Clean the Showerhead with Vinegar

If your showerhead is clogged with years of build-up from mineral deposits in the water and spurting water, it may need a thorough cleansing. Instead of reaching for harsh chemicals which may damage you and your showerhead, follow these easy steps to find out how to clean your showerhead the eco-friendly way. Using distilled white vinegar is safe, highly effective, and very inexpensive.

Steps

 * 1) [[Image:Vinegarshowerhead2.png|200px|right]] Check the showerhead for mineral deposits build-up. There will be obvious discoloration and build-up on a showerhead that has not been cleaned for a while.
 * 2) [[Image:Vinegarshowerhead3.png|200px|right]]Fill the saucepan with enough distilled white vinegar to completely submerge the showerhead.
 * 3) [[Image:Vinegarshowerhead4.png|200px|right]] Add the showerhead. Remove the showerhead (it should unscrew) and place it in the saucepan.
 * 4) [[Image:Vinegarshowerhead6.png|200px|right]]Put the saucepan on the stove. Allow the showerhead to simmer for a few minutes - the amount of time needed depends on the amount of build-up - keep a close eye on it. Do not boil or turn up the heat too high as the showerhead might melt. Also ensure that it is floating in the vinegar and not sitting on the base of the saucepan.
 * 5) [[Image:Vinegarshowerhead5.png|200px|right]] Wash the deposits off. When your showerhead has simmered long enough to clean the mineral deposits, remove it from the saucepan, rinse it in water and screw it back on. Turn it on your water to make sure all the mineral deposits have been completely rinsed away.

Tips

 * An alternative to using heat is to simply soak the shower head in unheated vinegar for an hour or so. It may take more than an hour to get results, so you may need to soak the  shower head in vinegar overnight.  Alternatively, you can warm the vinegar up first, remove it from the heat, then put the shower head in the saucepan if you're worried about it melting on the stove.
 * Vinegar will dissolve any calcium  build-up. It can be used to regularly clean a steam kettle also.
 * To avoid removing the shower head, pour vinegar into a small plastic bag. A sandwich sized bag works for most shower heads.  Pull the bag over the shower head and fasten with a rubber band.  Leave overnight.  The next morning the shower head will be as clean as new.
 * If you do remove the shower head, wrap a few layers of teflon tape around the pipe threads before putting the shower head back on. This will help prevent leaks.  Oh and don't forget to wrap clockwise!

Things You'll Need

 * Distilled white vinegar
 * Saucepan
 * Stove
 * Wrench to remove the shower head
 * Teflon tape

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Prevent and Clean Mold on Plastic Shower Curtains
 * How to Fix a Leaking Shower Head
 * How to Trim a Shower Curtain Liner
 * How to Fix a Torn Shower Curtain Hole
 * How to Clean a Shower
 * How to Create an Inexpensive Shower Enclosure for an Old Fashioned Bathtub

Sources and Citations

 * VideoJug A video demonstration of article. Original source of article; shared with permission and appreciation.

Wie man den Duschkopf mit Essig reinigt