Unless you get distilled water in your taps, the chances are that mineral deposits will block your shower head over time. Sediment buildup is unavoidable, and it can cause problems with water flow and pressure, which can take away from your showering experience.
Here’s How to Cleaning Showerhead with Vinegar:
Fortunately, there is a tried-and-true method for removing minerals and hard water stains from showerheads. And the best part is you don’t even have to eliminate the fixture!
You can clean your showerhead pretty quickly with vinegar. We have outlined a step-by-step process that you can follow, and you won’t need any fancy tools or chemicals to get it done either! Those harsh chemicals might do more harm than good, so check out our guide below to avoid having to use them.
Step 1 – Take out the showerhead
Your showerhead is probably connected to a shower arm. You can clean it with vinegar while it’s still attached, but it might be better to unscrew it first because this will allow the vinegar to get to hard-to-reach areas. Unscrewing it is relatively simple. Just turn it in a counterclockwise motion until it comes loose.
Some showerheads are attached so firmly that you can’t remove them by hand. You must use a wrench for these showerheads, but make sure to cover the showerhead in a cloth first to avoid scuffing it up.
Step 2 – Find appropriately sized container
It would be best if you had a container large enough to fit the entire showerhead and leave some room for maneuvering. A bucket, food container, or pot would work nicely. Try not to use something too big because you’ll waste vinegar that way.
Alternatively, you can try using a plastic bag if you want to clean the showerhead without detaching it. Make sure that you don’t use a paper or cardboard-based container, as the white vinegar will make it soggy and eventually start to leach through. Something made of metal or plastic would be more suitable for this type of application.
Step 3 – Fill container with white vinegar
White vinegar is acidic enough to break down mineral deposits, which is why it’s so great for showerhead cleaning. It will loosen up the limescale and other sediments so that you can wash it off with enough pressure.
Harsh chemicals are often overly caustic, so using white vinegar can help avoid some of the damage they have caused. Fill your container halfway to the top with white vinegar, or enough that you can submerge your entire showerhead.
Step 4 – Submerge and soak showerhead
It is essential to soak your showerhead for at least 3 hours if you want it to be spotless. Otherwise, there is a chance that the sediment won’t get broken down enough to get washed off.
In some instances, if your showerhead has a calcified layer that’s formed on it, you might want to leave it soaking in the vinegar overnight. In under an hour, you should take out a showerhead with a metal finish from the vinegar, or it might get damaged.
You can put the pot on the stove and heat the vinegar if you want to speed things up. That will break the sediment down faster, but only do this if your showerhead is made entirely out of metal.
Plastic showerheads will get severely damaged if you heat the vinegar, so be extremely careful because you don’t want to ruin your showerhead in the process of trying to get it clean.
If you want to leave the showerhead attached to its shower arm, you must follow a different process. We advised you to put the white vinegar in a plastic bag to clean your showerhead this way. After doing so, submerge the showerhead in the vinegar and attach the plastic bag with some rubber bands. Soak the showerhead for the same period as you would with a detached showerhead.
Step 5 – Rinse showerhead
There are several ways in which you can rinse your showerhead. One way is to run it under the tap for a bit. Use a cloth to wipe away any dissolved sediment that remains, and make sure you run water through the nozzles to get all of the vinegar out. You should scrub the showerhead with a toothbrush if you have any stubborn mineral deposits that haven’t come off yet.
Step 6 – Reattach showerhead
It is now time to put your showerhead back on its arm. Screw it back in the opposite direction as when you removed it, namely clockwise or to your right. Turn the shower on and run water through it to thoroughly wash it out. You will be surprised at how much extra water pressure you’re getting now that it is spotless and no sediment’s blocking the nozzles. Covering the threads on the connector with some Teflon tape can help reduce any chances of leaks in the future.
How do you clean a shower head without white vinegar?
If you don’t have any white vinegar on hand, baking soda would be the next best. Make sure that you mix it in an adequate quantity of water. It should form a paste instead of being watery.
If your paste is too thick, it will start to clump up on the shower nozzles and make the problem even worse than it was before. Follow the same steps as you would with white vinegar by submerging the showerhead in the solution for a few hours until the sediment starts to slough off.
On the off chance that you have neither white vinegar nor baking soda, Coca-Cola can work in a pinch. It has pretty high acidity levels, and as long as you rinse your showerhead thoroughly after soaking it, there won’t be any unpleasant stickiness left over.
If all else fails, some liquid soap can get the job done decently well, although you shouldn’t expect it to work as well as something acidic like vinegar or Coke! Still, it will help you remove at least some of the sediment that might be blocking your shower nozzles.
How do you descale a shower head with vinegar?
To descale your showerhead with white vinegar, you should first remove it from its shower arm. Then, submerge it in the vinegar and let it soak for a few hours or 30 minutes at a minimum.
After doing so, scrub it with an old toothbrush or anything else abrasive to take off the now loose sediment and wash it with some water. It will look good as new, and the best part is that you wouldn’t have used any toxic chemicals to get the job done either!
Does vinegar and baking soda clean the shower head?
Both vinegar and baking soda are great for cleaning showerheads. They have acidic properties, which helps them break down mineral deposits as long as you soak your showerhead for a long enough period. Some swear by vinegar, whereas others feel that baking soda works better, but either of these substances will do wonders for your showerhead.
How long should you soak your shower head in vinegar?
Generally speaking, you should soak your showerhead for a minimum of three hours. In some instances, you might even need to soak it overnight. Don’t exceed 30 minutes if you have a metal showerhead.
Can I use white wine vinegar to clean my shower head?
Yes, white vinegar is an excellent liquid for cleaning showerheads. Just make sure you rinse your showerhead thoroughly to get the vinegar smell out. Otherwise, your next shower might end up being an unpleasant experience.
Does vinegar affect chrome shower heads?
Vinegar can corrode your showerhead if it has metal in it, and that includes chrome, of course. However, it shouldn’t be an issue if you dilute the vinegar and don’t leave the showerhead in it for too long.
Is CLR better than vinegar?
CLR is a very effective cleaning fluid, especially for showerheads. However, vinegar is a lot cheaper than CLR, and it is just as effective, if not more so. Hence, you can save some money if you use vinegar and get the same results.
Can I use CLR on my shower head?
Yes, you can use CLR on showerheads. It can be equally as effective as vinegar, but it is also an extra item that you would need to purchase. Vinegar is a common pantry item that you probably have already, and it works just as well.
Can you use apple cider vinegar to clean a shower head?
Most instructions call for white vinegar, but that’s because it’s cheaper and more common in households. You can substitute white vinegar with apple cider vinegar and get similar results.
What vinegar is best for cleaning?
Any type of vinegar would be great for cleaning showerheads. Both white vinegar and apple cider vinegar can give equally stunning cleaning results.