First, how to clean shower head without vinegar?
The best alternative to vinegar for cleaning shower heads is baking soda. Surface buildup and gunk that could harbor harmful bacteria will be removed by a paste made entirely of baking soda. The application process is simple and cheap. You can still clean your shower head without vinegar by using a variety of other methods. These include Coca-Cola, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide!
Please continue reading as I will go into more detail about the specific information.
Table of Contents
How To Clean Shower Head Without Vinegar?
Baking Soda
Baking soda is not only adaptable but also affordable, being used for everything from baking cookies to absorbing odors. It works well to remove the grime from your shower head, as I have discovered when using it to clean my stovetop and cookie sheets.
Start by combining ½ cup of baking soda with warm water in a bowl using a spoon to create a paste. The final product should be a thick paste, but you don’t have to use a precise amount of water.
If it’s too runny, stir in more baking soda and add more until it has toothpaste-like consistency. Similarly, if it’s dusty or chunky, add more water.
Wearing rubber gloves will prevent you from causing skin irritation as you spread the baking soda paste with your hands over the entire shower head. If there is not enough paste to cover your shower head entirely, repeat step one to make more paste.
Before applying the paste, you can remove your handheld showerhead from its mount and place it on the floor of your tub or shower stall.
For about 25 minutes, let the baking soda paste sit on your shower head. Watch the clock because if you let it sit for too long, cleaning will be challenging.
Apply the baking soda paste to your shower head first if you’re really into cleaning the bathroom, and then move on to cleaning the sink (or toilet!)) while you wait.
Clean the paste off of your shower head while wearing your rubber gloves. If your shower head is mounted to the wall, wet a dishcloth with warm water and wipe the area around it to get rid of the paste and any lingering mineral buildup.
You could also rinse your showerhead with water from your faucet if it is detachable.
Not least, you should run water through your freshly cleaned showerhead to flush out any remaining paste or debris that might be lodged in the water holes.
Put the showerhead back in place if you removed it to clean it before turning on the hot water for a few seconds.
Dr. Bronner’s
A well-liked all-purpose cleaner with many applications, Dr. Bronner’s is renowned for its all-natural ingredients. It’s a great item to include in your supply of cleaning supplies because they list 18 different uses for it on their bottle.
Pour a small quantity of Dr. Plastic bag, Bronner’s Castile Soap. I advised using a 1-qt bag, but if you have a large shower head, make sure the bag will fit around it before buying.
For a soapy mixture, add hot water to the bag. You’ll need about 2 cups of water for every 1/8 cup of soap. You can eyeball it just fine; there’s no need to break out the measuring cups.
Your shower head should have a rubber band tightly wrapped around the water pipe after being wrapped around it several times. Put your plastic bag in such a way that the soapy water completely covers your shower head.
Your plastic bag should be tightly wrapped around the shower head by sliding the top edges of the bag under the rubber band. Before leaving, make sure it is shut.
You can also completely immerse your shower head in a bowl with the Dr. Pepper if you dislodge it from its mount or pipe using a handheld shower head or by twisting it the other way. Bronner’s soap and water rather than enclosing it in a plastic bag.
Spend about 30 minutes soaking your shower head in the soapy solution. I have time to watch an episode of Parks and Recreation or grab a quick lunch in that amount of time. Multitasking is key!).
Take the plastic bag and soapy mixture out of the showerhead and pour them down the drain for disposal. We won’t require this any longer.
If your showerhead is wall-mounted, wet a dishcloth with warm water, then use it to wipe off the soap and any remaining mineral buildup. You can rinse the shower head with water under your faucet if you removed it to clean it.
Once more, hot water should be run through the water holes to flush out any soap or residue that may still be there. Put your shower head back in place after cleaning it, then run the hot water for a few seconds.
Coca-cola
Although I don’t regularly drink Coke, I’ve heard that it can be used to clean and defrost windshields. You can also use Coke to clean your shower head, which is something you probably didn’t know.
Pour a can of Coke into your plastic bag to start. I suggested a 1-qt bag, but double-check that it will fit around your shower head because we’ll be soaking the showerhead in the bag.
Wrap a rubber band tightly around the water pipe and around your showerhead, just like you would with soap. Place your plastic bag so that the Coke covers the top of your shower head completely.
Your plastic bag should be securely wrapped around the showerhead by slipping the top edges of the bag under the rubber band. Before leaving, make sure the bag is closed securely. Instead of wrapping your showerhead in a plastic bag if you choose to remove it from the pipe or mount, you can also soak it in a bowl of Coke.
Spend about 30 minutes letting your shower head soak in the Coke bag. Although you won’t have to sit and watch it, it may be a good idea to check on it occasionally to make sure the bag is still closed and the Coke hasn’t spilled all over your tub.
Pour the Coca-Cola you removed from your shower head down the drain to get rid of it. Please don’t drink it, you die-hard Coke fans.
Use a dishcloth dampened with warm water to wipe away the Coke’s stickiness and any remaining mineral deposits if it’s still attached to the wall. If you took the shower head apart to clean it, you can run some water under the faucet to rinse it.
