Clean your showerhead the easy way with vinegar! This natural cleaning method cleans the gross black buildup without removing your showerhead..
Do you have any idea how dirty your shower head is right now? If you’ve never thought to clean yours, go look! I recently cleaned my showerhead with vinegar and it was SO GROSS! Once I noticed all the black gunk and mineral buildup on mine, I couldn’t unsee it.
If you’re wondering…”How do you clean a showerhead without removing it?”, you’re in the right place! This quick cleaning hack will help you easily clean your showerhead without removing it.
And by the way, this is a safe, natural method for cleaning your showerhead using vinegar–no harmful chemicals necessary!
Looking for more cleaning ideas? Take a look at these blog posts:
- Kitchen Sink Essentials – Cleaning Supplies & Organizing Products
- 6 Must-Have Homemaking Routines for Busy Moms
- Cleaning Caddy Tour: How I Organize Our Everyday Cleaning Supplies
<<PIN THE IMAGE BELOW FOR LATER!>>
Take a look at the below photo…can you believe how gross that looks?! The fact that I was using that to shower is terrifying. That black bacteria and mineral buildup needed a good cleaning.
Watch The Video Tutorial
Watch The Video
Things You Need To Clean Your Showerhead The Easy Way
The good news about this cleaning task is that it’s quick, easy, and requires very few supplies! Gather the following items and you’ll be ready to clean:
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Gallon-Sized Plastic Bag
- Hair Ties, Rubber Bands, or String
- Small Scrub Brush or Old Toothbrush
- Soft Microfiber Cloth
How to clean your showerhead with vinegar (Without Removing It)
Here’s the quick step-by-step process for cleaning your showerhead without harsh chemicals. There are tips out there that say to remove your showerhead from the pipe, but that’s completely unnecessary. This is the BEST way to clean your showerhead without removing it.
1. Fill a plastic bag partway with white vinegar.
A gallon-sized plastic baggie is perfect for this. Just pour distilled white vinegar inside (I keep a big jug of cleaning vinegar around because it can be used for so many things!). Be careful not to overfill the bag, or it could overflow when you submerge the showerhead. Just make sure you have enough vinegar in the bag to completely cover the showerhead.
2. Place bag over the Showerhead.
Place the plastic bag over the showerhead so the entire fixture is fully immersed in the vinegar. Adjust the amount of vinegar if you need to.
3. Secure the bag.
Tie the bag around the neck of the showerhead with a hair tie, rubber band, or string. Slowly let go and make sure the bag is secured in place so it doesn’t fall or leak vinegar all over. Double-check that the showerhead is still fully submerged in the vinegar.
4. Soak the Showerhead.
Let the showerhead soak for several hours – even overnight if possible (you might as well let it do the work while you sleep!)
***If you have a brass, gold, or nickel-coated showerhead, remove it from the vinegar after 30 minutes so you don’t risk the vinegar damaging the metal.
5. Remove the bag of vinegar.
Untie the bag and remove it from the showerhead. Pour the vinegar down the drain. Turn on the showerhead and run hot water for a couple of minutes to rinse off the vinegar and loosened grime. Then wipe clean with a damp rag or paper towel.
6. scrub the showerhead.
If there is still buildup remaining, scrub the fixture with an old toothbrush or small scrub brush. A little scrubbing should be enough to remove any stuck-on mineral deposits, just run some hot water and wipe it down well once you’re done scrubbing.
7. Polish the showerhead
Polish the showerhead with a soft microfiber cloth. Buff and dry the showerhead to remove any water spots and your showerhead will be sparkly clean again. Even if you thought it was fairly clean before, you’ll be shocked at how much better it looks after a quick cleaning and polishing!
Showerhead Cleaning Tips & Tricks:
For routine maintenance, spray it with diluted vinegar after every shower and wipe it down with a soft rag once a week. Soak it in vinegar every 2-3 months to give it a thorough cleaning.
Spray the nozzles with diluted vinegar or a shower cleaning spray after every shower to reduce buildup, fix drips and leaks quickly, and install a water softener.
Your showerhead will attract bacteria and mineral buildup over time. The black is most likely oxidized manganese, a trace mineral often found in a home’s tap water that tarnishes when exposed to air.
Soak it in a bag of vinegar for a couple of hours, then turn on the water to rinse it clean and wipe it with a rag. If there’s still buildup remaining, use a small scrub brush or old toothbrush to scrub all of the nozzles. Toothpicks or a safety pin can also be used to poke deposits out of nozzles.
Bleach is not recommended for cleaning showerheads.
Distilled white vinegar is a natural household cleaner that works well for many cleaning tasks, including showerheads. It removes grime, kills household bacteria, and dissolves hard water deposits. Plus, it’s affordable!
Let your showerhead soak for a minimum of 2-3 hours or even overnight if it’s very dirty. The exception to this is brass, gold, or nickel-coated showerheads…only soak those for 30 minutes so you don’t risk damaging the metal.
To tackle tough spots, try making a baking soda paste by combining equal parts baking soda and white vinegar (1:1 ratio). This creates a natural abrasive that can give you a little extra scrubbing power for descaling your showerhead if the buildup is really bad.
If you don’t have vinegar to soak your showerhead in, try scrubbing it with a baking soda paste. Add a bit of water to baking soda to make a thick paste, apply it all over the showerhead and scrub clean using an old toothbrush or small scrub brush. Baking soda is affordable and is a natural cleaning solution.
The Easiest Way To Clean A Showerhead Without Removing It
Clean your showerhead the easy way with vinegar! This natural cleaning method cleans the gross black buildup without removing your showerhead.
Materials
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Gallon-Sized Plastic Bag
- Hair Ties, Rubber Bands, or String
- Small Scrub Brush or Old Toothbrush
- Soft Microfiber Cloth
Instructions
- Fill a plastic bag with vinegar.
- Submerge showerhead in the vinegar and secure the bag in place with a hair tie or rubber band.
- Soak for 2+ hours (overnight is even better!). Note: Only soak for 30 minutes if your showerhead is brass, gold, or nickel.
- Remove the bag of vinegar and run how water for a couple of minutes.
- Scrub remaining buildup with a brush.
- Wipe clean and polish with a soft cloth.
Will you try this quick and easy cleaning hack this weekend? I promise it won’t take long at all!
Looking for more cleaning ideas? Take a look at these blog posts:
- Cleaning Caddy Tour: How I Organize Our Everyday Cleaning Supplies
- Mini Printable Spring Cleaning Checklist
- Speed Cleaning Tips For Cleaning Your Entire House In Less Than 30 Minutes
- DIY Garage Pegboard Organizer For Cleaning Supplies
Have a fantastic day!
