You remove limescale from your shower head with an acid. Almost every home has one: cleaning vinegar or citric acid. But which is better for your shower head? Both work, but they differ in smell, convenience and above all in what they do to chrome and rubber. Besjaar compares them side by side, with a step-by-step method that works.
The short answer
For your shower head, choose citric acid if you can. It has no smell, you need very little and it's gentler on seals and chrome surfaces. Vinegar works too, but use it briefly and rinse well afterwards. Not sure? Check what the manufacturer of your shower head recommends.
Why do both work?
Limescale is mainly calcium carbonate. An acid dissolves it, producing a salt that dissolves in water, plus carbon dioxide. Those are the bubbles you see when you put a scaled-up shower head in an acid. Citric acid is a stronger acid than acetic acid, so you need less of it.
Vinegar and citric acid compared
| Cleaning vinegar | Citric acid | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Liquid, usually around 8% acetic acid | Powder or crystals that you dissolve yourself |
| Smell | Strong vinegar smell | Odourless |
| Dosage | Neat or diluted 1:1 with water | 1 to 2 tablespoons per litre of water |
| Rubber and seals | Can damage them with long or frequent soaking | Gentler, as long as you keep it short |
| Chrome | Many manufacturers advise against it | The basis of the descalers manufacturers recommend |
| Watch out | Ventilate well and rinse thoroughly | Don't use it with hot water |
What do manufacturers say?
Hansgrohe advises soaking a hand shower or overhead shower for no more than five minutes in a cleaner based on citric acid. The brand advises against products containing hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, chlorine or phosphoric acid. Grohe's care instructions also say not to use household vinegar or cleaners containing acetic acid. Hansgrohe also advises putting cleaner on a cloth first rather than directly on the shower, and always rinsing well and drying afterwards.
That advice applies to their own chrome-plated and coated products. So always read the manual of your own shower head first. Does your shower head have a special finish, such as matt black, gold or brushed steel? Then be extra careful and only use what the manufacturer lists.
How to descale your shower head with citric acid
- Make the solution. Dissolve 1 to 2 tablespoons of citric acid in a litre of cold or lukewarm water. Don't use hot water: citric acid can then form a white, poorly soluble film with the limescale.
- Let the head soak. Remove the shower head and place it in a bowl, or tie a bag with the solution around the head. Start with 10 to 15 minutes. If there's still limescale afterwards, do another short round rather than one long one.
- Rub and brush. Rub the silicone nozzles with your thumb and brush the rest with an old toothbrush.
- Rinse and dry. Rinse the head well, let the shower run for a moment and dry the outside with a soft cloth.
Prefer vinegar?
Vinegar works well against limescale. Use cleaning vinegar, diluted 1:1 with water if you like. Keep the soaking time short, rinse extra well afterwards and open a window. Don't leave chrome in vinegar for hours, and don't use it if your shower head's manufacturer advises against it.
Never do this
- Never mix with chlorine. Vinegar or citric acid combined with bleach or a chlorine cleaner releases toxic chlorine gas.
- No boiling water. Plastic parts can warp.
- No scouring pads. They scratch chrome and coatings.
- Not on natural stone. Acid etches marble and other limestone. Rinse splashes on natural stone off straight away.
- Don't soak overnight. Longer isn't better: short and more often is safer.
How often should you descale?
With soft water, every two to three months is usually enough; with harder water, once a month. Don't wait until the spray goes crooked: 5 signs your shower head is full of limescale tells you what to look out for. Does your shower head have silicone nozzles, like all Besjaar shower heads? Then rub your thumb over them once a week while you shower. Limescale builds up much less that way.
Does a shower head with a filter mean less descaling? No: the filter holds back loose particles and breaks down free chlorine, but dissolved limescale passes straight through. What does work is the thumb trick above. And to prevent white spots on glass, read a shower screen without limescale spots.
Frequently asked questions
Is citric acid better than vinegar for descaling?
For a shower head, usually yes. Citric acid is odourless, you need very little and it's gentler on seals and chrome. Vinegar works too, but manufacturers such as Hansgrohe and Grohe advise against it for their taps and showers.
How long should a shower head soak in citric acid?
Start with 10 to 15 minutes in cold or lukewarm water. If there's still limescale, repeat a short round. Always follow the advice in your shower head's manual.
Can I use lemon juice instead?
For a little limescale it can work, but lemon juice is much weaker. Citric acid powder works better, is cheap and is easier to dose.
Besjaar makes shower heads and filters for Dutch bathrooms, from Assen. Better water, every day.