Cleaning Shower Heads

Minerals can build up on your shower head as the water passes through it. These mineral deposits can clog your shower head, so it is important to keep your shower head clean. This is a guide about cleaning shower heads.

Solutions: Cleaning Shower Heads

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Cleaning a Shower Head

To clear a clogged shower head, boil it about 15 minutes in a mixture of 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 quart water.

By mamacrafter from TN

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Cleaning Shower Heads

The cleaning gals used real lemon juice they squeezed on the show. Put the juice in a baggie, put the shower head in the baggie, zipped it up and left it at least 15-20 minutes (show time) then took it out, rinsed it off, polished it and reinstalled it. Looked good to me. Of course, they said, it could take a longer or shorter time depending on how blocked the shower head was. Just keep soaking it until it is clean.

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Unclogging Showerheads

I keep a spray bottle of half vinegar, half water, and a spritz of dish detergent for everyday use. Once a week, I spray the showerhead with this vinegar mixture and it keeps the holes unclogged. When I started, about a third of the holes were stopped up and this mixture cleared them up and keeps them open. I haven't had a problem since I started doing this.

Source: Myself

By Barbara from Jacksonville, FL

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Questions

Here are questions related to Cleaning Shower Heads.

Cleaning a Shower Head

What's the best way to clean shower heads that you can't easily remove?

By Pam from Davie, FL

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Most Recent Answer

By cookwie12/08/2009

I used a sturdy plastic bag filled with vinegar and let it sit, tightly taped, on the spout. Took something like 8 hours, but it worked. The calcium and lime deposits came right off.
If you want to do this, possibly you'd be better off trying a half hour at first. In our case, it was a "fix it or trash it" situation, so I had nothing to loose by a very long soak.

Cleaning a Shower Head

I would like to find an all natural ingredient to clean the deposits from the shower head, any ideas? Thank you.

By Fazy from FL

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Most Recent Answer

By mommychrissy05/15/2012

Mix baking soda and water into a toothpaste-like consistancy use to scrub shower head. Safe enough to brush your teeth with but scrub enough and your showerhead will be shiny. :}

Shower Head is Clogged

How do I clean a gold plated shower head that is clogged?

By Joe

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Most Recent Answer

By teamac02/09/2012

by teamac:
The above will work fine (the bag with vinegar) if you have just a slight clog but if you have a more severe clog (as I had and thought I was going to have to call a plumber and replace the whole system). Try the below method
unscrew the shower head, it really isn't hard to do. Set the head in a bowl of vinegar to remove the deposits.

Check all filters clean with old toothbrush use same brush to clean both the inside of the shower head and the shower pipe with either the vinegar or lime away- which works very good with deeply clogged shower heads as it breaks down the lime and calcium deposits . You may have to soak the shower head for a few hours or overnight (as I had to do), depending on how clogged they are. This will take time and a little effort but the results are awesome and so inexpensive. It saved me so much money with such little effort and time.

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Homemade Cleaner For Cleaning Shower Heads

How do you clean shower heads? Is there anything I can make at home to unclog the holes in the shower head from lime deposits. The stuff you buy in the store is so strong, the odor bothers my asthma.

Thanks,

Jenny in KY (01/02/2005)

Vinegar

Jenny, try putting the shower head in full strength vinegar and letting it soak for quite awhile (over night is good :) ). You can either put the shower head in a bowl or put the vinegar in a plastic bag and "fasten" it around the shower head if it's not removable. Hope this helps. (01/02/2005)

By Luvyabye

Cool Whip Container

I take the shower head down and place it in an old large Cool Whip container. I place the shower head in the container. Fill with vinegar. Let it sit in the vinegar over night. Then in the morning, it should be clean and free of hard water buildup. If some build up remains after the all night soak, use an old tooth brush to bush it away. Put shower head back up and you are in business once again.

Put the lid on the Cool Whip container, and put it under the sink for the next time you need to clean the shower head. (01/02/2005)

By Linda in PA

Boiling

I've always boiled vinegar and then sit the showerhead right in the pan with the vinegar. About 15 or 20 minutes. (01/02/2005)

By jodigirl25

Vinegar

Coffee machine cleaner and steam iron cleaner work fine. However, keep in mind that a bottle of that stuff is often more expensive than a new shower head at the Home Depot or Walmart.

For a temporary improvement to tide you over till you get to town, you can use vinegar.

