by Trevor Woods |
Last Updated: October 11, 2020 It’s easy to remember to clean things around your house that you see. The stack of dishes in the kitchen sink. The pile of laundry in your bedroom. Or the ring of soap scum in your bathtub. You can put these chores off for a while, but eventually, you will have to clean them up. Especially if you run out of clean underwear!
But when it comes to your shower head most of us miss the visual signs of when it’s due for a cleaning. We fail to notice the buildup of crud and water deposits until it’s too late. By then, your shower head starts to lose water pressure, sprays in all sorts of random directions, or gets clogged completely. Ugh!
Why You Need To Clean Your Shower Head
Cleaning your shower head sounds counterintuitive, right? Your shower head is exposed to water and soap all the time, how could it NOT be clean?!
But it’s the exposure to water and soap that can cause all sorts of problems. Neglected shower heads can start to get crusty which restricts the flow from your shower head and make it harder to get all the conditioner out of your hair.
Not only is this frustrating for your shower routine but it can also create a buildup of pressure that will reduce the lifespan of your shower head and increase the chance of leaks.
Things get really nasty If you completely forget to clean your shower head. Studies have shown that 30% of our shower heads harbor significant levels of pathogenic bacteria. Bateria like Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) do best in warm, moist, and protein-rich environments like your shower head. MAC is a group of bacteria that is linked to many lung issues like tuberculosis and pulmonary disease, yikes!
So if you don’t keep your shower head clean, you could be getting a face full of bacteria-filled water, yuk! And mixed with the humidity inside your steamy hot shower you could be sending millions of germs straight into your lungs.
Before you run away to sterilize your bathroom, just know that if you have a strong immune system these bacterias are not likely to cause you any problems. But those people with compromised immune systems are more likely to develop infections and are at greater risk of developing pulmonary disease.
Cleaning your shower head is necessary to maintain it’s plumbing performance and knock out any bacteria calling your shower head “home”.
What Causes Clogged Shower Heads?
Over time an accumulation of crud can rob your shower heads performance and cause the nozzles to squirt in all directions. Shower heads get dirty thanks to a few culprits that you can see on the surface.
What Is The White Stuff On My Shower Head?
The white buildup on your shower head is either soap scum or mineral deposits.
Soap scum looks like a white or gray layer of film that covers the entire surface of the shower head. It’s the same gunk you find on the inside of your shower curtains, bathtub, and sinks. Soap scum is composed of calcium and magnesium ions found in tap water combined with soap and dirt.
This scaly layer can build up and combine with mold or mildew which can discolor the finish of your shower head. Left alone, soap scum can get hard like concrete!
Mineral deposits or limescale is the other white substance you will find on your shower head. It’s hard and chalky because it consists primarily of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate or CaCO3 is a chemical compound found in rocks and seashells. And it’s the active ingredient in over the counter antacids, plumbing science for your stomach!
While CaCO3 is good news for an upset tummy, it’s particularly bad news for your shower head. These hard mineral deposits crust over your shower head and close off the nozzles. Limescale buildup is especially troublesome for those with hard water which has a high mineral content.
Depending on your water quality, limescale can have a red or brown color thanks to iron compounds found in your tap water.
What Is The Black Stuff On My Shower Head?
The black stuff on your shower head might be mold. Shower heads have tiny sprayers which can be more susceptible to mold because it creates a warm damp surface.
However, the black bits you are seeing are probably something else. If you are only seeing black deposits occasionally, you are probably looking at oxidized manganese. Manganese in water is typically found in combination with iron which can be picked up as water travels through rock and soil or can be a sign of corroded pipes that are made of galvanized steel.
When water with trace amounts of manganese hits the air, it oxidizes and turns brown or black. Bacteria can feed on oxidized iron and manganese resulting in a black slime. While this slime may gross you out, small amounts are not a serious hazard to your health.
The cleaning concern with iron and manganese is this slime can permanently stain the surface of your shower head.
How Often Should I Clean My Shower Head?
The experts say you should clean your shower head at least once a month. But anyone living in regions with hard water may need to increase the frequency of cleaning to prevent clogs.
The key to preventing serious buildup is to simply spray your shower head with a
Regular cleaning will eliminate the need to thoroughly rub and scrub your shower head as well as put a stop to bacteria and mold growth.
How To Protect The Finish Of Your Shower Head
Chrome finished showerheads can typically handle a good scrubbing. But the more delicate surfaces like old rubbed bronze, brushed nickel, or matte black finishes may not be able to stand up to aggressive cleaning methods.
There are a few things you should avoid in order to protect your shower head and keep it looking like new!
