If your shower head is spitting out water in all directions and the flow has become inconsistent, there are chances that your shower head is clogged.

When the holes in the showerhead become blocked with certain minerals, the water flow is almost non-existent. So how to clean a shower head?

Cleaning the showerhead is a necessary task and every member of the household showers. So everyone must know the basics of how to clean a shower head, whether through the cleaning or just a quick wipe from the outside once in a while. Even when using a trusted shower cleaner, it is hard to get the bathing space spotless. 

The first step is cleaning the shower curtain. You can put it in your washing machine with a large towel or a few small ones for cleansing. After that, add detergent and then wash it at low speed. Then you can either hang dry it or leave it in the dryer for some time.

Thinking about cleaning a shower curtain sounds weird because this activity is pretty unusual. Many people buy cheap curtains and then trash them to eliminate the washing hassle. Or sometimes people migrate so often that they don’t think about cleaning their shower curtains. On the other hand, cleaning a shower head is a skill that not many people know as it isn’t an easy job to do. 

A bathroom shower head is that kind of bathroom accessory that is more likely to be self-cleaning. However, this spot also needs to be cleaned from time to time to keep it working as efficiently as a new product does.

Sometimes minerals like limescale in hard water can cause buildup in showerhead holes. This buildup may block the holes if they aren’t cleaned thoroughly. It will reduce the efficiency of your shower, providing a not-so-pleasant showering experience. So it’s your chance to clean your shower head and improve your bathing experience.

How to clean a shower head

You can convert your shower into a dripping mess into a cascade. We’ll teach you how to clean your shower head if it’s completely blocked and covered in soap scum. We have some suggestions below to tidy up your shower head.

How to fix a clogged shower head

There are possibly two methods for cleaning a blocked showerhead. The first method is pretty simple and doesn’t require tools for cleaning and disassembly of the showerhead. However, the second method is more time-consuming; it’ll provide you with better results.

Cleaning a shower head without disassembling it

  • Take a large plastic bag that is strong enough to hold on to the showerhead. 
  • While placing the plastic bag around the showerhead, fill the plastic bag with distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. 
  • After that, use a rubber band or tape to hold the plastic bag around the showerhead. Just make sure that the shower head is completely immersed in vinegar. 
  • Put the showerhead to soak in the vinegar for about twelve hours. If your shower head has a coating of nickel or brass on it, don’t leave it submerged in vinegar for more than thirty minutes. 
  • After soaking the showerhead, take off the plastic bag from the showerhead and then throw away the vinegar into the drain. 
  • Next, turn on the shower in a hot water setting and let the hot water flow from the holes of the showerhead. It will release any dissolved mineral deposit from the showerhead.
  • Get rid of any excess buildup of gunk with the help of a toothbrush or toothpick. 

Cleaning by dissembling the showerhead

  • First, detach the shower head from the shower arm using an adjustable wrench. 
  • Hold the wrench from its end for a better grip. Usually, this task won’t require much force. But if you struggle to unscrew the showerhead, there are chances that there’s a buildup on the shower arm. Use a toothbrush dipped in vinegar to dissolve and scrape away all the gunk and deposit. 
  • Once the shower is disassembled, take a bowl and fill it with hot water and distilled white vinegar/apple cider vinegar in 50-50 amounts. Soak the showerhead into the water-vinegar solution.
  • Let the showerhead soak for about 12 hours, but the same case goes for the shower heads that are coated with nickel, brass, and gold. It is because the excess contact of such metals with vinegar might damage the coating of the showerhead.
  • After 12 hours, take it out of the bowl and let it dry for a couple of minutes. Polish the showerhead to make it look good as new.
  • To avoid leakage, wrap about 10-12 sheets of Teflon tape around the cords of the shower arm. The tape fills the gaps in between the threads, which prevents leaking. 
  • Attach the showerhead back to the shower arm with your hand and make sure it’s nice and tight. Then go in again with the wrench.
  • If there is still leakage when you turn on the shower, use the wrench again to make the showerhead tightly screwed.

Tips for cleaning a showerhead

Following are the helpful tips to clean a showerhead.

Clean the Nozzles

Some modern shower heads have flexible rubber nozzles that you can clean easily from minerals stuck inside by massaging the nozzle by finger. Another helpful way is to scrub the nozzle with a toothbrush or other cleaning brush.

Dip the showerhead in vinegar

If you are thinking of cleaning the shower head without discarding it, you can fill a plastic pouch with vinegar and wrap it around your shower head. You can use a rubber band to tie it with the showerhead. Leave it for a few hours, and then you can turn on the water for some time to get rid of excess vinegar.

If you want to clean the showerhead by removing it, you can dip the showerhead in a vinegar mixture for a limited time. Re-attach the showerhead and turn on the water for a few minutes to get rid of vinegar.

Wipe the filter screen

Generally, an instruction guide is given with the showerhead to remove the filter screen. The filter wall is found at the shower part attached to the pipeline. It would be best to dislocate the showerhead to see the filter screen of the pipe. You can wash the filter screen for a few minutes and clean or use a toothbrush to get rid of mineral buildups.

Additional tips

  • To keep your showerhead clean and get water with maximum pressure, you need to clean your showerhead once a month. The use of vinegar can affect the working of your shower head.
  • It is prohibited to use bleach in cleaning a showerhead. It is said that chlorine bleach enhances the generation of bacteria in showerheads. Bleach can also damage the clothes that are why it is not advised to use bleach.
  • Some of the shower heads come with a protective
    metal finish that can be scratched using hard bristle brushes. That’s why it is advised not to use hard-quality brushes to clean your showerhead.
  • If you are using any detergent or cleaner with a strong aroma, ensure that the space has a proper ventilation system. If you use vinegar or any other commercial product, the smell can affect your room’s environment. For this reason, a well-ventilated bathroom is a must to consider.
For how long should I soak my shower head in a vinegar solution?

Showerheads should be cleaned and soaked in vinegar solution for several hours. If the showerhead is very dirty, leave it overnight. Some of the shower heads have brass, gold, or nickel-coated heads, so you should remove them from the solution after a maximum of 30 minutes.

How to clean a moldy shower head?

If you want to clean the showerhead without removing it, you can fill a plastic bag with vinegar solution and tie the bag with a showerhead. Let the showerhead soak for a few minutes, and then you can remove the bag. This method guarantees proof that it can clean a moldy shower head.

What is an effective solution for removing hard water deposits from the showerhead?

There are many methods to remove hard water deposits from your taps and showerheads. Vinegar is a natural and easy way to get rid of all types of stains. Other than vinegar, using Hydrogen Peroxide and cream of Tartar is also another helpful way to get rid of stains. Baking soda and toothpaste are also useful methods to remove hard water deposits from your showerhead.

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