Life Hack: How to clean a shower head and remove hard water deposits
Keep your shower shining with these methods
When you’re cleaning your bathroom, how often do you remember to clean your shower head? While our toilets and tubs are regularly sanitised, you might be forgetting to look up, and what awaits might surprise you.
Shower heads can gather dirt and grime and if you live in an area with hard water you will likely notice a calcium build up adding unsightly white deposits on it.
When tackling a dirty shower head, there are a plethora of products touted as the solution, but more often than not the white vinegar sitting in your kitchen cupboard will do the best job of descaling it.
You should descale your showerhead monthly to remove limescale and bacteria. Untreated limescale can cause blockages and lower your water pressure. If you live in an area with hard water you might need to clean and descale your showerhead more often.
If you can, remove the shower head from the hose, making sure you don’t lose any rubber washers that may be part of it as it may leak if reassembled without these.
Place the showerhead in a bucket and cover it with white vinegar, letting it soak from half an hour to an hour. If your showerhead is made of brass, do not leave it in vinegar for longer than 30 minutes.
Remove the showerhead from the vinegar and rinse it with water. If there is any limescale left on the showerhead, scrub with an old toothbrush to remove this, cleaning around the nozzles. Rinse again with clean water and polish with a soft cloth to restore a shine. Reattach the showerhead to the hose and turn it on to flush out any lingering limescale.
If your shower is attached to the wall and you are unable to remove the showerhead, there is a workaround. Use a plastic bag and make sure it will fit around your showerhead. Fill half of the bag with vinegar, and place it on the shower until the showerhead is completely submerged. Tie it in place with an elastic band or a string. Leave it on the showerhead for between 30 minutes and an hour before removing the bag. Wipe it with a wet cloth and turn on the shower to flush out any leftover limescale.
Repeat the process if necessary to remove any remaining limescale.
Some people also swear by bicarbonate of soda/baking soda to descale showerheads. Mix bicarbonate of soda with lukewarm water to make a paste and apply his directly to the showerhead. Wait for 30 minutes before scrubbing with a small brush to remove stubborn deposits. Rinse with water.
