There are times when showerheads do not work like they are supposed to. You turn on the shower expecting a calm spray of warm water. All of a sudden, the water starts spraying everywhere except down. This is a common problem that many people experience. It happens thanks to lime buildup, and is pretty easy to resolve through a few simple steps. Read on to learn about removing buildup from a showerhead.

What Causes the Buildup?

The buildup is usually a result of mineral deposits found in water.  Water that has mineral deposits is known as hard water.  Hard water is not harmful, but when it dries, the minerals left behind become hardened.  The hardening of these minerals often ends up blocking the holes in the showerhead thus causing the water to spray in multiple directions.

Should I Replace My Showerhead?

If you find your showerhead’s functionality impacted as a result of mineral buildup, you might be able to salvage it and save yourself the money from replacing it by giving it a good cleaning.

How Do I Clean Mineral Blockage?

The most effective ingredient to use to dissolve minerals is white vinegar. As an added bonus, white vinegar does not cause irritation if you get any on your skin. White vinegar will dissolve the minerals blocking the holes and help make your showerhead work as well as ever.  There are two ways you can use vinegar to remove the minerals from your showerhead.

  1. If you can unscrew your showerhead from the wall or hose, then soak the showerhead in a bowl of vinegar overnight, and the minerals causing the blockage will dissolve.
  2. If you cannot remove your showerhead from the wall or hose, then fill a Ziploc storage bag with vinegar and secure the showerhead inside the bag with a rubber band. Make sure the showerhead is fully immersed in the vinegar and leave it overnight.  The vinegar will dissolve the minerals causing the blockage.

What About the Hose?

If the mineral blockage is in the house, remove the hose from the showerhead and shower faucet and place it in a bowl of vinegar overnight.  The vinegar should dissolve the mineral blockage.

And the Plumbing?

If the blockage is in the actual plumbing, then this is a bigger problem that should be handled by a trained licensed plumber.  Call Conyers Plumbing and we will be more than happy to send someone to your home to check on the problem and let you know what the best solution will be.