Signs of a Clogged Shower Head

There’s nothing better than a refreshing shower — and nothing more frustrating than a dripping faucet when you’re expecting a surge of water. If you begin to notice lower water pressure in your daily shower, there could be a clog that’s blocking the waterflow.

Over time, minerals (often calcium) can build up in your shower head’s rubber nozzles or on the inside of the shower arm or shower hose. The good news is this is a fairly quick and easy fix.

How to Clean the Clog

Cleaning your shower head may not be the most exciting project you’d planned for the week, but it won’t take you much effort. Begin by looking for any scale or mineral deposits — this appears as white buildup on the sprayer. Also check for blockages at the flow restrictor disk and inlet screen of the shower head.

If your shower head has rubber nozzles, you can try using your hand or a sponge to rub and break those up while the water is running. If you’re able to remove the gunk and notice the water flow return to normal, your job is done!

The Solution for Your Solution

Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to manually remove mineral deposits from your shower head. If you don’t have a rubber shower head, you’ll likely need to remove it (as well as the arm or hose, in some cases) to give it a deep clean.

An easy way to clear your shower head of limescale is to soak it in a plastic bag with an equal-parts solution of water and vinegar for at least one hour — you’ll get the best results if you soak it overnight.

When the 60 minutes are up, remove the bag and run your shower on hot to flush away any remaining residue. This water and vinegar solution may just be what you needed to clear your clog!

Clean With a Routine

How often should you clean your shower head? While you can simply clean it every time it clogs, it’s best to do so once every couple weeks as part of your bathroom cleaning routine to avoid clogs in the first place.

Other Ways to Increase Water Pressure

Aside from cleaning your shower head on a regular basis, you can consider an upgrade for better water pressure in your whole home. If cleaning your shower head no longer does the trick, consider replacing it with a new one. If you are on a public water system, consider installing a booster pump to raise the overall water pressure in your home. Or, if your water supply is from a well, ask your plumber to check and adjust the pressure switch for the well pump.