You've Been Cleaning Your Shower Head Wrong This Whole Time

Your list of Sunday chores may often have the words "clean the shower" written on it. And so, we drag ourselves to the shower, wipe the tub down, and rinse thoroughly. If it's a good day, some might wipe off the shower head, while most simply save it for another time. But, instead of scrubbing your shower head with chemical-laden cleaning spray, another ingredient may do the trick — without the elbow grease.

According to PureWow, shower heads can hold bacteria that may contribute to feelings of fatigue, fever, and lung issues. Although highly unlikely, this effect can easily go by the wayside when you clean your shower head every few months. The outlet suggests creating a solution using a third of a cup of baking soda combined with a cup of white vinegar and then adding it to a gallon-sized bag. From here, bring the bag to the mouth of the shower head and secure around the back with a rubber band so that the solution sits on the nozzle. 

With your shower head soaking in the solution, you can leave the bag secured overnight to reveal a newly sterilized appliance. Simply rinse and then run hot water for a few moments to release any lingering vinegar from the nozzle.

Another benefit of using the vinegar-and-baking-soda trick to clean your shower head? It will quickly zap any calcium or mineral deposits. If you live in a building that runs hard water, you'll know what this buildup looks like: white or orange in color, clinging to the sides of your shower for dear life. This simple solution can help remove old stains and spots, The Spruce explains.

These mineral deposits can clog your shower head and make your rinse less powerful. Plus, these deposits add more calcium, iron, or other trace metals to your water flow, according to the outlet. With high levels of acetic acid, white vinegar works to dissolve these deposits and leave you with a clean shower head. Since it's a natural cleaner, you won't have to worry about inhaling the fumes of bleaches, dyes, and other chemicals as you disinfect, either.

Once you've let the solution sit, make sure to wipe the surface of the nozzle down with a cloth to fully remove any clung-on spots. If that doesn't do the trick, use an old toothbrush to break up excess debris, Taste of Home recommends.

No matter the state of your nozzle, scrubbing your shower head the old-fashioned way can be a thing of the past with help from a plastic bag, a rubber band, and a few natural cleaning agents.