How to Clean the Shower Head Effectively?

Has your shower head seen some better days? You don’t need to throw it out just yet. There are several ways how to clean the shower head effectively, both using natural methods and chemical products.

When your shower head starts shooting water or the water pressure drops down too low, you can still fix it.

There’s no need to call a plumber or to replace the entire shower. If you know how to clean the shower head properly, many problems can be solved.

Sure, calling a professional for help can be more comfortable, but why waste all your money?
You can clean your shower head with ingredients you already have at your home.

Below are several tips on cleaning the shower head and why you should do it regularly.

Why You Should Clean the Shower Head

 

Before you learn how to clean the shower head, you need to know why you should do it. Cleaning the shower head can solve many issues, such as:

• Water shooting from the shower head
• Low water pressure
• Uneven water flow
• Mold

Most of these shower problems happen because of mineral deposits. A shower head may spray unevenly when the tiny holes are clogged. [1]

When this happens, you need to remove the residues. This can be done if you clean everything the right way. There is no need to buy expensive products.

You can clean most things, using some everyday household items.

Not to mention, cleaning the shower head has many health benefits. Shower heads are moist areas, making it great for bacteria and fungus growth. This could cause many illnesses such as rhinitis and asthma. [2]

In fact, the shower nozzle is an excellent environment for the growth of many bacteria. Luckily, you can solve all of these issues by cleaning your shower head regularly.

Can You Clean the Shower Head without Chemicals?

Believe it or not, there are a few methods to clean your shower head without using any harsh chemicals. In fact, these natural methods are usually as effective as using expensive cleaning products.

Removing mineral deposits using only natural supplies, such as vinegar and baking soda, is a method everyone can test for themselves.

Why vinegar? Vinegar can loosen the buildup. This allows you to clean it without too much hassle. There is no need to call a professional for a task so simple. Save yourself the money and the time.

How to Clean the Shower Head with Vinegar and Baking Soda

Cleaning the shower head with vinegar and baking is the most commonly used method. However, you should know that you have to be cautious.

This mixture can damage shower heads with a designer finish, such as brushed nickel, bronze, and antiqued copper. If you have a shower head made of chrome, you won’t have any issues.

If you want to make sure this solution won’t cause any problems, you can always do a cotton swab test. Using a cotton swab, leave the vinegar and baking soda solution on a discreet area for several minutes.

If there aren’t any visible damages, proceed to clean the entire shower head.

Things that you’ll need for this method are:

• White vinegar solution
• Baking soda
• Bucket
• Wrench or pliers
• Rags or a piece of cloth

The first thing you need to do is to remove the shower head. If you aren’t certain how to do it correctly, make sure to check the instruction manual first.

You don’t want to damage the shower head by removing it the wrong way.

You can remove most shower heads by twisting them off; however, not all shower heads use this method. Some require screwing them off or unhooking.

If your shower head is relatively new, make sure that removing it won’t ruin its warranty.

Then, get a bucket that can fit the entire shower head inside of it. Then, pour white vinegar. Make sure you’ve fully submerged the shower head. When you’re done, add some baking soda.

You’d want to have about three times less baking soda than vinegar. In other words, for every cup of vinegar, add about 1/3 cup of baking soda.

You’d want to leave the shower head inside the solution for at least an hour. If you’d like, you can even leave it overnight – just make sure that it won’t get damaged.

Then, take out the shower head. Rinse it thoroughly to ensure the solution is entirely removed. Wipe everything with a piece of cloth until it’s fully dry.

Finally, turn on the faucet so the water can gush through the shower nozzle. Allow it to run for a few minutes, then take the clean shower head and reconnect it.

To ensure there is no more solution remaining inside the shower head, let the water run once again. Everything should work properly now.

How to Clean Shower Head without Taking It Off

If you think that removing the shower head is too much work, don’t worry. There’s a method to clean it even without taking the shower head off. The items you’ll need for this method are:

• White vinegar solution
• Baking soda
• Plastic bag
• A rubber band
• A toothbrush or some other small brush
• Cleaning rags or a piece of cloth

Take a plastic bag large enough to fit the shower head. Then, pour vinegar and baking soda into it. Make sure there is enough solution inside to cover the shower head entirely.

Of course, the plastic bag can’t have any holes in it; otherwise, this won’t work.

Without removing the shower head from the nozzle, place it inside the plastic bag and the solution. Make sure it’s fully immersed.

