I get the temptation to just swap the whole thing, but I’ve actually had decent luck with those silicone nubs—if you squish and wiggle them while the water’s running, sometimes the gunk just pops out. It’s weirdly satisfying. I’m stubborn, though, and hate tossing stuff if I can help it. Worst case, I’ve boiled the head in a pot of vinegar water (outdoors—learned that lesson the hard way) and it came out almost like new. Hard water’s a menace, but I refuse to let it win... at least not without a fight.
Yeah, hard water’s a beast. I’ve been called out to more “rogue” showerheads than I can count, and honestly, half the time it’s just those little jets getting clogged up with mineral junk. I’ve done the silicone nub trick—there’s something oddly satisfying about seeing a chunk of scale shoot out and suddenly your shower’s back to normal. But sometimes, no amount of poking or wiggling gets it all.
Funny story: once tried boiling a particularly stubborn head in vinegar inside my kitchen. My whole apartment reeked like a pickle factory for two days. Now I stick to the bucket method—just unscrew the head, toss it in a big bowl of hot vinegar water, and let it soak outside or in the garage. Less drama, fewer complaints from the rest of the household.
I get not wanting to toss stuff that still works, but there’s a point where you’re spending more time cleaning than you would just swapping it out. Some cheap heads are basically disposable after a couple years in hard water zones, but if you’ve got one of those decent metal ones, it’s worth fighting for.
One thing I’ve noticed: if your water pressure starts dropping or you get those weird sideways jets that spray directly at your face (or worse, out the bathroom door), chances are there’s gunk stuck deeper inside. Sometimes you gotta take the whole thing apart—tiny screwdriver, dental pick, whatever fits—and dig around. Not glamorous work, but hey, beats getting blasted in the eye every morning.
Anyway, hard water never really gives up, does it? Just keeps coming back for round two... and three... and four.
The sideways face-blast is the worst. I’ve tried the vinegar soak too, but I’m always paranoid about dumping that much acid down the drain—doesn’t feel super eco-friendly, even if it’s “natural.” Ever tried one of those filter attachments? I’m curious if they actually help with the mineral buildup or if it’s just marketing. I keep patching up my old metal head because tossing it feels wasteful, but sometimes I wonder if I’m just being stubborn. Hard water’s relentless, for sure...
water shooting everywhere except where it's supposed to
That happened to me a few months back and I totally get the frustration. I went through two cheap showerheads before realizing it was worth spending a bit more. Have you looked at the ones with metal fittings instead of plastic? I found those last way longer. Also, did you check if your water pressure is super high? Sometimes that messes with the cheaper models.
