A showerhead is one of many often-neglected home fixtures. When was the last time you gave your showerhead a proper scrubbing — or even thought about it? You might not think much about washing this fixture during regular bathroom cleanings.
And why bother? Water spurts out the holes and knocks away any nasty grime anyway, right? Besides, it’s not like your showerhead comes into contact with your skin. You don’t use it to scrub your body. That’s a job for your trusty cloth, sponge, or loofah.
I’ve got unfortunate news for those of you who’ve been ignoring your shower’s most crucial fixture. Your showerhead gets dirty and needs to be cleaned every so often. A quick wipe will do in most cases but sometimes, a thorough cleaning is in order.
Over time, mineral buildup may cause your showerhead to clog which can lead to an uneven stream and poor water flow. Your showerhead (like other surfaces in your bathroom) can harbor bacteria, and because it’s located in a humid spot in your home, it is prone to mildew growth.
There are a few easy ways to remove mineral buildup and nasty bacteria from your showerhead. Read on to learn more about a few different options for how to clean a showerhead naturally.
Vinegar
One of the easiest, no-fuss methods for cleaning a showerhead, and ridding it of lime buildup and scale, is to soak it in vinegar. Not all showerheads unscrew easily so the method you choose depends on your specific showerhead. There are two ways to go about soaking your showerhead.
How To Clean A Showerhead That Cannot Be Removed
- Fill a gallon plastic bag with white vinegar.
- Using an elastic tie, affix the bag of vinegar to your showerhead.
- Once secure, leave the showerhead to soak overnight and remove it in the morning.
How To Clean A Showerhead That Is Removable
- Unscrew your showerhead fixture.
- Fill a Tupperware container with vinegar.
- Submerge your showerhead in the container filled with vinegar, and let it soak overnight.
If your showerhead is extremely clogged and the overnight soak didn’t do the trick, you may need a few tools to scrub away the grime. Scrub the head with a small brush (e.g., toothbrush). You may also need a safety pin to remove any finer pieces of dirt clogging the showerhead.
Baking Soda
Another cheap and natural solution is baking soda. Create a paste by mixing baking soda with water and then spread it all over your showerhead. Let the sludge dry for about 30 minutes. Once thoroughly dried, rinse away the mixture to leave your showerhead sparkly clean.
Baking Soda And Vinegar
Combine the cleaning power of both the baking soda and vinegar methods for a solution that will melt away stubborn, stuck-on grime. As with the vinegar method, you’re either going to secure a plastic bag around the showerhead, or remove the showerhead and soak it in a container.
Related Post: Shower Heads
Mix 2-parts vinegar and 1-part baking soda. Once the concoction begins to fizzle, it’s time to submerge your showerhead. Leave your showerhead submerged for about an hour (or longer depending on how dirty it is), and then rinse it before reattaching.
Lemon Juice
No vinegar to be found in your home? Use lemon juice as an acidic alternative for either one of the two soaking methods. Using the plastic bag method or unscrew your showerhead and leave it in a bowl filled with lemon juice.
Plain Ole Water
If your nozzle isn’t clogged and you just want to get your showerhead looking shiny and new, run it through water and use a brush to loosen up grime. It’s an easy way to complete the task. After rinsing with water, though, you may want to wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe to ensure you’ve sanitized your clean surface.
Maintaining A Clean Showerhead
Here are a few tips for keeping your showerhead clean:
- If you live somewhere with hard water, you’ll need to clean your showerhead more often.
- Schedule regular bathroom cleanings on your calendar and make wiping down your showerhead a habit.
- Schedule showerhead deep cleans every few months.
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