Good points above, but honestly, I've found that sometimes it's not even the rubber nozzles causing the issue. Had a similar situation at my brother's place—he swore it was the nozzles too, but when we took it apart, turned out there was actually mineral buildup deeper inside the showerhead itself. Vinegar soaks didn't cut it because the blockage was way further in, past the nozzles. Ended up soaking the entire showerhead overnight in CLR, then flushing it thoroughly. Worked like a charm afterward.
Replacing is definitely easier sometimes, but if you're attached to your current showerhead (or just want to save some cash), might be worth checking deeper inside before tossing it out. Just my two cents...
Definitely agree with giving it a deeper clean before tossing it. I've also found CLR does wonders when vinegar doesn't quite cut it. Another tip—sometimes gently poking through the internal channels with a thin wire or unfolded paperclip can dislodge stubborn buildup. Saved my favorite showerhead more than once this way... and kept it out of the landfill too, which is always a win!
"sometimes gently poking through the internal channels with a thin wire or unfolded paperclip can dislodge stubborn buildup."
This right here is gold advice. I've rescued countless showerheads this way—it's oddly satisfying, too, like dental flossing for plumbing. 😂 One extra tip: after you've poked around, give it a good rinse under running water upside down to flush out any loosened debris. And if your showerhead has rubber nozzles, gently massaging them with your thumb can help break up mineral deposits even further. Good luck taming that rogue spray... showers shouldn't feel like surprise sprinkler attacks.
Another thing worth trying if the paperclip trick doesn't fully solve it:
- Unscrew the showerhead completely and soak it overnight in white vinegar. Sounds weird, but trust me, vinegar is basically magic for dissolving mineral buildup.
- After soaking, give it another quick poke-through and rinse.
- If it's still spraying like a possessed garden sprinkler, check the rubber washer inside—sometimes those degrade or shift and cause uneven spray.
I've had a few stubborn ones myself... plumbing can be oddly therapeutic until it isn't, lol. Good luck!
I've tried the vinegar soak before, and it did help a bit, but honestly not enough to justify the vinegar smell lingering in my bathroom for days afterward. Maybe I was just unlucky? Also, does anyone know if soaking it overnight can damage certain finishes or coatings on showerheads? Mine's supposed to be eco-friendly or something, and I'd hate to accidentally ruin it trying to fix a spraying issue...
