Easy Effective Ways To Clean Your Shower head?

Shower head gets clogged with minerals, which are usually found in hard water. In such conditions, you will notice that your shower starts delivering more of a misty spritz. When you experience such a condition, you should take it as a sign that your shower head requires a thorough cleaning. Such a blockage on the outer area of the shower prevents its interior from drying hence, causing positive conditions for the growth of mildew, bacteria, mold, etc. If you do not take proper care of showerheads and shower doors by cleaning them often, in the next use, the bacteria will be airborne.

But how to clean your shower head? For some people cleaning a shower head could be difficult or tricky because not everyone knows how to clean your showerhead. 

How often to clean a shower head?

There will be an instance when you will experience water shooting in all directions. These are the signs when you need to understand that your shower head is in need of a cleaning. If you even live in an area with a hard water supply where the mineral level of calcium and magnesium is high, there are chances of your shower getting clogged more often. 

How often to clean a shower head? After you have given your shower a thorough and deep cleaning, you might just have to take care of it bi-weekly or monthly. Such a normal cleaning can be done with the help of either a commercial CLR or distilled white vinegar to keep the mineral depositing at check. Vinegar also has the capability to remove dislodged soap scum from the shower heads and fixtures, if any. 

How to clean a removable shower head?

This process can also be used for handheld showerheads. So, how to clean a removable shower head and what all are the requirements –

Requirements – 

• Toothpick
• Distilled white vinegar
• Toothbrush
• Lockable pliers or wrench
• Bucket
• Soft cloth
• Microwavable container
• Plumber’s thread seal tape or PTFE

1. Use a soft cloth while removing the showerhead from the arm with a wrench so that you don’t land scratches on the finishing of its fixtures while dismantling it. Then unscrew the head out.
2. Pour enough distilled white vinegar in a microwavable container and warm it but do not boil it.
3. Keep the showerhead in the bucket and pour the warm vinegar on it until it is completely submerged in the solution. Let it stay for like 30 minutes.
4. Take the showerhead out from the solution and scrub it with a toothpick to unclog the pores or jet holes. Repeat the third step but with fresh warm vinegar if not thoroughly clean.
5. After cleaning, fix the showerhead back to the arm. Apply new tape for a better seal and so that there is no leakage in the future.

How to clean a non-removable shower head?

These are tips on how to clean a non-removable shower head – 

Requirements –

• Toothbrush
• Toothpick
• Soft cleaning cloth
• Plastic food storage bag
• Distilled white vinegar
• Rubber band

1. Take a large plastic food storage bag and fill it with at least a cup of vinegar to submerge the shower head. 
2. Secure the bag around a shower head using a rubber band.
3. Since the vinegar cannot be heated in this process, the showerhead should be submerged in the solution for at least 5 hours or overnight.
4. Remove the bag and clean the shower head with a soft cloth and look for clogged jet holes. If the sediments have not been completely removed, then use a toothbrush or toothpick to scrub it off.
5. Fix the shower head and turn on the shower for it to rinse away any mineral residues.