"Wondering though, has anyone tried citric acid instead of vinegar? Heard it's gentler on plastics, but not sure if it works as well on mineral buildup."
I've tried it a few times—seemed to do the job fine, but took a bit longer than vinegar. Definitely easier on plastics tho. Might depend how stubborn your showerhead's feeling that day...
Citric acid works pretty well in my experience too, but yeah, takes longer to really break down the tougher deposits. Vinegar's quicker, but I've seen it dull or cloud plastic parts over time. One trick I've found helpful is using warm water with citric acid—it speeds things up a bit without hurting plastics. Just don't go boiling hot or anything...warm's enough.
Have you tried soaking the showerhead overnight in a baggie filled with warm citric acid solution? I've done that a couple times, and it seems to loosen things up nicely without damaging anything. Also, are you sure it's just mineral buildup causing the rogue spray? Sometimes the little rubber nozzles get misaligned or clogged with tiny debris...might be worth checking those too before you go all-in on the acid soak.
I've seen the citric acid trick work wonders, but honestly, sometimes it's not even mineral buildup causing the chaos. Had a client once whose showerhead was spraying sideways like a sprinkler—turned out their kid had jammed tiny bits of soap into the nozzles (kids, right?). Might wanna peek closely at those little rubber jets; sometimes just gently rubbing them with your thumb can clear things up. Worth a quick check before you commit to an overnight soak...unless you're secretly enjoying the surprise morning shower gymnastics.
Have you considered checking the internal washer or gasket? Sometimes, especially with older showerheads, the washer inside can deteriorate or shift slightly, causing uneven water distribution. I agree buildup or blockages are common culprits, but if you've already tried rubbing the jets and it's still spraying sideways...might be worth unscrewing the head to peek inside. Could save you from unnecessary soaking overnight—unless you're into surprise water aerobics every morning.
