Limescale is a chalky deposit primarily made up of calcium carbonate and is known for clogging up shower heads. It’s infamous for its clingy presence in kettles, taps, and glassy streaks on shower screens.
However, cleaning fanatics have come to the rescue on the Mrs Hinch Army Cleaning Tips Facebook group by revealing how to restore your shower head to its glistening glory.
One member of the group, Susan Myers, asked: “Could anyone suggest how to clean a shower head? Mine has gone black in the holes where the water comes out. I’ve tried bleach but it didn’t work.”
Quick to respond with practical solutions, the top recommendation involved just white vinegar and an everyday plastic bag, reports the Express.
Another Mrs Hinch fan, Maureen Beckett Morgan, advised: “Put the head in a plastic bag with water, white vinegar and a limescale liquid of some sort”
Eager to offer additional insight, Sharon Kardosh mentioned her own success by saying: “I did mine recently with white vinegar. I tried the branded stuff first thinking it would be easier but it didn’t work. Is the top a fixed head or a hose?”
Kardosh also detailed her method: “I unscrewed the fixed top bit, soaked it in a bowl of vinegar overnight then wiped it over and it’s as good as new.”
She went on to describe her strategy for hose-connected heads: “For the hose bit, I put a jug of white vinegar in the shower and stood the head bit in it, and it came up clean really quickly. I was totally amazed.”
Alternative methods for cleaning shower heads were all the talk among folks, with Kathleen Hanlon recommending: “Put some white vinegar in a freezer bag, put the shower head in, tie it with an elastic band and leave it for a while then rinse.”
Gloria Clarkson-Wanders shared her trick: “I put mine in a plastic bag with vinegar. Cleans limescale and black gunge.”
Vanessa Rodway advised: “White vinegar in a polythene bag wrapped around the shower head with an elastic band. Leave 15 to 20 minutes, it dissolves limescale.”
Rita Waldroup echoed a similar approach: “Vinegar in a baggy tied to the shower head to soak.”
The acidic nature of vinegar is known to be effective at breaking down the calcium carbonate that constitutes limescale. Other creative recommendations from the community included using lemons, Steradent tablets, and citric acid.
Debra Readshaw suggested an interesting alternative: “Why not try a lemon cut in half? Place it on the shower head, keep squeezing it then wipe clean.”
To fight stubborn grime, Patricia Phillips had this tip: “Soak the shower head overnight in a couple of Steradent tablets – it works wonders.”
Lastly, for those preferring a homemade fix, Tina Chand Varsani offered her solution: “Get a bag, put some citric acid in there, hot water and stick the head in. Leave it to soak for a while – should do the trick.”