‘It’ll shine and sparkle’ plumbers rave as they reveal the easy, homemade solution to conquer shower limescale

IT might not be the first place you think of in your bathroom when it comes to harbouring bacteria.

But your shower head can actually end up a breeding ground for germs, due to the limescale that can collect on it over time.

And there’s an easy way to check for buildup on the shower head even if it is invisible.

“A tell-tale sign that your shower handset is dirty is when the water squirts out in every direction but down,” the experts at PlumbWorld said.

“This is because the holes the water flows through have become clogged with limescale.”

So, to get your shower heads to “shine and sparkle for as long as possible”, you can try a homemade solution that’s guaranteed to do the job.

All you need is a bottle of white vinegar.

Start the cleaning session by removing the shower head from the arm.

Take the shower head apart as much as possible, as you need the solution to really get into all the areas to get them clean.

When taking the shower head apart, make sure you keep hold of any washers that come loose, as these are vital to stop leaks when you put everything back together afterwards.

Put the dismantled shower head into a large container, such as a bucket or large saucepan.

Fill it with vinegar, either warm or cold, and leave it to soak.

If you’ve used warm or hot vinegar, leave the shower head to soak for 30 minutes.

But if you’ve used cold vinegar, you can leave it soaking overnight.

The next day, drain away the vinegar and give the shower head a scrub with a toothbrush or small brush to get rid of any remaining limescale particles.

A similar process can be adopted if you have a fixed shower head that can’t be removed from the wall.

In this case, put the vinegar into a plastic bag, immerse the shower head into the liquid, and tie the bag securely around the shower head with an elastic band.

Leave it overnight to soak, and check things the next day by turning the shower on to see if the water runs downwards and smoothly.