Around the House

#48 · Clear a blocked shower head

Poke through limescale-clogged holes in a shower head with the pointed end. Hard water, meet your match.

In a hard water area a shower head slowly plugs itself with limescale, and the spray goes from even to a set of angry jets pointing in unhelpful directions. Descaling solves it chemically, but the stubborn middle holes usually need something physical, and a chopstick tip is the right size.

How to do it

Unscrew the head from the hose if it comes off - almost all do, by hand or with a cloth for grip.
Soak it in white vinegar for thirty minutes to an hour. This does most of the work and makes the rest easy.
Press the chopstick tip into each blocked hole from the outside, pushing the softened plug inwards.
On rubber-nozzled heads, just rub the nozzles firmly with a thumb instead - they are designed to flex the scale off.
Rinse thoroughly, reattach, and run hot water through for a minute to flush the debris.

Why it works

Limescale is calcium carbonate, which dissolves readily in mild acid - hence the vinegar. What vinegar can't do is reach a fully sealed hole, because no liquid gets in. Punching the plug through opens a channel for the acid to work, which is why the two steps together do far more than either alone.

If it isn't working

The chopstick won't go through: don't force it. Soak for longer - forcing splits the wood and can widen the hole permanently.
The spray is still uneven after descaling: check the filter washer where the head meets the hose. It clogs too, and everyone forgets it.
It re-scales within weeks: that's the water, not the head. Descale on a schedule rather than waiting for it to get bad.

Tips & warnings

Every three to four months in a hard water area, once a year in a soft one.
If you can't remove the head, fill a food bag with vinegar and rubber-band it around the head so it soaks in place.
Never use a metal pin on a chrome or plastic face - it scratches. Bamboo won't.