Home-made cleaning solution to remove lime deposits from my shower head?

Question

I have a "telephone wand" version of a shower head, and the holes are closing up, some from grit, but most others that are closed/of reduced aperture seem to suffer from lime (calcium) deposits. My thought was to soak and/or scour it with some home-made solution, since I cannot find a commercial product for this purpose here in Germany.

Researching the 21 Q's found under "lime deposits" here, it would seem an acid solution, perhaps using vinegar or lime juice may work. But, I am worried about this pitting or eating away the chrome-(like?) finish on the shower head.

I suspect the best solution is to SOAK the shower-head (since it can be brought down from its hanging position) in a solution, then use a BRUSH or scouring pad on the water outlets (jets) to remove/reduce the most stubborn deposits. But, what solution is most likely to garner success?

Wanting to reduce my shower time here in Frankfurt,
GCC

The most popular recommendations seem to be recommending a vinegar & water "bath." However, the proportions are WIDELY variant. Might any of you actually have tried one of these solutions with safety & success on a "chromed" finish?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I used Vinegar and it worked very little. I had to go back with a stainless steel fork to pick the little crevices. The best solution I've found so far is a descaler. It's a white grainy substance that you add to water, and it has a sugar-like consistancy. It's fairly cheap, too. It only would take about a teaspoon to clean the shower head, and a 3 lb. bag of it cost about $30 US.

Answer 2

I agree with many of the suggestions given. CLR and Lime-away are both used here. We have had great success with white vinegar in a 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 solution, depending on the seriousness of the deposits and the quality of the shower-head. The stronger the solution, the more care you need to avoid pitting. It may have to soak a long time. You must make sure that it soaks on the insides as well as externally. Unless your shower head is a very nice, expensive one, it may not be worth all of the trouble.

Answer 3

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Home-made cleaning solution to remove lime deposits from my shower head?
I have a "telephone wand" version of a shower head, and the holes are closing up, some from grit, but most others that are closed/of reduced aperture seem to suffer from lime (calcium) deposits. My thought was to soak and/or scour it with some home-made solution, since I cannot find a...

Answer 4

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You will need some vice grips that are large enough and some white vinegar. remove the shower head (with the vice grips) and place it in a bucket of cheap white vinegar. Let it soak for a while. All of the lime deposits should come off fine. You can also use a ziplock bag of vinegar and tape it with ducktape around the shower head, let it soak for a while then remove. Might I suggest a new shower head? They are pretty cheap and once you have the old one off might as well get a new one. PS pipe tape will help the fit of the shower head on the threads when you put it back on.

Answer 5

Clr Cleaning Solution

Answer 6

Mix a solution of 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of salt,
1 cup of water, boil in a container for 15 minutes let sit overnight rinse with cold water---note you may have to double or triple the measurement to cover the shower head Hope this works. Good Luck

Answer 7

The best way to get calcium deposits off your shower-head is to soak it in a vinegar&salt solution. dissolve as much salt as possible in some vinegar and soak the shower head in it. check from time to time how things are going, a hour will normaly do.
A comrcial product you might find in Germany is "Viacal", this is made for such problems.

Answer 8

Let me tell you something, these answers are all fine and dandy, but there only temporary. By the time you by the stuff to scrub, pick and soak, clean and do it again, its cheaper to go by another one! My brother is a plumber he says you clean all you want but the alkaline (calcium scales) builds up on the inside of the shower heads too. So in short go buy a new one.

Answer 9

i have had trouble with this sort of thing before , i found that using a heavy duty domestic cleaner and a steel scouring pad ,dose the trick ,,remember to wear rubber gloves , gently scrub the shower head or if needed soak the shower head first then scrub it clean , remember to rinse afterwards , good luck.

Answer 10

oxalic acid is used in automotive cooling sytem flush. It can be pucased at auto parts store. Otherwise bathe the showerhead in white vinegar in a saucepan on medium heat on the stove until limescale is dissolved. DO NOT USE AN ALUMINUM POT. The vinegar wiil corrode the aluminum