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Home » Cleaning Hacks » How to Clean a Shower Head

How to Clean a Shower Head

February 20, 2015 by Jenny 46 Comments

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I have a tendency to overlook the everyday items that I just believe should naturally be clean.  Take for instance, my washing machine -  it's supposed to clean clothes so why would I ever need to clean a front loading washing machine? So when it comes to the shower and cleaning my shower head, it's another point where I'm thinking Why am I spending time cleaning it when it's meant to clean me?! 

But the answer is that even your appliances doing the cleaning need their own TLC everyone once in a while. And let me just tell you that in order to have a clean shower, your shower head is definitely something you want to put some focus on. I'm going to show you just how easy it really is to clean a shower head; you won't even break a sweat!

Jump to:
  • The Oft Overlooked Shower Head
  • Cleaning Supplies Needed
  • The Shower Head Cleaning Process
  • FAQs
  • Want Some More Of My Best Cleaning Tips?
How to Clean a Shower Head

The Oft Overlooked Shower Head

We've lived in our house for eight years and I had never cleaned the shower head before.  How can you tell?  Well, you can see those hard water stains when you take a closer look. Pretty gross right?

How many of you really take a look at your shower head when you hop in the shower though?  I take my showers in the morning right after I roll out of bed and I'm lucky if I can stumble into the shower without tripping over my girls' bath toys.  But once I really took a look, I knew something had to be done to that shower head and quick!

shower head cleaning

Since my handy essential oils had come to my rescue when I cleaned my front loading washer, I decided to start there again.  I love the fact that I can clean without using harmful chemicals. 

Cleaning Supplies Needed

  • Distilled White Vinegar
  • Lemon Essential Oil
  • Ziploc Sandwich Bag
  • Thick Elastic Hair Ties
  • Norwex EnviroCloth
A bottle of Distilled Vinegar, Essential Oil, Hair Tie, Ziploc Bag

The Shower Head Cleaning Process

To start out you want to fill your sandwich bag with distilled white vinegar.  The amount that you add should depend upon the size of your shower head, but you want it submerged.

I used about a cup of vinegar in my bag and added 3-4 drops of lemon essential oil.   Submerge your shower head in the bag and group the bag together at the top of the shower head.  Use the elastic to tie the bag on and hold it in place.  You want to let the shower head sit in this mixture overnight.  I always make sure to do this on a weekend when my husband doesn't have to get to work early because all I can imagine is him turning the shower on at 4 am and creating a huge mess.

shower head soak

In the morning, take the bag off of the shower head and simply wipe with EnviroCloth.  I might have wiped the shower head twice, but I hardly put forth any effort due to the microfiber of the EnviroCloth.  There was no scrubbing involved whatsoever.

clean shower head with essential oils

Run the shower for a minute or two before hopping in so that you make sure that the vinegar and lemon oil is off of the shower head.

And that's it! With very little effort, you'll have a clean shower head and sparkling clean water for your next hot shower. Enjoy!

clean shower head

FAQs

How long should you soak your shower head in vinegar?

We recommend you soak your shower head in vinegar overnight for effective cleaning. But if your shower head fixture is coated with brass or nickel, do not soak it for more than 30 minutes.

How do you clean a shower head without vinegar?

You can use baking soda to clean your shower head instead of using vinegar. Follow the instructions below to use this method.

How do you clean a shower head with baking soda?

To clean a shower head with baking soda, combine half a cup of baking soda with warm water to form a thick paste. Apply this thick paste to your shower head and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then scrub the residual dirt using a toothbrush and rinse off with lukewarm water.

How to clean a shower head with apple cider vinegar?

You can also use apple cider vinegar instead of distilled white vinegar to clean your shower head. To use this method, submerge your shower head in apple cider vinegar and ½ cup of baking soda and let it sit for one hour. Then rinse off with warm water and your shower head will be clean and smell great!


Want Some More Of My Best Cleaning Tips?

  • How to Clean a Shower to Sparkle
  • How to Clean a Front Load Washer
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Comments

  1. Sage

    May 26, 2022 at 3:39 pm

    I am SO glad I found your post, Jenny! I recently had the tile and grout professionally cleaned in my bathroom, and now I want to deep clean the rest of my bathroom. My showerhead is honestly atrocious, so I can't wait to try out this hack! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
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    February 23, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    Hi there! I could have sworn I've been to this site before but aafter browsing through many
    of the articles I realized it's neww to me. Regardless, I'm definitely pleased I stumboed upon it annd I'll be bookmarking it annd checking back frequently!

    Reply
    • Raymond

      July 05, 2021 at 8:05 am

      I am now so inspired to clean the shower head myself. Your instruction is so simple and easy to understand to follow in case of clear the shower head!

      Regards,
      Raymond

      Reply
      • Jenny

        July 06, 2021 at 11:26 am

        thanks!

        Reply
  3. Markus Magnus

    February 03, 2016 at 1:45 am

    To think I never knew about that. I'm definitely trying your cleaning method out. Well, the next time it would be necessary anyway.

    Reply
  4. Maria J. Minton

    January 16, 2016 at 3:16 am

    Thanks for this guide, most people including me always forget cleaning the shower head. When It comes to cleaning my shower head, I dont know how to

    Reply
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    • Elizabeth

      April 25, 2022 at 4:28 pm

      Thanks for the tip on cleaning shower head

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  9. dinhhanh

    August 15, 2015 at 11:02 am

    I think I should clean my shower, I was 5 months have not cleaned it, looked uncomfortable with the flow of water, thank your guide

    Reply
    • madeline

      April 15, 2018 at 7:35 pm

      Might have to. I have not cleaned mine in a while

      Reply
  10. Melissa B in IL

    February 27, 2015 at 9:14 am

    Had a question... I know that you aren't supposed to put lemon in a plastic cup to drink from... do you think it would damage the plastic / rubber parts on the shower head (the little nozzles)? Or if you don't have to do it that often wouldn't matter?

    Reply
    • Meagan

      March 02, 2015 at 11:56 pm

      You can just leave it out if you are concerned. I don't think it really helps all that much. I used to spray down my whole tile shower with lots of vinegar (including the shower head) and just let it sit for a while before scrubbing it and it got rid of all the mineral build up fairly easily.

      Reply
      • madeline

        April 15, 2018 at 7:33 pm

        Sorry Meagan but she was talking about lemon essential oils not vinegar

        Reply
  11. Rhonda

    February 20, 2015 at 6:41 pm

    Super ideas!!! Thank you 🙂

    Reply

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Jennifer Anderson Hey, I’m Jenny! As a working mom, I understand the importance of saving time and money. My hope is that my blog brings you countless resources for great, fast recipes and easy cleaning, health and DIY tips. MORE ABOUT ME »

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