If your shower looks ugly and the holes are clogged, I will show you a DIY Tip on how to clean the showerhead holes without running out to buy a new one.
The process of cleaning showerhead holes is simple. You need to submerge the showerhead in a solution of vinegar and baking powder for a few hours then scrub it with a brash and finally rinse with running water. I will show you how to do it step-by-step.
I also had a clogged shower head that looked ugly because of black discoloration. In addition, because the showerhead holes got blocked by accumulated lime-scale, the water pressure was low. Another headache was after-drip on the showerhead because some water remained trapped in the showerhead after finishing using it.
Keep this in mind, calcium and limescale are the main culprits for discolored and blocked showerheads. Therefore, when you deal with these two minerals using the steps below, your shower head will be left looking sparkling clean and with powerful pressure.
How to clean showerhead holes using vinegar and baking soda
Steps
1. If your shower head is detachable detach it
2. Mix two cups of vinegar with 4 tablespoons of baking soda inside a jag
3. Submerge shower head inside the solution
4. Leave it for some few hours or overnight
5. Scrub with an old toothbrush
6. Using a pin unblock all the holes one by one
7. Rinse the shower head and fix it back
8. Let water run for about 2 minutes
Mixing vinegar and with baking soda causes a chemical reaction that leads to the formation of carbonic acid.
Cleaning the showerhead without removing it
Steps
- Pour vinegar into a sandwich bag
- Submerge the shower head inside the sandwich bag
- Hold it in place with an elastic band
- Leave it for some few hours or overnight
If the lime-scale and calcium buildup prove to be stubborn, you can leave the showerhead submerged longer or overnight. You can also mix vinegar with baking soda. Pour the solution in a spray bottle and spray on the showerhead holes while scrubbing with an old toothbrush.
Read: easyhome101.com/best-shower-filter-to-remove-chloramine
Remember, you should not handle baking soda with your bare hands because it is acidic. You should use hand-gloves. When descaling, the showerhead keep the windows of your bathroom open to let the strong stench of vinegar escape.
The reason why this method works so well is vinegar is acidic, and it infiltrates the calcium and lime-scale breaking them down into pieces to unclog the showerhead holes.
After cleaning the showerhead, it will look sparkling clean, and the after drip will stop. And you will surely feel a difference in water pressure. You won’t believe how well it will work.
To prevent mineral deposits from accumulating, you should make a point cleaning the shower head every time you wash your bathroom. You can use vinegar to clean all your home faucets and other water faucets.
Should I clean a shower head with bleach?
According to research, using a bleaching agent such as those found in homes are not effective in cleaning the shower. Because most types of bleaches used in our homes use chlorine as a disinfectant, bacteria commonly found on shower heads are resistant to chlorine bleach.
In fact, an experiment conducted where one shower head was cleaned using bleach and then left for few months showed that the level of bacteria increased by a whopping 300%.
How to clean a shower hose
If you just clean the showerhead and live flexible hose unlearned, the calcium and lime-scale that has built-up inside the pipe will end up creating a blockade. So it is also essential to clean the hose. It is more challenging to clean hose that the showerhead.
- Detach the shower hose
- Use a pin to dredge the holes to remove the mineral that has accumulated
- Soak the hose in vinegar and baking soda solution
- Leave it there overnight
- Rinse properly with running water
Cleaning shower head using CLR
CLR which stands for Calcium, Lime, and Rust remover is a chemical that can remove minerals that have built up. CLR is excellent in eliminating calcium and lime-scale so that you can soak the showerhead in CLR, and all the minerals will be removed.
It takes five minutes to for CLR to remove all the minerals. If your water has a lot of minerals and you don’t mind spending a few dollars, I recommend you get Calcium, Lime, and rust remover. You can be sure that your shower head will be looking spotlessly clean.
Once you buy CLR, you can be using it to clean other appliances like coffee makers. You pour the CLR into a plastic bag and hold it on the showerhead using an elastic band if you don’t want to remove the showerhead.
Conclusion
The option available when you want to clean your shower head is to use vinegar mixed with baking soda. If you don’t want to detach your shower head, you can use a sandwich bag and hold the bag using an elastic band.
You should not use home bleaches to clean shower heads because research has shown bacteria found in showerheads are resistant to bleaches. Calcium Lime and Rust (CRL) is an alternative to vinegar and can be used for the job of cleaning showerheads.
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ABOUT LEON SMITH
Leon is a Thrity-Something-year-old blogger from Mauritius who is currently studying for a Master’s degree in chemical and processing Engineering at the University of Eldoret in Kenya. Read more about him.