There are two rooms in my house that I consider most important to keep clean, the kitchen and the bathroom. While most often I’m able to clean these two rooms with little effort, there are days when extra steps are needed to make the rooms sparkling clean. One item that is often over looked is shower heads. If you have hard water troubles, chances are that your shower head could use a good cleaning.
The first step is in deciding whether your shower head is due to be replaced or just in need of a decent cleaning. If you have a very cheaply made plastic shower head, I’d recommend replacing it with a high quality shower head. I’m often in favor of pinching pennies but most people use their shower daily. When purchasing an item that you know you’ll use very often, it’s best to invest in quality.
Once you’ve purchased a quality shower head, you’ll want to make a point of keeping it clean. It’s awful when hard water deposits clog the holes and water pressure dwindles. To make sure that your shower head is in it’s best working order, use these simple tips to clear out any deposits that might be clogging it up.
You’ll need five items for a proper cleaning.
1. A large zip locking plastic bag.
2. Vinegar
3. Baking Soda
4. A toothbrush
5. An adjustable wrench
First, use your wrench to loosen and remove the shower head. If your shower head is plastic you’ll want to be extremely careful while loosening it as to not crack or chip the plastic. I highly recommend replacing cheap plastic shower heads.
Use your toothbrush to lightly brush away any easily removed build up while the shower head is still dry. Place the shower head into your large plastic bag. Now, you’ll want to fill the bag with a solution of half water and half vinegar. Let the shower head soak overnight in this solution.
In the morning, remove the shower head from the bag and rinse it in the sink. Use your toothbrush to gently scrub away particles that have built up. Dip your toothbrush into baking soda and scrub gently to rid the shower head of any stubborn problems. Rinse again using your sink from both directions. Run the water first from outside the shower head holes to in the neck. Turn the shower head around in the sink and run water through the neck of it. Your shower head should be as good as new.
If you’ve let this task go for quite awhile, you might find that your shower head still has deposits that haven’t come off. If this is the case, fill your plastic bag again and let it sit for another hour. Repeating the scrub and rinse process should do the trick. If you find your shower head is beyond cleaning, you might want to look here for reasonable priced shower heads. You also might want to consider replacing old faucets and sinks at the same time to give your bathroom a real face lift.
Once you’ve got your shower head nice and clean, use your wrench to install it properly again. You should notice a drastic change in water pressure when you take your next shower. In typical hard water areas this cleaning tip should be used at least twice a year to see the best results.
Source:
http://www.homedepot.com