It would be best if you left the shower head hanging, don’t place it on the floor. If your bathroom has a shower chair, climb on it if necessary to make everything easier.

Once the entire shower head is immersed into the vinegar, tie the bag to the shower using a rubber band. Make sure everything is tight enough so that the bag won’t fall off later.

Leave the bag on for at least an hour, preferably longer. The longer the solution stays, the cleaner everything is. Just keep in mind that the solution might damage more sensitive materials if left for too long.

When you’re done, remove the plastic bag. Clean the shower head with a toothbrush or some similar, small brush to ensure any deposit is removed.

Then turn the water on and let it run for a few minutes. This way, you’ll remove any minerals that might still be inside the shower head.

After this, the shower head should work like it’s brand new.

What Are the Best Cleaning Products for the Shower Head

Sometimes, methods that use natural ingredients won’t fully work. If this is the case, you should bring in the ‘heavy artillery’, and buy the best shower cleaning products.

Popular Cleaners

If you want to keep using plant-based ingredients, you can try Method’s Shower Cleaner Spray. It is chemical-free, and it prevents soap scum.

Not to mention, the product smells really nice, so you don’t need to worry about fumes.

Another good limescale cleaner is the Viakal Limescale Remover.

You can use it to clean shower heads and most shining parts of the bathroom.

And if you need to remove some of the toughest calcium and rust, use Lime Cleaner.

And if you are wondering about which products are safe to use, we’ll give you a hint. If you can use a product in your kitchen, you can use it in the bathroom, as well.

Anything that can clean kitchen sinks or chrome surfaces is suitable for bathroom, as well.

If you’re unsure about how to use these products, make sure to read the instruction manual.

A Few Bits of Advice

No matter what cleaning method you’ve decided to use, there are some things you need to do. The most important piece of advice is to keep your bathroom ventilated.

This is especially important if you’re using strong chemical cleaners. These products have strong fumes that may be damaging to your health.

The smells can cause breathing issues, and on certain occasions, they might even kill you. Always keep your windows open and turn on the ventilation.

It would be the best if you clean your showerhead monthly. This way you’re ensuring not only that everything is working properly, but it is beneficial for your health, as well.

Regular cleaning kills any bacteria and mold, which can be harmful.[3]

You should clean your entire bathroom with vinegar solution monthly, as well.

Don’t use hard brushes when cleaning your shower, especially the shower head. Stiff brushes can leave scuff and scratches, making your bathroom look very unpleasant.

Also, avoid using bleach as much as possible, especially when cleaning a shower head. Bleach contains chlorine, which can ruin clothes and cause stains on many surfaces.

Also, chlorine can help the growth of harmful bacteria. It’s better to look for products created explicitly for removing mineral deposits.

How to Maintain Your Shower

Now that you know how to clean the shower head, you should also learn to maintain your entire shower. There are several areas you need to pay attention to, such as clogged drains and moldy surfaces.

To remove mold, you can create a solution with vinegar and baking soda, just like when you’re cleaning shower heads.

Fill the spraying bottle with the solution, then spray it on any mildew-covered surfaces.

Let everything soak for a bit, then clean it with a brush and rinse it.

You can use vinegar and baking soda to unclog the drain, as well. Pour warm water and a bit of dish soap inside the drain. Then, pour about one cup of baking soda and one cup of distilled white vinegar.

Wait for a few minutes until the fizzing sound disappears. Finally, boil two cups of water and pour it down the drain. Run hot tap water to rinse everything up.

If you keep your bathroom well-maintained, you won’t need to worry about limescale or rust clogging your shower drain. Prevention is the best method to keep everything clean and working correctly.

If you don’t clean your bathroom regularly, mineral deposits will keep on appearing no matter what you do.

Bottom Line

When the shower head isn’t working, most people think you need to replace it and buy a new one.

However, most problems are caused when the holes in the shower head are clogged with mineral deposits.

Knowing how to clean the shower head effectively is a good way to save some money on house maintenance.

This isn’t hard, and you don’t even need to spend a lot of money on cleaning supplies.

Using vinegar and baking soda solution works great for removing most deposits, limescale, and mold.

If these natural methods don’t work, feel free to purchase some good shower cleaners. Just ensure they don’t contain any bleach or chemicals that might damage the shower head.

Some issues might require professional assistance, but you should always try to fix everything on your own at first.