By DearWebby (01/02/2005) http://webby.com/humor

Vinegar

Take a sandwich bag, fill part way with vinegar and put it around the showerhead, secure with a rubber band. leave for a couple of hours and it should remove it. (01/03/2005)

By moanagroana

White Vinegar

You can use white vinegar, put into a zip lock bag on the head of your shower. Let it stay several hours before using the shower head. The vinegar will unclog the mineral deposits. Also great for cleaning your steam iron. (01/03/2005)

By DEE

Vinegar

The best cleaner for any kind of faucet is plain vinegar. If you can take off the head untwist it and place in a bowl of vinegar for about five minutes. Use a toothpick to clean out each spray hole and let stand in vinegar again for one or two minutes. If the head won't twist off fill a zip loc bag half full of vinegar and place bag over spray nozzle I just hold it for a few minutes or you can zip it as closed as you can and let it stay for a few minutes. It is also good to take off your faucet heads on your sinks and soak them in vinegar for a minute or two. (01/04/2005)

By Walker

Vinegar and Baking Soda

A faster solution is the most fun. Vinegar and soda fizzles. Place as state above, with the bag I also bring in a clothes pin to clip the bag tighter. I also dump approximately a tablespoon of soda in the bag first. Add vinegar, at the least amount possible to fizzle the scum right on out of your shower head. Some really clogged heads may take a few hours and several fizzle baths to do the job right.l (01/08/2005)

By shelaka

Baking Soda and Vinegar Worked

Thanks for the tip! I used the vinegar solution and added the baking soda to make it fizz and it truly worked! (06/30/2006)

By MK

Homemade Cleaner For Cleaning Shower Heads

I'm trying to remember how to clean a shower head. The spray is going all over due to build up. All I can remember is that you can soak the shower head in a bowl of something, but can't remember what. Thank you!

Sara from Twin Lake, MI

RE: Homemade Cleaner For Cleaning Shower Heads

Heat vinegar in the microwave until almost boiling in a glass bowl. Put your shower head in and soak over night! Hot vinegar is also perfect in a spray bottle (don't heat in the spray bottle as it will melt!) to melt away soap scum and hard water stains on shower walls, glass shower doors, sinks, counter tops, etc. The smell is strong, but it doesn't last long. (10/27/2006)

By Lorrie T

Cleaning a Shower Head

How do you clean a shower head?

Obert from BIRMINGHAM

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

What I do is use CLR that I get either at the grocery store or hardware store. I pour some into an old Cool Whip container and hold it over the shower head for a minute or two. I use an old tooth brush to get into the little holes and before you know it, those jets are running full tilt! (06/23/2007)

By Mary Jo from St. Paul.

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

Take a medium needle and push it through the holes in the shower head. This should clear them out, so water can be discharged through them all. Ours was only coming out 3/4 of the holes in the shower head, and this is how I solved the problem! Straight pins will also work, but to my knowledge come only in one size (06/25/2007)

By Ross.

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

I recently used CLR to clean my shower head. There are directions on the container specifically for cleaning them. If you're able to unscrew the shower head, you can then soak it in the solution, otherwise, holding a container over it sounds like a good alternative method. I was able to remove the hard metal build-up and it works great now. (06/25/2007)

By sylviecyn

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

Fill a ziplock bag half and half with water and vinegar, dissolve a tsp of baking soda in it, put over shower head and fasten with a rubber band. Leave a few hours (06/25/2007)

By ruthvalleygal

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

Remove the shower head and soak in a bowl with a few denture cleaning tablets. Works great. (08/29/2007)

By Tyler

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

I debated buying the CLR, but opted for the less expensive method first - just vinegar. I put it in a bag, put it on the shower head and let it soak for a few hours. Scrubbed a little mineral build-up off with a toothbrush, and the showerhead works perfectly. I have a double-head heavenly shower. I cleaned one head and compared the two. The vinegar worked great. Thanks for the tips! (10/08/2007)

By LM

Cleaning a Shower Head

I am looking for advice for cleaning a shower head.

Robert

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

I used the old straight pin trick which worked fine. Thanks for the wealth of information. (01/22/2008)

By rschmitty

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

Is malt vinegar OK to use? (02/05/2008)

By Matt

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

I use denture tablets. Take two, place in baggie, tie to shower head, fill with water and walk away. Best done right before bed, it will be done in the morning. (02/27/2008)

By CJ-IN

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

I first wipe the shower head with white vinegar on a wash cloth. Then I look for calcium build up and poke it with a bobby pin or paper clip. Then I warm up some white vinegar in a bowl and soak the shower head in it for 2 minutes then turn on the shower to clean it and it runs perfect :) If it doesn't, try it again; it works every time. (10/22/2008)

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

Look at www.cleaninnovations.com website. We bought a cleaner that actually works, it also stops legionella from affecting the shower head. (10/26/2008)

By Mr B.

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

To begin cleaning your shower head, you first must remove the head. Before you start using the pliers to loosen the head, wrap the chrome parts in a towel or something of that nature. Wrapping the parts in a towel will keep the pliers from scratching the chrome. http://www.made-in-china.com/products-search/hot-china-products/Shower_Head.html (11/12/2008)

By bonnie

RE: Cleaning a Shower Head

Did anyone mention vinegar? (12/27/2008)

By George

Cleaning the Showerhead

If your showerhead is not running as fast as it used to, take a small plastic bag and half-fill with vinegar and attach it to your shower. Leave this on over night or longer and when it is removed, you should notice a lot more water pressure. I've used a rubber band to attach the bag.

By sewingmamma

Cleaning a Shower Head

How do I take off my shower head to clean it?

Cleaning a Showerhead

Before you throw out a shower head that just doesn't spray right. Soak it in vinegar and baking soda. Remove shower head. Set in big bowl with spray side down.