Bleach
Your first reaction may be to reach for
In an attempt to eradicate bacteria it actually tripled the numbers of certain bacteria! This indicates a general resistance of mycobacteria species to chlorine. Thankfully there are safer, more natural ways to clean your shower head that are proven to be more effective.
Commercial Cleaning Products
Another equally tempting solution is to use heavy-duty cleaners to descale your shower head. These chemical remedies may be harmful to the finish of your shower head. Plumbing descaling products are designed to clean deposits from the inside of plumbing pipes.
While effective in removing crud from the inside of boilers, water heaters, and hydronic heating equipment, they can be too harsh for cleaning your shower head. In fact, most shower head manufacturers recommend not using chemical cleaners on their shower heads.
This includes ammonia, sodium hypochlorite, organic solvents like alcohols, or lime scale removers. Failure to follow these recommendations may void your shower head’s warranty.
Try A Small Spot First
If you are determined to use chemicals and are unsure of how your shower head finish will stand up to the cleaning process, we recommend you do a “test spot” in an inconspicuous area first.
CLR Calcium, Lime and Rust Remover is a non-toxic, multi-purpose cleaner designed for bathrooms or bathroom related surfaces. It breaks down calcium, lime & soap scum to leave behind a streak-free shine!
Coarse Bristle Brushes
Avoid brute strength when cleaning your shower head. Rough nylon brushes, abrasive sponges, and
The last thing you want to is to scratch or put swirl marks on your shower head, so stick to soft cleaning cloths or an old toothbrush for stubborn areas.
House Hacks
There are hundreds of cleaning hacks out there. Some work, but most are gimmicks that end up making a bigger mess than what you started with.
WD-40 and Coca-Cola are the most popular alternative ways to clean your shower head.
Both can clean shower heads but if you’re not careful they can equally stain up your bathroom. Save the hacks for someone else’s house!
Toothy Tools
When it comes to disassembly of your shower heads for thorough cleaning avoid using
Stick to tools with smooth jaws to avoid marring and scratching your shower head’s finish.
A one-of-a-kind tool with unlimited possibilities!
The patented, easy-to-use Knipex pliers wrench is a fantastic tool for fastening, gripping, holding, and bending.
The Best Way To Clean Your Shower Head
Getting your shower head shining like new is easy and can be done quickly with a few household items. The primary ingredient in your homemade cleaning solution is
Why Clean Your Shower Head With Distilled Vinegar ?
There are dozens of different kinds of
The acetic acid in
Using
Protect Your Peepers
Although
A final reason to choose distilled
The perfect low-cost, effective, and safe cleaning agent.
Try vinegar on floors to drains and watch as it’s able to reduce odors, clean dirt, and break down mineral deposits from surfaces!
Does Vinegar Clean Off Mold And Kill Viruses?
Bleach can even push mold membranes further into porous surfaces to avoid the chemical.
Additionally, the acetic acid in vinegar acts as a disinfectant and can destroy some bacteria and viruses.
The Ultimate Shower Head Cleaner Recipe
You can use
If you are going to soak your shower head in the cleaning solution you are going to need:
- 2 Tablespoons Of
Baking Soda – This creates the bubbly cleaning action. And the carbonic acid inbaking soda is also an excellent cleaning agent. - 4-5 Drops of Liquid Dishwashing Soap – This will help cut through grime and grease and add a pleasant smell.
- 1 Cup of Distilled
Vinegar - A 1-Quart Ziplock Bag Or Large Bowl, depending on your cleaning method.
To create a sprayable cleaning solution that’s safe for your whole shower you’ll want to grab a spray bottle and fill it up with:
- 1 ½ Cups Of
Baking Soda - ½ Cup Of Warm Water
- ½ Cup Of Liquid Dishwashing Soap
- 2-4 Tablespoons Of Distilled
Vinegar
How To Clean Your Shower Head
There are two methods for getting your shower head shining like new. The first way is the most convenient and best method to give your shower head a quick clean. The second way is more for heavy-duty cleaning and fixing clogged shower heads.
The Ziplock Bag Technique
This is the simple way to clean up your shower head and maintain it’s shine. Perfect for light cleanings or when you’re in a hurry and don’t have the time to give it a thorough scrubbing.
Tools And Materials Needed
- Distilled white vinegar or our ultimate cleaner recipe listed above
- Large plastic food storage bag
- Cable ties, zip tie, twist tie, rubber bands, or tape
- Soft bristle brush or an old toothbrush
- Soft cleaning cloth
1. Fill Up The Ziplock Bag
First, you’ll want to mix up your cleaning solution or use distilled
2. Submerge And Secure
Place the bag filled with cleaning solution over your shower head so that it is immersed in the liquid. If you need to add more
Use a zip tie, rubber band, or anything else you have handy to secure the bag in place. Double-check to make sure the bag won’t slip off once you let go.
