If you’re losing water pressure in the shower, struggling with sputtering water, or dealing with uneven or side sprays, chances are your shower could use a good cleaning. Like any other area of your home, the shower tends to get dirty over time, with minerals from the water, dust, dirt, and other gunk building up in the shower head, clogging the holes that the water comes out of.
The most obvious effect of a clogged shower head is restricted (reduced) water flow. But what many of us fail to take note of is that it can also lead to dust and gunk mixing in the water. In other words, if your shower head isn’t cleaned regularly, you may be showering with dirty water.
How to Clean a Shower Head?
Whether it’s the buildup of minerals, dust, and debris, or both that’s causing reduced water flow, here are a couple of tried and tested remedies to clean your shower head:
Cleaning Shower Head without Removing It
You can clean a showerhead without removing it. But remember, it won’t do deep cleaning. So, if that is what you’re looking for, refer to the next method. However, if you’re only looking to remove mineral deposits and gunk buildup from the surface, here’s a simple, hassle-free way to do it:
Fill a plastic bag with white vinegar and wrap it around the shower head, ensuring it is completely dipped into the liquid, using a rubber band. Let the vinegar do its magic for a few hours (overnight, if your shower head is too dirty or has stubborn buildup). Remove the plastic bag and run the water to clean it. Wipe the shower head with a soft cloth.
Deep Cleaning a Shower Head
If your shower head has never been cleaned or neglected for years (both scenarios are common), you may need a more thorough cleaning. And that would require taking off the shower head. Once the shower head is removed, rinse it with a powerful stream of running water to remove loose debris and gunk. Hold it upside down while doing this to prevent further blocking of the holes.
Prepare a cleaning mixture with baking soda and lemon juice and scrub it onto the surface of the shower head using an old toothbrush. Rinse well.
If you still see mineral deposits in the holes, poke them out using a pin or toothpick. It seems like a laborious task, but trust us when we say it’s worth the effort. You can skip this step if you feel it’s not needed.
Now soak the shower head in vinegar, ensuring it is entirely submerged. For severely dirty shower heads or those with stubborn buildups, you can also add a few spoons full of baking soda in the vinegar before dipping the shower head in it. Let the shower head sit in the solution for a few hours overnight, and then wash clean.
The Sum Up
Mineral and gunk buildup in shower heads can ruin your shower experience by reducing the flow of water and/or causing uneven sprays. Clean your shower heads every now and then to continue enjoying refreshing showers all year long.