Haha, vinegar really works that well? Wish I'd known that before I spent half an hour wrestling with mine last weekend. Does it matter what kind of vinegar you use, or is regular kitchen stuff fine? Also, how long do you usually soak it—overnight or just a few hours? My showerhead's currently doing its best impression of a lawn sprinkler, so I'm open to anything at this point...
Regular kitchen vinegar usually does the trick, no need for anything fancy. But soaking overnight might be overkill—I've found 2-3 hours is plenty. Ever tried poking the holes with a toothpick afterward? Seems to help clear stubborn bits...
"Ever tried poking the holes with a toothpick afterward? Seems to help clear stubborn bits..."
Good call on the toothpick trick—I've done that myself a few times. But honestly, vinegar alone hasn't always cut it for me. Maybe it's just my luck, but I've had showerheads that laughed at vinegar and toothpicks alike. Ended up having to take the whole thing apart and manually clean out some mineral buildup. Not fun, but it worked.
Still, your method is definitely worth trying first before going full plumber-mode. Two or three hours soaking sounds about right; overnight seems excessive unless you're dealing with some serious hard water issues. Either way, it's always satisfying when you finally get a nice, even spray again...
That toothpick trick's pretty handy, but has anyone else found success with citric acid instead of vinegar? I tried vinegar a couple times and it sorta worked, but still left some stubborn bits behind. Then a friend suggested citric acid powder mixed in warm water...worked surprisingly well for me. Cleared out the mineral gunk without needing to dismantle anything. Wonder if it's just luck or if others have had similar results?
Citric acid's been my go-to for years—works faster and seems to dissolve buildup better than vinegar. But has anyone noticed if it affects the finish on chrome fixtures over time? I've always wondered about that...