3. Let It Soak
Leave your shower head to marinate in the cleaning solution for a few hours or overnight.
If your shower head has a brass, gold, black, or a nickle finish, remove the bag after 30 minutes to avoid damaging the delicate finish.
4. Rinse And Dry
After your shower head has soaked in the cleaning solution it is time to remove the bag from the shower head.
To avoid splashing
Now, rinse the shower head for a minute or two by turning ON the water and cranking the water temperature as hot as it will go. Let the hot water flush out any remaining mineral deposits stuck inside the shower head.
If there still some leftover mineral deposits, try to gently remove them by hand and rub the shower head nozzles with your fingertips. For stubborn deposits, scrub the face of the shower head with a soft bristle brush or an old toothbrush.
Flush the shower head with hot water again to wash away any crud you scrubbed off. Repeat this scrubbing and rinsing technique if needed until you no longer see any mineral deposits.
Finish up by drying the shower head with a soft cleaning cloth. Buffing up your shower head will give it a perfectly polished look. Done!
The Deep Clean Technique
Have you neglected to clean your shower head for a while, or ever? Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone. This method of shower head cleaning will bust up clogs and get your shower head flowing like new again!
Tools And Materials Needed
- Distilled white vinegar or our ultimate cleaner recipe listed above
- Large bowl
- Crescent wrench or Smooth jaw
pliers - Needle nose
pliers - Small flat blade screwdriver
- Soft bristle brush or an old toothbrush
- Soft cleaning cloth
- Toothpick, needle, or a paper clip
1. Remove The Shower Head
Stubborn or clogged up shower heads are going to take a little more elbow grease to get clean. The first thing you need to do is to remove the shower head so you can give it a thorough cleaning.
Some showerheads have the capability of being removed by simply turning the shower head counter-clockwise by hand. If your shower head doesn’t come off by spinning it lefty-loose then you will need to reach for some tools.
To remove the shower head from the shower arm (another term for the pipe coming out of the wall) you will want to use an adjustable wrench or smooth-jaw
Protect Your Plumbing
If you don’t have any tools handy that won’t scratch your shower head’s decorative finish, you can wrap the shower head hardware with a cloth,
Spinning the shower head fastener a few complete turns counter-clockwise should free the shower head from the shower arm.
2. Clean The Screen Or Flow Regulator
With the shower head removed, now is the perfect time to check inside the shower head inlet for debris or blockages. Flush out the inside the female threaded portion of the shower head connection.
If your shower head is equipped with a screen or flow regulator, gently remove it with the help of a small flat blade screwdriver and some needle-nose
These screens are notorious for getting clogged and restricting the flow of water through your shower head. You can flush the screen backwards under a faucet or gently clean it with a soft bristle brush in soap and warm water.
Avoid Acid
Don’t let the screen or flow regulator sit in the
3. Soak The Shower Head
Place the shower head in a large bowl filled with distilled
Let the shower head soak overnight. This will give the cleaning solution plenty of time to dissolve as much mineral buildup as possible.
4. Scrub The Shower Head
After the shower head is done bathing in the cleaning solution, now it’s time to thoroughly clean the shower head. Use your hand or a soft cleaning cloth to carefully knock off any crust still clinging to the shower head.
You don’t want to accidentally rub these hard mineral deposits against the shower heads finish and create scratches. Rinse the shower head and use a soft bristle brush with some remaining cleaning solution to carefully scrub the shower head.
5. Don’t Forget To Clean The Nozzles!
Gently scrub the face of the shower head and clean off the nozzles. After you are done thoroughly scrubbing all the nubbins, pour water inside the inlet of the showerhead to flush it from the inside out. Then rinse off the outside.
Now for the tedious part. But don’t worry, your effort will pay off in the end! Examine each water spraying nozzle and wherever you see gunk, clean it out with a toothpick, needle, or straightened paper clip.
6. Reinstall Your Shower Head
Finally, now that your shower head is perfectly clean it can be reinstalled. Insert the filter or flow regulator you removed earlier back in place and reattach the shower head to the shower arm.
The rubber gasket in the base of shower head should create a watertight seal, but if your shower head requires Teflon tape apply it to the shower arm threads in the same direction you are going to fasten the shower head.
7. Rinse And Dry
Once your shower head is reattached, turn the water ON and check for any leaks at the connection you made, re-tighten as necessary.
Continue to run the shower at full pressure with hot water for a minute or two. This will flush out any remaining debris and cleaning solution left inside the shower head.
Dry the shower head with a soft cleaning cloth and give it a quick buff if you want to see your reflection in the sparkling finish. Done!
How To Prevent Mineral Buildup In Your Shower Head
Once you’ve done all that work to get rid of it, you’ll want to make sure that mineral deposits on your shower head don’t come back!
