Everyone likes a long, warm shower in the winter. But unfortunately, shower heads are one of the most neglected parts of a bathroom that is hardly cleaned ever. That being said, shower heads don’t need frequent maintenance. Unless the water pressure of your shower head reduces or the fixtures have gotten dirty, you needn’t really bother much about your shower head. Just cleaning it once every 6 months would be more than sufficient.
So, let us take a look at the step-by-step method to clean the shower head.
Related reading: How To Remove Hard Water Stains From Taps?
How To Clean Shower Head?
Time needed: 1 hour
The easiest way to clean the shower head fixture is by using a tap cleaner spray. It gets rid of limescale deposits and mild rust in just minutes. If you want to go the DIY route, you can use vinegar, lime, or diluted Harpic. For the DIY route, you will need a zip lock cover, an old toothbrush, a safety pin or bell clip, and a microfibre cloth. We will explain the DIY route in detail below.
- Immerse The Shower Head In Vinegar
Pour about 200 ml of vinegar into a zip-lock bag. Most of the plastic packets used for wrapping vegetables and groceries have two holes at the bottom to prevent suffocation if in case kids put their heads inside them while playing. So, a zip lock cover is the best way to go.
If your shower head is removable, take it out and immerse it in the vinegar in the zip lock bag. Else, you can tie the bag around the shower in such a way that the shower head remains submerged in the vinegar. Leave it for 1 hour at least.
- Scrub and Wipe
Remove the vinegar bag and scrub the rubber pad of the shower head with a toothbrush. This will get rid of any stubborn deposits and soap scum on the pad. The vinegar in the zip lock cover can be used for other cleaning projects as well.
- Clean The Holes of The Shower Head
Sometimes, stubborn deposits may linger in the shower head holes and clog it. To remove it, poke the holes with a safety pin or a bell clip. This will get rid of the granular mineral deposits that clog the holes.
- Scrub the Fixtures
The fixture around the shower head is yet another area that is likely to appear unsightly due to limescale deposits. First, if there is dust on it, wipe it using a microfibre cloth. For light limescale deposits, scrub the area with a toothbrush dipped in vinegar or using a lime. Leave it for 15-30 minutes and then rinse with water and wipe it dry.
Use diluted Harpic in case of stubborn mineral deposits and mild rust. Do not leave it on the surface for a long time as it may damage the finishing. Scrub vigorously using an old toothbrush and rinse off immediately.
- Apply Oil
To prevent limescale deposits from ruining the fixtures, apply a thin layer of oil. Though not foolproof, this will help prevent stubborn deposits from forming on the fixtures.
Also, fix leaky showerheads immediately as this will damage not just the shower, but also form limescale stains on the taps below the shower.
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Other Tips To Maintain Your Shower Head
- If you live in an area with particularly hard water, clean the shower head more frequently- at least once every 3 months, or when you find the flow of the water has reduced.
- Plastic showers are prone to mold. In such cases, clean the shower head with baking soda once a month. Leaky plastic showers should be fixed immediately to prevent mold formation.
- Install a water softener if mineral deposits are frequently affecting the shower’s water pressure.
- Run the exhaust fan for 30 minutes after showering to get rid of excess moisture in the bathroom, which can lead to mold and bacterial growth.