How to Clean an Old Showerhead
You’ve probably seen a horror movie (or two) that features a scene where blood or bugs rain down through a person’s showerhead, terrifying them senseless. While we think you’re pretty safe from those tropes, it may scare you to think about what could be lurking on your showerhead if it’s been a while since you last cleaned it.
Why Do I Need to Clean my Showerhead?
Just like anything else in your home, your showerhead gets dirty over time. As water flows through it each time you bathe, tiny amounts of sediments and bacteria can cling to your showerhead. Not only can this result in your showerhead having low water pressure (as sediment buildup prevents the water from flowing freely as it should) but those particles can flow onto you as well; nothing like leaving your shower dirtier than when you entered it, right?
Steps for Cleaning an Old Showerhead
Collect Your Supplies
For this task, you will need a few simple items — most of which you probably already have in your home:
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1 bottle of distilled white vinegar
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1 plastic sandwich bag
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1 rubber band or zip tie
Attach the Bag
First, pour about a cup of vinegar into the plastic sandwich bag and place it over your showerhead so that the fixture is completely submerged in the liquid. Next, use a rubber band (or zip tie) to secure the bag to your showerhead.
Time It
Once the above steps are complete, it’s time to let your showerhead soak. Typically, the longer your fixture stays in the vinegar, the better; the vinegar has more time to break down any gunk and buildup. To reap the maximum benefits, aim to keep the bag secured for at least a few hours — overnight is even better. However, the only catch is if your showerhead has a gold or nickel finish; in this case, only have it soak in vinegar for 30 minutes so it doesn’t wear away the finish.
Rinse Away Grime
Finally, after you’ve removed the bag of vinegar, run the water so that any remaining gunk is flushed away. If you want to take things an extra step further, use a soft-bristled brush to scrub away any stuck-on grime.
For all your plumbing needs in and around Lancaster, trust the experts at Lancaster Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electrical.
