Want the best water flow in the shower – who doesn’t right? And to be sure that your hygiene is properly maintained at all times? Then maybe it’s time to learn how to clean shower heads properly and without a hitch. Limescale deposits can accumulate and affect water flow, making it essential to clean your shower head regularly (once every couple of months). A clean shower head makes for a refreshing experience as well, so keeping your shower in a pristine condition is indeed really important.
You can optimize the water flow in your bathroom. And at the same time – even make sure your shower head looks flasho as good as new. You can employ a number of techniques and methods to do that. Baking soda, white distilled vinegar and even clean your shower head with cola (yes, true) are all possible solutions. Let’s have a quick look at the steps that you need to follow.
When Using White Vinegar
You’d be surprised how many people find cleaning a shower head with white vinegar to be effective. The reason for this is because it works!
Detach the shower head, if possible directly from the shower arm. Place it in a strong plastic bag and fill it with white vinegar until the showerhead is completely submerged. Use a rubber band to secure the plastic bag and just leave it to soak. Spare at least 30 minutes for the procedure.
Once you get the showerhead out of the bag, you can scrub it to remove limescale using an old toothbrush. Rinse and reattach the showerhead to the shower arm as the last step of the process and you should be good to go.
If there is too much remaining limescale after scrubbing, fill a white vinegar spray bottle and spray the spots for a beautifully clean shower head.
You can achieve similar results that will improve the water flow using citric acid or malt vinegar. Just place the citric acid or malt vinegar in the plastic bag in place of the white vinegar in the first step.
When using Baking Soda
Mix baking soda and white vinegar in a one-to-one proportion to form a paste, which is perfect for cleaning shower heads that are particularly heavily stained. You can make the paste with baking soda and warm water as well if you decide. Apply the paste to the chrome shower head and wait fifteen to 20 minutes, before scrubbing with a toothbrush. Naturally, the last step would be to rinse the whole thing with hot water.
The baking soda method would be perfect for shower heads on grey tiled surfaces, or such that lie next to oak vanity unit of some sort.
If you want to be creative – use Cola
Some people are surprised that you can clean a shower head with cola. In reality, cola drinks contain ingredients that are perfect for the removal of limescale deposits. The method is particularly handy for shower head place where there is hard water. The steps to follow are:
- Pour cola drink of your choice into a plastic container
- Detach the showerhead from the shower arm and submerge it in the cola
- Soak for half an hour
- Scrub and rinse with how water
An alternative to the homemade cleaning products
If you’ve tried the above methods, or you just feel a little bit distrustful of DIY solutions, you can opt to either try a store-brought limescale removal product, or directly pressure wash the shower head to unclog it. You can use a hose, or even the shower arm to blast the debris tinkering with your water flow away. For the purpose, just make sure to:
- First remove the showerhead from the shower arm
- Run hot water through the showerhead with a garden hose or in the faucet
- Clean the nozzles. You can scrub with a toothbrush and then reattach the shower head so that you can test the flow.
Why is it so important to clean your shower head on a regular basis?
Due to the mineral deposits that accumulate on the shower head, the water flow can suffer and affect water flow. Any stubborn limescale buildup not only makes showering a much less efficient experience, but an unpleasant one as well. After all, bacteria often get into the deposits and it can even create unnecessary risks for your health. To avoid having your shower head look unsightly when nozzles become clogged, it would be a good idea to spare some time for cleaning your shower head regularly. You will improve the lifespan of the fixture, boost the performance of your shower, and even save some money in the long run.
Once you are done cleaning, you can even implement some steps for maintaining your shower head. Don’t wait for the limescale deposits to become visible, for example. Just do a white vinegar soak once every couple of months to prevent the buildup.
Some final considerations
The popular rainfall shower heads require extra time and care to have them treated properly. That is mainly due to the extended surface area to be covered. To prevent buildups for longer, you might also want to wipe the showerhead down after each use. You can use a soft cloth for the purpose.
