How to Clean a Showerhead

Have you ever looked up at your shower head and noticed a bunch of the nozzles aren't working? I (Steph) installed a new shower head in 2013 when I moved into my house, and haven't thought about it since. Over time I have noticed the water seemed to be coming out harder and was spraying in different directions. It also didn't have the 'rain' effect it once did. I decided it was time to try to clean it! Here's what I did.

Before

Supplies

You can see many of the nozzles where not spraying water anymore.

I started by mixing a cup of vinegar with 1/3 cup baking soda. The acid in the vinegar reacts with the baking soda to form a strong cleaning agent but vinegar on it’s own would work too.

Once they were mixed, I placed the bag over the shower head and attached it with rubber bands. I made sure the mixture came in contact with all the nozzles.

After letting it sit a full day, I removed the bag.

I scrubbed the front with an old toothbrush to make sure it was clean.

Lastly, I noticed there were still mineral deposits in some of the nozzles so I used a toothpick to clean them out.

As you can see, before, about half the nozzles were working and now all the nozzles are back to working! I could tell a huge difference when I used the shower after cleaning. The water comes out in a rain pattern like when it was new, and it’s a much better experience than it has been. Pretty cool what a little bit of cleaning can do!

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