy, safe, and comfortable.