If your shower spray is weak, uneven, or spraying sideways, limescale is the likely cause. Hard water leaves white mineral deposits that block the small holes in a shower head. Vinegar dissolves limescale safely, with no harsh chemicals and no need to buy a new shower head.
What you need
- White vinegar
- A plastic bag or a bowl
- A rubber band or cable tie
- An old toothbrush
- A pin or needle
- A clean cloth
Step-by-step: remove limescale from a shower head
- Check if the shower head unscrews. Most shower heads unscrew by hand from the shower hose. If yours does, remove it and place it in a bowl. If it is fixed in place, use the bag method in the next step instead.
- Soak in vinegar (removable head). Put the shower head in a bowl and pour in enough white vinegar to cover it completely. Leave it for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight for heavy limescale.
- Or use a bag (fixed head). Fill a plastic bag halfway with vinegar, place it over the shower head so the head is fully submerged, and secure it with a rubber band or cable tie. Leave it for 1 to 2 hours.
- Scrub the nozzles. Remove the head from the vinegar and scrub the face with an old toothbrush to loosen the softened limescale. Do not use a metal brush, which can scratch the finish.
- Clear blocked holes with a pin. Gently poke a pin or needle into any holes that are still blocked. Work carefully so you do not enlarge the holes.
- Rinse and run the shower. Rinse the head well with clean water, reattach it, and run the shower for 1 to 2 minutes to flush out vinegar and loose limescale.
- Check the spray. The spray should now be even and strong. If a few holes are still blocked, repeat the soak for another hour.
Prevent limescale coming back
- Wipe the shower head dry after use when you can.
- Repeat the vinegar soak every 2 to 3 months in hard-water areas.
- Clean taps and shower glass with the same vinegar method to stop deposits building up.
Do not use vinegar on natural stone tiles or on shower heads with a damaged finish without checking the manufacturer guidance first. For a whole-bathroom routine, build a checklist with our Cleaning Checklist Builder.