There Could Be A Bigger Problem
Cleaning can only do so much. Now that you have done all the dirty work, you need to think about if there’s a possibility of a bigger problem that resulted in the clogging of your showerhead nozzles.
In most cases, it is because of mineral deposits, like manganese and calcium, that these clogs are formed. These mineral deposits will slowly buildup inside the showerhead nozzles, even if they are in tiny amounts. However, they will clog your shower head a lot faster if you have hard water.
Hard water will not only cause mineral clogs, it will make it hard to form a lather whenever you shower. Plus, this hard water will affect your other appliances as well, like washing machines, dishwashers, and even water heaters. Your clothes will come out all dingy and scratchy and your dishes will come out looking spotty from the dishwasher.
You can easily test your own water hardness to determine if all your cleaning is a result of poor water quality.
Get your hard water test results in seconds!
The reliable and consistent accuracy of these test strips provides a simple and convenient way to measure water hardness.
Use A Shower Head Filter
While mineral deposits in your shower head aren’t harmful to you, they could be leaving your hair dull and your skin dry.
Installing an inline shower filter is an easy fix. These filters can reduce water hardness, neutralize odors, and balance PH levels. Not only do these filters extend the life of your shower head, but they also rejuvenate your skin and hair with every shower.
Purifies water and protects your skin!
A unique and proven blend of redox media, calcium sulphite, activated carbon quickly, easily and naturally eliminate all the yuck in city water, hard water and well water systems.
Install An Electronic Water Descaler
An electronic water descaler solves the plumbing problems associated with hard water without the need for chemicals, salt, or changing your water’s chemistry.
Electronic descalers are a maintenance-free way of descaling your entire water system and preventing mineral deposits in your pipes, appliances, and shower heads.
The best part is that electronic descalers are easy to install and require no modifications to your plumbing.
Solves hard water problems without the need for chemicals, salt, or maintenance, while keeping healthy minerals in the water by preventing scale deposits from forming and allowing the existing scale to break down.
Consider A Water Softener
Another whole-home solution to hard water is installing a water softener. Water softeners work by replacing calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. Who knew that plumbers had to learn chemistry!
Water softeners will reduce mineral stains and crusty clogs at every plumbing fixture you have. Your appliances will thank you!
Provides complete limescale-free water for a family of 5 and can generate approximately 400 Gallons of filtered soft water every day.
It is engineered for both city and well water. This softener is equipped with an efficient digital meter control so it consumes less salt and water.
Think About Getting An Upgrade
If all your cleaning efforts didn’t work or if your old shower head is showing signs of rusting from the inside, you might want to invest in a new shower head. You can spruce up the look of your shower with a fresh shower head. Did we mention the bacteria that could be living in the old one?
The latest showerheads come with all sorts of high-tech settings, like water massage, color-changing LED lights, built-in Bluetooth speaker, and so much more!
If you start shopping for a new shower head, make sure that you look for one that comes with a WaterSense label from the Environmental Protection Agency. This will save water and save you money. A standard showerhead flows up to 2.5 gallons/minute, while the WaterSense certified ones use 2 gallons/minute or even less.
The ultimate shower experience!
You will love Ergonomic Grip Handle of this handheld showerhead and SIX FULL WATER SPRAY SETTINGS that are truly different! Click-Lever Dial makes it easy to change from one setting to another while RUB-CLEAN JETS make cleaning your shower head easy and effortless!
Conclusion
A clean shower head is a happy shower head! So mark it on your calendar, set a reminder on your phone, or do whatever you need to do to make sure you’re cleaning your shower head on a regular basis. The best news is that you can use these cleaning techniques on your faucets too!
Happy Plumbing!
Recommended Reading
How To Turn Your Sprinkler System Back On In The Spring
Spring is here and your lawn needs water! When it comes time to turn on your sprinkler system wet will show you how and when to get started.
How To Stop Your Water Heater From Making Scary Noises
Find out how to silence your water heater once and for all with our guide. Learn how to quite your water heater noises all by yourself!
How To Choose The Best Kitchen Faucet
The kitchen is the heart of your home but a faulty faucet can cripple your household. We will show you which kitchen faucet is perfect for you!
Teflon Tape: How To Use And Choose The Right One For You
A few wraps of thread sealant tape is all it takes to make a leak-free connection! Follow our guide on how to properly use Teflon tape.
How To Find Your Main Water Shut Off
Playing plumbing valve hide-and-seek? We will help you locate your main water shut off valve so you can close it and turn off your water.
How To Install A Garbage Dispoal Yourself
Installing a garbage disposal yourself is a pretty simple process. We will show you how to properly install, operate, and clean your new sink disposal.