Haha, been there with the overtightening fiasco—ended up snapping a connector myself. Speaking of sneaky plumbing issues, anyone ever deal with mineral buildup messing up their shower spray? Vinegar soak usually does the trick, but curious if there's a better hack out there...
Yeah, vinegar usually sorts it out for me too, but sometimes it's just not enough. Have you tried poking the holes with a toothpick or a sewing needle after soaking? I found that loosens up stubborn mineral bits that vinegar alone can't quite tackle. Also, I've heard some folks swear by CLR cleaner for really tough buildup, but I'm a bit hesitant about using stronger chemicals regularly—anyone know if that's safe long-term for showerheads?
On another note, does anyone else notice certain showerhead materials seem to clog faster than others? My old plastic one was always getting blocked, but the metal replacement seems way less prone to buildup. Wonder if there's something to that or just coincidence...
- Vinegar's usually my go-to as well, but I've had mixed results with CLR. Used it a couple times on a stubborn metal showerhead, and it worked great initially, but seemed to corrode the finish slightly after repeated use. Not sure I'd recommend it regularly...
- Definitely noticed material differences though. My plastic ones clogged way quicker too—switched to a brass head about a year ago, and it's barely needed cleaning since. Probably something to do with how smoothly minerals stick to different surfaces.
You're spot-on about vinegar being gentler overall. CLR can be effective, but yeah, repeated use can definitely mess with finishes—seen it happen a few times myself. Brass showerheads are a solid choice; minerals just don't cling as stubbornly. If anyone's still struggling with plastic heads, soaking overnight in vinegar usually does the trick. And if the spray's still wonky afterward, gently poking the nozzles with a toothpick or sewing needle helps clear stubborn buildup without damaging anything.
Good points on vinegar being gentler, but I'd caution against using needles or toothpicks too often. I've seen folks accidentally widen the nozzle openings over time, making the spray uneven permanently. A safer bet might be using an old toothbrush after soaking—it gently scrubs away buildup without risking damage. Also, brass heads are great, but stainless steel showerheads with silicone nozzles can be even easier to maintain...just rub the nozzles occasionally, and buildup usually pops right off.
