How To Clean A Shower Head With Baking Soda [6 Easy Steps]

Showerheads are indispensable in any bathroom—but they're also notoriously "under-cleaned." Although clearing away all those limescale deposits may seem like a chore, there is an easy (and cheap!) way to get rid of showerhead gunk. Please keep reading to find out how you could use simple baking soda to make your showerhead shine. 

Here's an effective way to clean your showerhead using baking soda and vinegar:

  1. Use a clean toothbrush to wipe away noticeable grime on your showerhead.
  2. Pour 1/3 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of white vinegar into a quart-sized Ziploc bag.
  3. As this mixture fizzes, cover your showerhead with the Ziploc bag and tie it in place with an elastic band.
  4. Let this mix sit overnight.
  5. The next morning, remove the Ziploc bag and turn your shower on full blast for a minute.
  6. You could remove any remaining debris with your toothbrush, mild soap, and clean safety pins.  

Do you need more tips to get your showerhead sparkly clean? If so, please be sure to check out the cleaning tips listed below.  

Shower with flowing water and steam, How To Clean A Shower Head With Baking Soda [6 Easy Steps]

What Do You Need To Clean A Showerhead With Baking Soda?

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Baking soda with vinegar, natural mix for effective house cleaning, pail, rag and sprayer

Before we go over our cleaning method in detail, here are the items you must have on-hand:

  • 1/3 cup of baking soda
  • Mild dishwashing detergent (ex. Dawn)
  • 1 cup of white distilled vinegar 
  • A quart-sized Ziploc bag
  • Rubber gloves
  • A clean sponge or toothbrush
  • A rubber band, zip tie, or hairband. 
  • Safety pins (optional)

How To Clean Your Showerhead With Baking Soda – A Step-By-Step Guide 

Now that you've gathered all of the above items, it's time to bring them to your shower room and start cleaning!   

1. Give Your Showerhead A Good Scrubbing

First, you want to get rid of any obvious gunk on your showerhead. So, bust out your sponge or a toothbrush and give your showerhead a thorough scrubbing. This will help get rid of any crusty deposits that have formed over the past few months (or years). 

For extra cleaning power, you could add a few drops of mild dishwashing detergent to your scrubber. 

Click here to see more on Amazon.

2. Time To Get Fizzy – Mix Baking Soda & Vinegar In Your Ziploc Bag  

After your showerhead is prepped, grab your Ziploc bag and fill it with about 1/3 cup of baking soda. Next, slowly add your cup of white vinegar to the bag and watch this mixture fizz. Please be sure to do this step over the sink to avoid unnecessary splatter. You may also want to have a few clean towels nearby. 

Speaking of towels, and bathrooms, you may be interested in learning more about the ideal bath towel size.  

3. Tie Your Baking Soda Mix On The Showerhead

Once the baking soda "fizziness" has become manageable, it's time to tie your Ziploc bag around your showerhead. Ensure the vinegar completely submerges your showerhead so it will get rid of all the limescale. To hold the Ziploc bag in place, tie it with your rubber band, hair elastic, or zip tie. 

For the best results, leave this mixture on your showerhead overnight. However, if you have showerheads with brass, nickel, or gold, you should take this mixture off after about 30 minutes to minimize staining. 

4. Remove Ziploc Bag And Clean Excess Debris

A lady testing water coming out of a shower head

When you wake up the next morning, carefully remove the plastic bag from your showerhead, and toss the vinegar down the drain. To get rid of any calcium deposits, turn your shower to full blast for about one minute. 

Lastly, use your sponge or toothbrush again to give your showerhead a final scrubbing.    

5. Bonus Tip – Pick Out Stubborn Bits With Your Safety Pins

If your showerhead needs a little extra TLC, consider using a safety pin to push through the showerhead's holes. You could even use straightened paper clips if you don't have safety pins nearby. 

Once you've finished poking all the holes, turn your shower on for about one minute and watch those deposits go down the drain.  

Does Vinegar Affect A Chrome Showerhead?

Water running from shower head in modern bathroom

If you have a chrome showerhead, you may be worried that the above method will leave stains. Unfortunately, cleaning chrome with vinegar has consequences. Since vinegar has an acidic pH, it could cause damage to a chrome finish, especially if you use this method frequently or for prolonged periods of time.

If you find that you're constantly re-applying white vinegar, then you should investigate ways to soften your home's water supply. For instance, there are a few hard water filters on the market.   

Click here to see this hard water filter on Amazon.

Anyone concerned about destroying their showerhead's finish should only use mild cleaners like Dawn dishwashing soap and a sponge. You could also use the safety pin trick listed above.

If you have specific questions about how vinegar will affect your showerhead, it's best to read the manufacturer's guidelines. If you don't see cleaning instructions in this guide, consider giving your manufacturer a call.  

How Do You Get Hard Water Stains Out Of The Shower?

White vinegar is one of the best ways to eliminate hard water stains that build in your shower. All you have to do is fill a spray bottle with a 1:1 mix of white vinegar and warm water, spray water stain marks, and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Lastly, wipe away the stains with a clean microfiber towel.

If this simple hack didn't do the trick, why not add a little baking soda to the mix? Combine baking soda and white vinegar until it reaches a thick consistency. Next, apply this mix to the hard water stains and let it sit for 15 minutes. Like the white vinegar tip, wipe away this baking soda paste with your microfiber towel.

If both of these DIY remedies aren't working, you could also look for a pre-made stain remover.

Click this Amazon link for more details.

What Kills Mold Instantly?

Hand in rubber protective glove pointing to the mold in the shower cabin corner

Since showers frequently get steamy, it's no surprise that bathrooms are highly susceptible to mold. Thankfully, there are many disinfecting agents you could use to combat these nasty spores in seconds.

If you're looking for an all-natural remedy, look no further than good old baking soda. Professional cleaners recommend mixing ¼ Tbs. of baking soda with water in a small spray bottle. After you shake this mix together, spray mold marks and let the mixture sit for a few minutes. Wash this moldy mix away with water and repeat these steps if necessary. 

White vinegar also has remarkable antifungal properties. For the best success against mold, please don't dilute your white vinegar in water. Spray full-strength vinegar on mold spores and let it sit for one hour before washing away. 

Lastly, 3 percent hydrogen peroxide is another phenomenal mold killer. Like the baking soda and vinegar tips, all you have to do is fill a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide and douse any areas with black mold. After about 15 minutes, scrub this area with a sponge and wash with water. 

Of course, there are also many pre-made antifungal products you could keep on standby. Be sure to look into these solutions if you want a quick and easy way to get rid of mold.

Find out more on this Amazon link.

Please remember that it's far better to prevent mold than to constantly clean it. If you have persistent mold issues, be sure to read our previous post on the best curtain liners for mildew prevention

Could You Use Bleach To Clean Your Showerhead?

Interestingly, bleach is one of the worst things to use when cleaning your showerhead. Get this: recent scientific data suggests bleach does nothing to get rid of bacteria biofilms. In fact, bleach-blasted showerheads tend to have more bacteria than showerheads soaked in baking soda and vinegar. 

Please, leave your bleach in the laundry room for this cleaning job! 

Make Your Showerhead Shine With Baking Soda & Vinegar

As you could see, you don't need a ton of fancy tools to make your showerhead shine. If you follow the simple strategy listed above, you'll be amazed at your showerhead's overnight transformation. Try your best to use this trick once every two months for the best results.

Since we've talked so much about cleaning the shower, you may be curious about what shower style requires the least maintenance. If so, you've got to check out this previous Home Decor Bliss post on the easiest type of shower to clean

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