Tips U0026 Tricks For Descaling The Shower

If there is no pressure on the shower, it is also possible that the shower head is simply calcified.

The shower is one of many the daily morning ritual. Since we use them every day, we only notice a gradual loss of pressure when the water really only trickles out of the shower , the shampoo stays in the hair and we hardly manage to wash off the soap.

How do you descale the shower?

There are various methods and means of decalcifying the shower head in the shower, some of which depend on what material the shower itself is made of, whether it can be dismantled and what material your shower, bathtub or tiles are made of.

Note that elements such as wall cladding, washbasin or bath tub surrounds made of marble or limestone must never be cleaned with acidic agents such as vinegar or citric acid, as these destroy the surface!

If you have such materials in the bathroom, for example as tiles on the floor, refrain from decalcifying the shower head in the bathroom yourself, so as not to destroy more than to improve!

Common household acids such as vinegar, vinegar essence and citric acid are suitable as decalcifying agents. The higher the concentration of the acid, the higher the lime dissolving power.

Also , heating of acid leads to a more intense and faster response, so a faster dissolution of lime.

Please pay attention to the material compatibility before using acids, not every metal alloy can tolerate acids!

Built-in shower head

The shower head is firmly soldered to the faucet, particularly in older bathrooms or in bathrooms that have been trimmed for “vintage”.

Even if age and limescale block the thread and you cannot detach the shower from the hose or the rod, there is a solution:

• Make sure that there is as little water as possible in the shower head. To do this, you shake and knock against it until the last residue has drained off.
• Then prepare a freezer bag and a string as well as an acid solution (vinegar, lemon juice, vinegar essence, …) of your choice.
• Heat the acid solution a little, but only so that you cannot burn yourself on it.
• Pour the liquid into the freezer bag and tie it around the shower head so that it is completely submerged in it.
• Shake and tap the shower head until no more large air bubbles rise. Small bubbling bubbles show that the acid is taking effect.

The longer you soak the shower head, the greater the success. However, if the shower head is extremely calcified, the limescale dissolving power of the vinegar or citric acid may be exhausted at some point before all the limescale has dissolved.

If this is the case, repeat the entire procedure with fresh solution.

Removable shower head

If it is possible to detach the shower head from the hose in your shower, you can descale it more easily and more effectively.

Try to disassemble the shower head into its individual parts, as the scale will also settle in the seals and cause them to no longer seal properly over time.

Take the opportunity to look inside the hose to see if there are limescale deposits or deposits. If so, change the hose, because a reduced diameter due to deposits also ensures a lower flow through the shower.

Drain the individual parts of the shower head and prepare a warm acid solution bath, for example by heating vinegar in a saucepan large enough to hold all of the parts.

Then place the dividers in the warm solution and watch fine bubbles rise.

As soon as no more bubbles can be seen, but the solution is still warm and there are still limescale deposits on the individual parts, the acidic effect is exhausted and you have to repeat the process.

As a support, you can carefully try to brush off limescale deposits with a nail brush, but use rubber gloves to avoid irritating the skin on your hands with the acid.

Descale the taps

You can descale all sanitary facilities in your household and extend their lifespan using the methods described. This concerns, for example:

• Faucets
• Aerators
• Sink faucets
• Garden showers
• water heater

It is important to rinse every decalcified part thoroughly with clear water before using it again, especially before assembly, so that firstly no acid gets into the (drinking) water and secondly no dissolved limescale particles clog the shower again before it is properly assembled.