How To Clean A Shower Head With Vinegar The Right Way

Is your shower head looking grubby? Here’s an easy, effective, and eco-friendly way to clean your shower head and beat limescale using white vinegar.

I am all about natural cleaning, and I’ve spent decades finding ways to keep my home clean without using harsh chemicals. From keeping my dishwasher clean to keeping surfaces clean, I believe there’s a way to clean almost anything effectively the natural and non-toxic way.

But what about those tricky jobs such as cleaning your shower head? For this, there’s no need to turn to bleach. Instead, I use white vinegar to get the job done more effectively than bleach. Here’s all you need to know to get your shower looking shiny and clean.

Why You Should Clean Your Shower Head Regularly

First up, you might be wondering why there’s even a need to clean your shower head. Water runs through it each day. Isn’t that enough? Unfortunately not. There are a host of reasons why you need to semi-regularly give your shower head a good scrub.

Your shower head can suffer from mineral deposits, soap scum and mould or bacteria. Here’s a closer look at what could be going on in your shower:

Limescale

If you live in the south or east of England, in particular, then you will probably have what’s known as hard water. Hard water refers to water with high mineral content.

While hard water is harmless to us, the frustrating thing about it is that hard water leaves behind limescale deposits. These are hard, chalky deposits of varying colours – from yellowish white to reddish brown – which form on surfaces when hard water comes into contact with it. This includes your shower head.

Over time, these limescale deposits can build up and clog the small holes in your shower head. Internally, this can reduce the water flow and externally make it look grubby.

Soap Scum

Your shower head may well be high up, but when you’re rinsing your hair and body it’s surprising how far soap and shampoo suds can travel. And that soap can create a greasy residue that traps dirt, dust and grime. This makes your showerhead look dirty and dull, and feel unpleasant to the touch.

Mould & Mildew

Anywhere damp or where water hangs about makes for an ideal breeding ground for mould and mildew, and that includes your shower head.

You might think mould just appears as black spots, but it can be green, white, orange, or blue. So if you see any unusual colours appearing on your shower head, assume it’s mould, not soap.

Bacteria

If you spot pink mould in your bathroom or on your shower head, then it’s worth knowing that this isn’t mould. It’s actually a bacteria. Serratia marcescens and Aureobasidium pullulans are the two bacterial strains that cause this pink slime to appear.

The names might sound alarming, but thankfully this bacteria doesn’t carry the same health risks that black mould does. It’s still good to clean it off when it does appear, as no one wants to wash themselves in a dirty shower!

How To Clean A Shower Head With Vinegar

Thankfully there’s no need to bust out the bleach or other toxic cleaning products to get your shower clean. Here’s how you can your shower head clean and gleaming by using white vinegar.

White vinegar is especially good at this job because of its acidity. It’s this acidity that cuts through soap scum with ease, helps to kill germs and bacteria, and naturally dissolves built-up limescale without the use of harsh chemicals.

Plus bleach doesn’t remove limescale. All it does is bleach it white, so, as well as being non-toxic, it’s an altogether more effective method.

Cleaning Removable Shower Heads

If your shower head is removable, here’s how to make it gleam:

• Carefully unscrew the shower head from the hose, taking care to put the rubber washer in a secure place.
• Pop the shower head in a bucket, large bowl, or similar. Then pour in enough undiluted white vinegar to completely cover the shower head. 
• Leave it to soak for at least one hour, or as much as 8 hours for particularly crusty shower heads. Remember, let it soak for no more than 30 minutes if your shower head is coated with gold, brass or chrome.
• After leaving it to soak, remove the shower head from the bucket and rinse it thoroughly with hot water. This helps to flush out any loosened mineral deposits within the shower head.
• If any nozzles look clogged, try using a toothpick or similar to gently unclog them. You can also try sprinkling some bicarbonate of soda on the head and using an old toothbrush to help gently scrub off any lingering limescale or gunk.
• Once done, rinse with hot water.
• Reattach the hose, remembering to pop the rubber seal back in to avoid springing a leak.
• Give the head a polish with a soft cloth to remove any water and fingerprints, and you’re done!

Cleaning Fixed Shower Heads

Most shower heads are removable for ease of cleaning and replacement, but some are fixed in place or aren’t easily removable. If this is the case for you, then don’t worry, you can still clean your shower head with vinegar. Here’s how to do it:

• Take an old freezer bag and half-fill it with undiluted white vinegar.
• Pop the bag over the shower head, so that the head is entirely immersed in vinegar. You may need to add a little more vinegar to the bag at this point or remove a little from the bag.
• Once you’ve got the level of vinegar right, very securely fasten the bag to the shower head with string or similar. At this point, I’d recommend closing your shower curtain or door to contain a spill if the bag does come loose.
• Leave it to soak for at least one hour, or as much as 8 hours for particularly crusty shower heads. Remember, let it soak for no more than 30 minutes if your shower head is coated with gold, brass or chrome.
• After leaving it to soak, remove the bag of vinegar and pour it down the plughole.
• Next, turn on the shower. Let the hot water run for a minute to help flush out any loosened limescale deposits.
• If any nozzles look clogged, try using a toothpick or similar to gently unclog them. You can also try sprinkling some bicarbonate of soda on the head and using an old toothbrush to help gently scrub off any lingering limescale or gunk.
• Once done, turn on the shower, again letting the hot water run for a minute.
• Finally, give the head a polish with a soft cloth to remove any water and fingerprints, and you’re done!

How Often Should I Be Cleaning My Shower Head?

As a general rule of thumb, you should consider cleaning your shower head every two months or so to keep on top of the limescale, soap scum, bacteria and mould.

If you live in an area that has particularly hard water (Bath, for example, is the city with the hardest water in the UK), then consider giving it a soak around once a month to keep the water flowing freely. Otherwise, you may find the limescale buildup gives you a subpar shower experience!

More Eco-Cleaning Ideas

If your loo has limescale stains, then here’s how to remove limescale from your toilet using citric acid. And if your taps are encrusted with limescale too, then don’t forget to check out my easy guide to removing limescale from taps with vinegar. You can do this at the same time as tackling your shower head for a truly gleaming bathroom!