Make a paste with baking soda and water and apply it directly to the showerhead. Let the paste sit for about 30 minutes, then scrub with a wet toothbrush. The abrasive cleaning power of baking soda will help break up the hard water deposits. Rinse by turning on the shower.
To clean the shower head without taking it off, simply fill a plastic bag with white vinegar or a commercial cleaner, and then fit the bag over the shower head so that the nozzles are entirely submerged. Then, secure the bag in place with a zip tie or binder clip.
When you do your weekly cleaning of the shower, clean the shower head by spraying it with a solution of equal parts water and distilled white vinegar or a commercial cleaner. Scrub the nozzle openings with a toothbrush and run the shower for a few minutes to flush away any debris.
Put the showerhead in a bucket or plastic container and cover it with white vinegar. Leave it to soak in the vinegar for at least 30 minutes, preferably around an hour. Don't leave brass shower heads in vinegar for longer than 30 minutes. Take the showerhead out of the vinegar and rinse it with water.
Because it's acidic, prolonged exposure to vinegar can damage the finish of chrome, brass, or nickel showerheads. Don't soak these finishes in vinegar for longer than recommended.
Soak your showerhead in 50/50 white vinegar/hot water solution. The vinegar will help dissolve mineral deposits and prevent clogging so you can enjoy that feel-good water pressure.
If you don't mind removing the head from the shower pipe, you can submerge the shower head in a container full of white vinegar. - Let the shower head soak in the vinegar for a few hours. - Re-attach the shower head to the shower pipe and run water through the head for a few minutes to clear out the vinegar.
When baking soda is mixed with vinegar, the acid breaks down baking soda, releasing carbon dioxide gas that can help lift dirt from the surfaces being cleaned. Here are some recipes to try. Freshen your sink by mixing one part of baking soda with two parts of vinegar.
You should deep clean your shower head at least once a month to remove mineral deposits like limescale. Limescale not only slows water flow and reduces water pressure, but it can also serve as a breeding ground for health-threatening bacteria.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of white vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda. You will get a lot of bubbles so make sure the bowl is a decent size. Add the showerhead into the bowl and let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes. Scrub and rinse before reinstalling the showerhead.
PureWow recommends combining 1/3 cup of baking soda with 1 cup of white vinegar in a gallon-sized Ziploc-style plastic bag (You'll probably want to do this in the bathroom). The mixture will start bubbling, and then you can place your showerhead in the bag, completely submerging the head.
Place the shower head in the bucket or container and fill with enough white vinegar to cover it. The acids in the vinegar will dissolve the white mineral deposits. Leave the shower head to soak in the vinegar overnight or for at least 30 minutes depending on how bad the limescale build-up is.
Vinegar is typically the safest and easiest solution, while you should avoid bleach and other abrasive cleaners. If you can't remove your shower head, don't worry. Just put your cleaning solution in a plastic bag and let it soak for 15 to 30 minutes.
Run hot water, at high pressure through the shower head for a few minutes to dislodge and rinse away any remaining deposits and debris.
Thankfully, there's CLR® Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover to quickly and safely give you a clean showerhead once again.
Apply vinegar or lemon juice directly onto a cloth and scrub the limescale until it comes away. Alternatively, mix one part lemon juice or vinegar to four parts water. Put the solution in a spray bottle and spritz it onto tiles and plugholes. Leave this to soak for up to an hour for stubborn scale deposits.
Soak the shower head in a bowl or bucket filled with vinegar. Leave it overnight unless the fixture is coated in brass, gold, or nickel — in that case, remove it from the vinegar after half an hour. If the fixture is made of metal, you can simmer it in a pot of vinegar on the stove for 15 minutes.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, a fine white powder that has many uses. You may wonder about bicarbonate of soda vs. baking soda, but they are simply alternate terms for the same ingredient. If your recipe calls for bicarbonate of soda, it is simply referring to baking soda.
Many people don't realize it, but shower heads should actually be replaced every 6 to 8 months. That's up to two times each year! Most people neglect to do this, of course, but the reasons for keeping up with the replacements are more important than you might expect.