While bathroom cleaning is often on most cleaning to-do lists, removing shower head limescale is often not.
With this in mind, households may be surprised to learn that shower heads could be harbouring a lot of bacteria.
Minerals like limescale in the water will build up over time and provide a breeding ground for nasties.
Plus, when you consider that the bathroom is usually a warm and steamy environment, it’s easy to see how bacteria and mould could be quick to multiply.
Luckily, experts at PlumbWorld have shared how to make shower heads “shine and sparkle for as long as possible” with one kitchen ingredient.
They exclaimed: “A tell-tale sign that your shower handset is dirty is when the water squirts out in every direction but down.
“This is because the holes the water flows through have become clogged with limescale.”
To clean shower heads, an “easy homemade solution” is to use white vinegar. This can be done in just four simple steps.
Start by removing the shower head from the shower arm and placing it in a bucket, bowl, bag or large pan.
If your shower head is fixed to the wall, you may be unable to do this step, but there are still ways to clean your shower head regardless.
If you can remove it from the hose, make sure you retain any washers as these will be essential in preventing leaks once you reassemble everything.
Fill the chosen container with vinegar – warm or cold will work fine – and take the shower head apart as much as possible, such as removing the front.
If warm or hot vinegar is used, leave the shower head to soak for 30 minutes at a time, otherwise, soak it overnight in cold vinegar.
The next day households should be left with a clean shower head, but give a scrub with a toothbrush or fine brush to be sure that the limescale has been removed.
For those who have a fixed shower head that cannot be removed, fill a plastic bag with vinegar and tie it securely with a rubber band around the shower head, making sure it is fully immersed.
Then, just like with the previous method, leave it overnight to soak. The next day, run the shower to see if the water flows smoothly and downwards.
