How to Clean a Showerhead

Is your showerhead losing pressure? Are streams of water spraying everywhere, but not on you? If you aren’t getting the same joy out of your shower that you once did, it could be that your showerhead just needs a deep cleaning. I know – spring is over. You are tired of deep cleaning. But we promise – this one is easy and so worth it.  

Still need more convincing? Your showerhead is – of course – living in a very warm and moist environment. That means that disgusting film that lives on your showerhead can be a breeding ground for bacteria. While that bacteria is mostly harmless, it can be linked to lung disease, which is a pretty compelling reason to clean it.  

Now that we’re all caught up on the importance of why a showerhead should be cleaned, let’s discuss how best to clean it. 

Look at your showerhead 

The best first step to giving your showerhead an effective clean is to really look at it. Which water holes are the most plugged? These are the areas you want to pay extra attention to and make sure these nozzles are submerged when you soak the showerhead. If you have flexible rubber nozzles, you can gently rub them and see if that dislodges any mineral buildup. An old toothbrush is also helpful here – you can give these nozzles a gentle scrubbing to see if you can clear them of debris and buildup. You might even want to use toothpicks or a safety pin to break up deposits lodged in the nozzles.  

Soak the showerhead in vinegar 

Now that you have given the nozzles a light scrubbing, it’s time to soak it so more buildup can be removed. You can either take the showerhead off and soak it in a bucket with white vinegar for a few hours or fill a plastic bag with plain white vinegar and attach it to the showerhead with an elastic band. Make sure the areas most affected by buildup are completely submerged.  

Rinse and repeat 

Thoroughly rinse the showerhead after a few hours of soaking or run the water through the showerhead to clear the vinegar. Clean off the external surfaces as well. If there is still buildup on the showerhead, try going back to the toothbrush and toothpick method of physically trying to dislodge the (ideally smaller and easier to remove) bits of buildup. You might also want to consider adding a showerhead filter if your build up is especially bad.  

If you have cleaned your showerhead thoroughly and are still experiencing issues with water pressure, you may want to consider having a professional come and inspect for any problems that you may not notice. If you are planning on installing a new showerhead, this can be a fairly simple process depending on what type you choose. Replacing the showerhead with the same type can be an easy fix. However, if you are moving it to a different location, or it is a different style, you may want to call in an expert. 

Keeping your shower and your showerhead clean and clear of buildup is a task best done regularly to keep your shower working optimally and bacteria at bay.