How to Clean a Shower head: 5 Essential Tips & Tricks

What’s worse than showering with lackluster water pressure? While several factors could be behind this issue, one of the most common is a dirty, clogged shower head that doesn’t allow water to flow freely. 

The good news is that your shower head likely just needs to be washed. And doing so will pay off in better showers with improved shower pressure. Plus, your bathroom will look cleaner after removing the mineral build-up and mildew from the shower head and nozzles. 

Read on to learn how to clean this essential piece of your shower with baking soda and vinegar and renew your showering experience. You deserve it.

1. Do: Clean your shower head with vinegar  

If you came to this article wondering how to clean a shower head with vinegar and baking soda, you’re already on the right track because this is the best way to clean it.

You don’t even need to remove the shower head to clean it in this easy method. First, place a plastic freezer bag inside a large measuring cup or pitcher and fold down the upper edges of the bag to hold it in place as you work. Pour in one-half cup of baking soda and then four cups of white vinegar. Add the vinegar slowly, as the reaction between this liquid and baking soda will bubble up and you want to prevent it from bubbling over. Finally, add in a cup of plain water to dilute the mixture. 

Next, submerge your shower head (still attached to the wall) in the plastic bag full of the vinegar solution. Take a rubber band and loop it tightly around the neck of the shower head so that the bag stays in place while the cleaning formula works to break up grime. You can remove your shower head for this step if that’s easier for you. (Below, we’ll explain how to detach this object from the wall.) Let the shower head sit in the vinegar and baking soda mixture for several hours or overnight for optimal results. 

After soaking the shower head, remove the bag of cleaning solution and dry off the head with a microfiber cloth. If necessary, reattach the head to the wall. Having performed this deep clean, you can now enjoy a clean shower head and water pressure fit for a five-star hotel.  

2. Don’t: Clean your shower head with bleach  

For many of us, bleach is the go-to cleaning product for bathroom cleaning. However, you shouldn’t clean your shower head with bleach. 

Cleaning a shower head with bleach can actually increase bacteria levels, and the bacteria already found on the piece may be resistant to bleach. Bleach can also stain certain metal finishes, not to mention the clothing you’re wearing when cleaning. Our recommendation is to opt for the natural cleaning method shown above.

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Shower head cleaning hacks

Apart from these two main shower head cleaning tips, we have a few more tips to help keep your shower squeaky clean.

3. How to remove shower head to clean

Most shower heads are easy to remove. You can simply twist them off. If you try this but yours won’t budge, it’s likely because there’s a lot of buildup around the juncture, making it hard for you to unscrew the piece by hand. You can try using pliers for extra leverage, and if that still doesn’t work, try using a wire brush or an old toothbrush to break down some of the scale (a.k.a. scum and mineral deposits) around the connection site. You can also follow the cleaning method shown above, which doesn’t require removing the shower head since the process should break down enough dirt and build up to allow you to twist off the head in the future.

4. Shower cleaning spray

Get ahead of the game by preventing nasty clogs and build up in your shower head through regular cleaning. Pick up a cleaning spray intended for the types of surfaces you have in your shower. Certain shower sprays, for example, are meant for chrome and plastic, which are two common shower head materials. 

5. Best shower cleaner for hard water

Vinegar is your best friend when it comes to most home cleaning projects. While you could try picking up a store-bought hard water remover that’s appropriate for the materials in your shower, we recommend using a mixture of vinegar and water. For regular cleaning, mix equal parts in a spray bottle and disperse it generously over the surfaces in your shower to remove any hard water stains. Then, dry the surfaces down with a microfiber cloth. You can treat your shower doors and drains this way, too. 

Housekeeper’s tip: Why is vinegar such a great cleaning product? It’s acidic and powerful enough to break down tough substances and disinfect surfaces. As you become a better DIY cleaner, you’ll find that this powerful ingredient is used in many natural solutions like the baking soda one demonstrated above. 

Whenever using vinegar in your cleaning projects, make sure to keep it far from the bleach, as the two substances can generate lethal chlorine gas when combined. Don’t mix any two cleaning products together before doing your homework since several household products can cause deadly combinations. Ammonia and bleach is another hazardous mix.

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Stock up on cleaning products with Gopuff without leaving your house to go to the store. You can order everything you need in seconds and have it at your door in a matter of minutes. Put on your cleaning gloves because it’s time to make your shower shine.