To remove any Coke and remaining deposits stuck in the holes, you should run water through your showerhead as you would with any of the other methods mentioned. Put the showerhead back in place after cleaning it if you removed it, and then run the hot water for a few minutes.
Lemon Juice
Lemons contain citric acid, which not only makes them taste sour but also works well as a cleaning agent. Lemons are excellent deterrents for rust and limescale, which frequently clog showerheads thanks to their acidity.
They behave like vinegar because of their acidity. Have we mentioned that lemons have antibacterial properties?
Although fresh lemon juice is preferred, store-bought lemon juice is also acceptable.
Juice from squeezed lemons should be combined with water. Although there are no set amounts, it is best to keep the water content moderate and increase the acidity of the lemon.
Then soak the showerhead for 20 to 30 minutes in the lemon juice cleaner.
One option is to take the showerhead off and put it in a bucket with this mixture. The other method involves soaking it in a plastic bag filled with lemon juice and held closed with elastic.
Rinse the showerhead only after that.
Use Bleach
Bleach represents the opposite end of the spectrum. On the subject of using bleach to clean, some housewives have differing opinions. It cleans, but it also has a risk of harm.
However, if vinegar is not an option and you are still determined to clean your shower head, bleach will work.
In a used container, combine equal parts of bleach and water. Never store food in anything that you wouldn’t later use for storage.
It is possible to use a cup of bleach and a cup of water or a gallon of bleach and water. It doesn’t matter how precisely you measure it, but you should dilute the bleach with at least that much water.
The bleach mixture should then be applied to the showerhead using a soft cloth while wearing gloves. You can quickly dip your shower head in the bleach solution to get rid of bacteria.
After five minutes, give the showerhead a thorough water rinse and let it air dry. After cleaning, make sure to run the shower for a while to remove all of the bleach.
Hydrogen Peroxide
A safer substitute for bleach is hydrogen peroxide. It is extremely simple to clean off and doesn’t release any harmful vapors. In addition to being safe to use around children, it is also good for the environment.
Similar to how you would use bleach, hydrogen peroxide has many uses. 50/50 dilution of water is required.
Use a cup of water instead of hydrogen peroxide if you must. The solution can be applied with a cloth or left to sit on the showerhead for a short while.
Antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties are all present in hydrogen peroxide. It can therefore effectively eliminate any bacteria that develops in your showerhead.
After cleaning, remove the hydrogen peroxide with water for about five minutes. Rinse well, and after a brief interval, turn on the shower.
Ways To Remove A Shower Head To Clean
You might find that you need to remove your shower head in order to perform a more thorough or detailed cleaning. Fortunately, this only slightly increases the difficulty.
You must first turn off your shower head before proceeding. Using a wrench, you can do this by removing the shower arm’s nut. On the other hand, using a tool directly on your shower head is probably going to leave some marks. You can safeguard your wrench by placing a cleaning rag between it and the shower hardware. See more about How To Unclog Shower Heads
How Long Should A Shower Head Be Submerged In Vinegar?
It must be soaked in the vinegar solution for a while, as we previously discussed, for it to be effective.
The length of time your shower head should soak, on the other hand, depends on how thoroughly you want to clean it without harming it.
You should only be concerned if your shower head is made of brass, nickel, or gold, as we previously stated. A maximum of 30 minutes is allowed for these materials to soak in the solution. If not, you’re free to leave the vinegar solution in place for however long is required.
Tips For Keeping A Shower Head Clean
Cleaning your shower head regularly is the best way to keep it functioning properly. Here are some tips to help you maintain a clean shower head without having to scrub it all the time.
- Keep a bottle of shower head cleaner in the bathroom, preferably Clorox Tilex Daily Shower Cleaner Spray. To stop any mineral buildup from occurring, spritz the cleaner over each showerhead.
- In order to prevent hard water deposits from forming where a shower head drips, it should be fixed.
- Shower heads that are cracked and dripping should be replaced.
- Where your water supply enters your home, install a water softener. Consequently, the minerals won’t deposit themselves in the shower head or other fixtures and will be trapped.
- Bleach can damage your shower head and cause peeling, so avoid using it to clean it.
FAQs
How To Clean A Shower Head Without Taking It Apart?
Pour the cleaning agent into a plastic bag if you don’t know how to remove it properly. The bag should be fastened to the showerhead and submerged entirely in the solution. Put a rubber band around it to keep it in place.
How Can I Clean My Shower Head With Bleach?
One cup of diluted bleach can be combined with two cups of water. The showerhead is then sprayed with this solution after being placed in a spray bottle.
Given that bleach has been shown to increase the production of harmful bacteria, we advise against choosing this option.
If you still choose to use it, wear gloves and a face mask while doing so.
How To Remove Rust From A Shower Head
You will require an acidic cleaning solution, such as vinegar, to remove rust from a showerhead. Don’t have it?
You can clean your shower head without vinegar using any of the homemade cleaning solutions covered in this article.
The Bottom Line
Have you liked our tutorial? You’ll have a shower that sparkles in no time if you stick to these instructions. You won’t even need to take your shower head off to take a mineral-deposit-free shower thanks to this technique.
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