Tips for Cleaning Your Shower Head

Tips for Cleaning Your Shower HeadOne of the things that most people don’t think about in their bathroom is their shower head. However, there’s nobody alive who doesn’t enjoy spending some time relaxing in a hot, steamy shower. For the best shower experience possible, you must first make sure that your water is coming out of your shower head full force. This will require you to clean your shower head frequently.

My Bathroom is Already Clean”

When you hear yourself thinking this, stop and think again. While you may spend a lot of time making sure your home is clean, think about when the last time you cleaned the hardware in your bathroom is. It should come as no surprise that this hardware will oftentimes get overlooked even though it deserves its fair share of TLC too.

My Showerhead Cleans Itself”

With all the water running through your showerhead you may think that it’d clean itself, but it doesn’t. Think about the last time you took a shower and if you remember the spray being a bit uneven, then you know it needs cleaned. This is because an uneven spray occurs when minerals build up and clog all the tiny holes in your shower head. Since water continually remains in your shower head, this build up will lead to the growth of mildew. The only way you’ll know this is happening is because the water pressure comes out lower. Of course, noticing that the problem exists is only the first step.

OK, my Shower Head Needs to be Cleaned”

Now that you’ve recognized that the problem exists, it’s time for you to learn how to clean your shower head. The best way to do this is to disconnect the shower head and soak it in some white distilled vinegar overnight. You should do this every couple of months (1 – 3 months), depending on what your municipality’s water supply is like. If the water is really heavy, then you’ll need to clean your shower head more often.

When you’re removing the shower head from its arm, make sure you don’t place too much pressure on the arm itself. Doing so could result in your breaking the arm. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the arm runs behind the wall, you’ll need a professional to make any necessary repairs here for you.

Once you’ve soaked your shower head in vinegar, it should work fine again. However, if there are some stubborn deposits still present that refuse to be dissolved by vinegar, you can use an old toothbrush to scrub the shower head before you reattach it to the arm. Another option is to use a toothpick to pick out any visible debris that you see.

Before you reattach the shower head to the arm, make sure you replace the Teflon tape. This way you can rest assured you’ll get a tight seal. When you turn the shower back on it should be like new again. Otherwise you’ll know it’s time to get a new shower head for in your bathroom.

For help on home repairs that you don’t feel qualified to do yourself, contact Hybrid Construction LLC.