Today, I made a start on my plumbing sand badge. I have to say that until this badge bit, I never thought to even look at our shower head, let alone clean it. I was shocked at how gross it was!
My other surprise was to discover that our shower head is not metal, but rather chrome-colored painted plastic! I learned this when I tried to scrub some of the ickiest spots and the paint came off. You can actually see the white plastic in places in the last photo.
That's one of the things I love about the PEP program, I'm learning interesting things and invaluable skills by doing seemingly simple tasks.
The method was simple. I soaked the head in vinegar for a while, then scrubbed it up and rinsed it off. Thankfully I didn't need to disassemble it since the flow greatly improved immediately.
Here is my submission for the Plumbing & Hot Water - Sand - Clean and Decalcify a Shower Head BB.
To document the completion of the BB, I have provided the following:
- a before picture of the showerhead
- an in-progress shot of you cleaning/decalcifying the showerhead
- an after picture of the newly cleaned/decalcified shower head
- a description of the method for how the shower head was cleaned/decalcified
I soaked the showerhead in the same white vinegar bath as the faucet aerators (reuse). I also used a silicone scrubber and some dish soap to remove the last of the calcium and debris.
To clean my shower head I took it off and soaked it in vinegar for an hour or so (with my kitchen tap aerator). I rubbed all the rubber tips with my fingers to break up any of the bits of buildup left, then I rinsed it with warm water.
Before.jpg
Soaking.jpg
After.jpg
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
I removed the shower head and soaked for a couple of hours in a beaker of vinegar. Then I gave it a rinse and scrub, flushed it through to remove any remaining residue.
Here is my submission for the Plumbing & Hot Water Aspect - Sand - Clean and Decalcify a Shower Head BB (duplicate).
Update: new photos showing adjustable showerhead dripping (before) and working well in two different settings (pulsing massage and standard mode).
To document the completion of the BB, I have provided the following:
- Dirty/calcified showerhead operating poorly
- Cleaning/decalcifying the showerhead
- Newly cleaned/decalcified showerhead operating properly
- A description of the method for how the shower head was cleaned/decalcified
This showerhead is in my sister's private bathroom. I soaked the showerhead in a white vinegar bath. I also used a silicone scrubber to remove the last of the calcium and debris.